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1385231

registered interest
date	06/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to replace Local Authority Monitoring and Brokerage Grant funding by increasing the money allocated to schools directly in the event that the grant funding is withdrawn.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	87731
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>The department has consulted on plans for reforming how local authorities fund their school improvement functions and will publish a government response early in the new year. The department is continuing to deliver year on year, real term per pupil increases to school funding. We are investing a further £4.7 billion by financial year 2024-25 for the core schools budget in England, over and above the Spending Review 2019 settlement for schools in financial year 2022-23.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/12/2021 16:35:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1385286

registered interest
date	06/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to schools to ensure pupils are protected and kept safe in online spaces; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	87832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>This government is committed to keeping children safe both online and offline. All schools and colleges must have regard to the department's statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p><p>This guidance provides schools and colleges with information on what they should be doing to protect pupils and students online.</p><p>The guidance is very clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child’s wellbeing and/or safety. KCSIE, amongst other things, sets out that:</p><ul><li>Appropriate filters and monitoring systems should be in place to protect children when they are online using school or college IT systems. Schools and colleges should have a clear policy on the use of mobile technology which reflects that many children have unrestricted access to the internet via smart devices.</li><li>KCSIE also provides school and college staff with information about different types of abuse and harm, including online abuse.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition, the department has published guidance on teaching online safety in schools and, through relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE), children will be taught about rules and principles for keeping safe online.</p><p>The statutory RSHE curriculum was introduced in September 2020. In these subjects, pupils are taught about online relationships, implications of sharing private or personal data online (including images), harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, an over-reliance on social media, how to be a discerning consumer of information and where to get help and support for issues that occur online.</p><p>Where it is required, schools are also expected to offer remote education to pupils who test positive for COVID-19 or present with COVID-19 symptoms where they are well enough to learn from home. There is a wide range of resources available to support schools and colleges to meet these expectations. The ‘Get Help with Remote Education’ page on gov.uk provides a one-stop-shop for teachers and leaders, signposting to support available. This includes a self-assessment framework to help schools and colleges understand where they are with their remote education provision, help to access technology that supports remote education, peer-to-peer training and guidance on how to use technology effectively and resources, and school-led webinars to support effective delivery of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 87833 question first answered 14/12/2021 14:39:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1385287

registered interest
date	06/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether additional guidance will be issued to supplement the existing guidance on Keeping Children Safe in Education to help schools ensure pupils are kept safe online.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	87833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2021 answer text <p>This government is committed to keeping children safe both online and offline. All schools and colleges must have regard to the department's statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.</p><p>This guidance provides schools and colleges with information on what they should be doing to protect pupils and students online.</p><p>The guidance is very clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child’s wellbeing and/or safety. KCSIE, amongst other things, sets out that:</p><ul><li>Appropriate filters and monitoring systems should be in place to protect children when they are online using school or college IT systems. Schools and colleges should have a clear policy on the use of mobile technology which reflects that many children have unrestricted access to the internet via smart devices.</li><li>KCSIE also provides school and college staff with information about different types of abuse and harm, including online abuse.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition, the department has published guidance on teaching online safety in schools and, through relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE), children will be taught about rules and principles for keeping safe online.</p><p>The statutory RSHE curriculum was introduced in September 2020. In these subjects, pupils are taught about online relationships, implications of sharing private or personal data online (including images), harmful content and contact, cyberbullying, an over-reliance on social media, how to be a discerning consumer of information and where to get help and support for issues that occur online.</p><p>Where it is required, schools are also expected to offer remote education to pupils who test positive for COVID-19 or present with COVID-19 symptoms where they are well enough to learn from home. There is a wide range of resources available to support schools and colleges to meet these expectations. The ‘Get Help with Remote Education’ page on gov.uk provides a one-stop-shop for teachers and leaders, signposting to support available. This includes a self-assessment framework to help schools and colleges understand where they are with their remote education provision, help to access technology that supports remote education, peer-to-peer training and guidance on how to use technology effectively and resources, and school-led webinars to support effective delivery of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 87832 question first answered 14/12/2021 14:39:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1384607

