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1416459

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
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, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of CO2 monitors in schools in Stockport.
tabling member constituency	Stockport
tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
uin	111734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>During the autumn term, the department provided CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding. The department has now delivered on our public commitment with over 353,000 monitors delivered in the autumn term. This includes 1,534 CO2 monitors which were delivered to schools in Stockport.</p><p>Air cleaning units were allocated to settings based on need, using the eligibility criteria the department set out in guidance, which is available at: <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj</a>. As of 24 January 2022, 1,265 settings that applied for department-funded air cleaning units were eligible for air cleaning units, including 3 education providers in Stockport.</p><p>The department is currently finalising the total number of units allocated to education providers, this will depend on the needs identified by eligible education providers, including the number of people using the room(s).</p><p>The total number of eligible education providers mirrors published summary findings from the department’s survey of the use of CO2 monitors, which show that only 3% of settings using carbon dioxide monitors reported sustained high carbon dioxide readings that couldn’t otherwise be addressed. This is available to view here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units</a>.</p><p>The total number of air cleaning units that education providers have applied for was just over 8,000. Up to an additional 1,000 units have now been ordered, bringing the total number of units available up to 9,000, allowing all eligible applications to be fulfilled.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111735 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:43:38 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1416460

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of air purifiers in schools in Stockport.
tabling member constituency	Stockport
tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
uin	111735
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>During the autumn term, the department provided CO2 monitors to all state-funded education providers, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding. The department has now delivered on our public commitment with over 353,000 monitors delivered in the autumn term. This includes 1,534 CO2 monitors which were delivered to schools in Stockport.</p><p>Air cleaning units were allocated to settings based on need, using the eligibility criteria the department set out in guidance, which is available at: <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj</a>. As of 24 January 2022, 1,265 settings that applied for department-funded air cleaning units were eligible for air cleaning units, including 3 education providers in Stockport.</p><p>The department is currently finalising the total number of units allocated to education providers, this will depend on the needs identified by eligible education providers, including the number of people using the room(s).</p><p>The total number of eligible education providers mirrors published summary findings from the department’s survey of the use of CO2 monitors, which