registered interest
date	03/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure that Ofsted inspections of initial teacher training are consistent with previous inspections in (a) rigour and (b) even handedness.
tabling member constituency	Alyn and Deeside
tabling member printed	Mark Tami
uin	86535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>Ofsted are a non-ministerial government department who are independent and report directly to Parliament.</p><p>Ofsted held a public consultation on their revised Initial Teacher Education (ITE) inspection handbook, following work on the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) core content framework. This was published by the department in November 2019.</p><p>Department officials work regularly with Ofsted counterparts on Ofsted’s plans to deliver ITT inspections. The revised ITE inspection handbook found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-education-ite-inspection-framework-and-handbook" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/initial-teacher-education-ite-inspection-framework-and-handbook</a>. This sets out that Ofsted inspectors will check that providers of ITT leading to Qualified Teacher Status, have incorporated the ITT Core Content Framework into their course offering.</p><p>Inspection provides assurance to the public and to government that:</p><ul><li>Minimum standards for educating trainee teachers are being met.</li><li>Where relevant, public money is being spent well.</li><li>Arrangements for safeguarding are effective.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Ofsted can be contacted directly through their home page at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted</a>.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/12/2021 16:30:51 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1383 label Biography information for Mark Tami

1384260

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Internet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support schools with internet connectivity.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	86092
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2021 answer text <p>The department wants all schools in the country to have access to fast internet. We are committed to continued investment, ensuring that every school has access to modern internet connectivity in the classroom and benefiting thousands more children and teachers.</p><p>Recognising the importance of broadband infrastructure in education, we are working with industry and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to accelerate the full-fibre internet connectivity rollout to all schools in England. Children in more than 1,000 schools are now enjoying next generation internet speeds thanks to government investment, with around a further 2,000 to be connected by 2025. Most schools in the UK are in urban or suburban areas which already have access to fast full fibre broadband, so this government investment is focused on mostly rural or hard-to-reach areas, to ensure they do not miss out on next-generation speeds.</p><p>The government remains committed to investing £5 billion to bring gigabit coverage to the hardest to reach areas and will continue to work with suppliers to accelerate this investment, taking account of industry capacity to bid for, and deliver, contracts to build in uncommercial areas alongside their commercial plans. GigaHubs is one of the programmes DCMS is using to deliver the government’s ambition of gigabit capabilities across the UK by 2030. As part of the wider Project Gigabit, GigaHubs will use up to £110 million to connect public buildings such as rural schools, doctors’ surgeries, and libraries to gigabit broadband. This will allow whole classes of schoolchildren to be online, at once, with no interruptions.</p><p>Ensuring good connectivity is just the first step. The actual internet speed experienced is also affected by the technology and Wifi arrangements in place within institutions. We have published a suite of resources to help steer schools, colleges and other providers through the key questions and issues to consider when implementing technology infrastructure, including broadband and local infrastructure issues. To ensure investment made in fast broadband carries through into a high-quality experience in the classroom, we have also set up the ‘connect the classroom’ pilot programme, which is investing up to £30 million to upgrade Wifi for around 1,000 schools.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 08/12/2021 12:22:07 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1384262

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Labour Turnover
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to (a) recruit and (b) retain teachers.
tabling member constituency	Woking
tabling member printed	Mr Jonathan Lord
uin	86093
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2021 answer text <p>The number of teachers remains high, with over 461,000 (full-time equivalent) working in schools across the country, 20,000 more than in 2010.</p><p>The department aims to continue attracting and retaining the highly skilled teachers that every child needs. To do this, we are taking action to improve teacher recruitment and retention by transforming the training and support we provide, not only to attract more people into teaching, but to encourage them to stay and thrive in the profession.</p><p>The department is creating an entitlement to at least three years of structured training, support and professional development for all new teachers, to bring teaching into line with other prestigious professions such as law, accountancy and medicine. Underpinning this is the new Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework. Together, these ensure that new teachers will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across ITT and into their induction.</p><p>Beyond the first few years of teaching, our priority is to help all teachers and school leaders to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so every child in every classroom in every school gets the best start in life. Teachers and school leaders at all levels can now benefit from an updated suite of National Professional Qualifications. Aimed at those who want to develop expertise in high-quality teaching practice, to those leading multiple schools across trusts, these professional development programmes are now free to access for those eligible to apply.</p><p>These measures will create a golden thread running from ITT through to school leadership, rooting teacher and leader development in the best available evidence.</p><p>To support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in subjects that are harder to recruit for, we have put in place a range of measures, including bursaries worth £24,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £26,000 tax-free. This will encourage talented trainees for key subjects such as chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics. Additionally, we have announced a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax-free for maths, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in years 1 to 5 of their careers.</p><p>The deparment remains committed to increasing teacher starting salaries to £30,000 to make teaching an attractive graduate option. We are continuing our efforts to support teacher wellbeing, including by launching the education staff wellbeing charter, and driving down unnecessary burdens and reducing teacher workload though the use of our workload reduction toolkit. Further information on the staff wellbeing charter and workload reduction toolkit are available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit</a>.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 08/12/2021 12:40:26 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4090 label Biography information for Mr Jonathan Lord

1384288

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to reduce covid-19 transmission in schools (a) nationally and (b) in Liverpool West Derby constituency.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	86208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2021 answer text <p>The government continues to manage the risk of serious illness from the spread of COVID-19. We do not yet know how Omicron’s mutations will change the behaviour of the COVID-19 virus with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. Omicron remains a variant of COVID-19 and can be tackled using the same mitigations that have proven effective against previous variants. This includes vaccination, testing, hand hygiene, ventilation and other measures. There is no current evidence to suggest that we need to change our approach to managing variants, including Omicron.</p><p>All eligible staff and students aged 12 and over are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine, including boosters. Vaccines are the best defence against COVID-19. They help protect young people and adults, and benefit those around them. Vaccination makes people less likely to catch COVID-19 and less likely to pass it on.</p><p>The government’s testing strategy continues to help to break the chains of transmission of COVID-19 in schools and colleges by identifying asymptomatic positive cases quickly so that those who test positive can self-isolate. This helps to reduce transmission of COVID-19, keeping pupils and students in face-to-face education.</p><p>The department has asked all secondary schools to prepare to test their pupils once on-site on return in January. We understand that this is a significant additional ask but testing continues to play a vital role in keeping COVID-19 out of schools. Testing all pupils in school boosts testing participation and will help reduce transmission after a period of social mixing over the school holidays.</p><p>In primary schools and early years settings, the department recommends that face coverings should be worn by staff and visitors in communal areas. In secondary schools and out-of-school settings, the department recommends that face coverings are now worn by all pupils (children who were aged 11 on 31 August 2021), staff and visitors in communal areas unless they are exempt.</p><p>The department has started to provide CO2 monitors to state-funded education settings, including early years, schools and colleges, backed by £25 million in government funding. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and is important in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The new monitors enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm.</p><p>The contingency framework gives directors of public health a range of flexible options for advising temporary measures in certain situations: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings</a>. In all cases, directors of public health should weigh any benefits in managing transmission against any educational drawbacks.</p><p>The department expects schools to follow the control measures set out in the guidance, continuing to comply with health and safety law. Schools must regularly review and update their risk assessments.</p><p>The measures outlined above apply nationally. There are no additional measures that apply to Liverpool West Derby.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 07/12/2021 11:33:22 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne

1384289

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Ventilation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve ventilation in school settings in England in line with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, West Derby
tabling member printed	Ian Byrne
uin	86209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to nurseries, schools and colleges on ventilation requirements. We have always said that where a setting is in operation, it is important to ensure that it is well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.</p><p>As of 26 November, the department has delivered 329,231 carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors to almost all eligible education and childcare settings, backed by £25 million in government funding.</p><p>The new monitors will provide further reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm. The department has also provided new information on how to use CO2 monitors to better manage ventilation, which has been reviewed by the Health and Safety Executive and the UK Health Security Agency.</p><p>CO2 monitors will help prompt nurseries, schools and colleges to take actions to improve ventilation, such as opening windows or through using mechanical ventilation systems, where installed.</p><p>If this is not feasible and CO2 readings cannot be improved, nurseries, schools and colleges should look to undertake further works to address the underlying problem. Remedial works to improve ventilation remain the responsibility of individual settings. Schools receive an annual Devolved Formula Capital Allocation to spend on small capital projects or capital purchases.</p><p>For more substantial capital works, schools and those responsible for school buildings have access to funding to improve the condition of their buildings through different routes depending on their size and type. Further details are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding</a>. Day to day maintenance, including minor repairs to improve ventilation, should be typically funded from revenue budgets.</p><p>In addition, the department is making 1,000 department funded air cleaning units available for poorly ventilated teaching spaces and staff rooms in special educational needs and disability (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) settings, including SEND units in mainstream settings, where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible. These settings are being prioritised given the number of vulnerable pupils attending those settings.</p><p>An online ‘marketplace’ will be available from December for those settings not eligible for a department funded unit. This will provide a route to purchasing air cleaning units directly from suppliers at a suitable specification and competitive price.</p><p>Maintaining adequate ventilation remains the responsibility of individual nurseries, schools and colleges. The department is providing additional, exceptional funding for air cleaning units in SEND and AP settings as a way to mitigate the transmission risk amongst the most vulnerable cohorts.</p><p>Further advice for schools on balancing the need for increased ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature is available in the Health and Safety Executive guidance on air conditioning and ventilation during the COVID-19 outbreak (which can be found here: <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm</a>) and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers' COVID-19 advice (which can be found here: <a href="https://www.cibse.org/coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.cibse.org/coronavirus-covid-19</a>).</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 07/12/2021 11:16:20 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4831 label Biography information for Ian Byrne

1384305

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Freedom of Expression
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to promote free speech in schools.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	86067
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2021 answer text <p>Schools play an important role in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. There are opportunities in the school curriculum and other school duties for pupils to learn about their rights as citizen of the United Kingdom, including about free speech.</p><p>The programmes of study for citizenship cover topics that help to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society and teach them how to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, to debate, and to make reasoned arguments. Further information on the programmes of study can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study</a>.</p><p>Pupils should be taught about the liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom and use and apply their knowledge and understanding while developing skills to research and interrogate evidence, debate and evaluate viewpoints, present reasoned arguments, and take informed action.</p><p>Since September 2020, relationships education has been compulsory for all primary school-aged pupils, relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school-aged pupils, and health education compulsory for all pupils in primaries and secondaries.</p><p>The statutory guidance sets out that pupils should know their rights, responsibilities and opportunities online and the Teacher Training Modules set out that teachers should explain that this includes the right to freedom of expression. Further information on the statutory guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education</a>, and further guidance on the teacher training modules can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health</a>.</p><p>The department has produced a relationships, sex and health education ‘Teacher training: respectful relationships’ module that includes advice on how to explain the harm caused by ‘cancel culture’ and the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of association to a tolerant and free society. It also includes teaching that censorship and ‘no platforming’ are harmful and damaging, and that seeking to get people ‘cancelled’ simply because you disagree with them, is a form of bullying and is not acceptable. Further information on this can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-respectful-relationships" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-respectful-relationships</a>.</p><p>Schools are required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Freedom of speech is relevant to, and could be considered, in the context of all these values. Ultimately, school leaders are best placed to make their own decisions about what they teach in this respect and how they teach it, subject to their obligations to ensure political balance.</p><p>The department is developing guidance for schools on political impartiality, to help schools to understand their responsibilities in this area, including the importance of exposing pupils to a diverse range of views during their time at school. The department expects to publish this guidance early next year.</p><p>With regards to flying the Union Flag, schools are free to display the national flag and it is a matter for individual schools to decide. The department does not provide specific guidance or restrictions on this.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 86071 question first answered 08/12/2021 12:31:21 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1384310

registered interest
date	02/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Flags
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made and assessment of the potential merits of requiring schools to fly the Union Flag.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	86071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2021 answer text <p>Schools play an important role in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. There are opportunities in the school curriculum and other school duties for pupils to learn about their rights as citizen of the United Kingdom, including about free speech.</p><p>The programmes of study for citizenship cover topics that help to prepare pupils to play a full and active part in society and teach them how to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, to debate, and to make reasoned arguments. Further information on the programmes of study can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study</a>.</p><p>Pupils should be taught about the liberties enjoyed by the citizens of the United Kingdom and use and apply their knowledge and understanding while developing skills to research and interrogate evidence, debate and evaluate viewpoints, present reasoned arguments, and take informed action.</p><p>Since September 2020, relationships education has been compulsory for all primary school-aged pupils, relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary school-aged pupils, and health education compulsory for all pupils in primaries and secondaries.</p><p>The statutory guidance sets out that pupils should know their rights, responsibilities and opportunities online and the Teacher Training Modules set out that teachers should explain that this includes the right to freedom of expression. Further information on the statutory guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education</a>, and further guidance on the teacher training modules can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health</a>.</p><p>The department has produced a relationships, sex and health education ‘Teacher training: respectful relationships’ module that includes advice on how to explain the harm caused by ‘cancel culture’ and the importance of freedom of speech and freedom of association to a tolerant and free society. It also includes teaching that censorship and ‘no platforming’ are harmful and damaging, and that seeking to get people ‘cancelled’ simply because you disagree with them, is a form of bullying and is not acceptable. Further information on this can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-respectful-relationships" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-respectful-relationships</a>.</p><p>Schools are required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Freedom of speech is relevant to, and could be considered, in the context of all these values. Ultimately, school leaders are best placed to make their own decisions about what they teach in this respect and how they teach it, subject to their obligations to ensure political balance.</p><p>The department is developing guidance for schools on political impartiality, to help schools to understand their responsibilities in this area, including the importance of exposing pupils to a diverse range of views during their time at school. The department expects to publish this guidance early next year.</p><p>With regards to flying the Union Flag, schools are free to display the national flag and it is a matter for individual schools to decide. The department does not provide specific guidance or restrictions on this.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 86067 question first answered 08/12/2021 12:31:21 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell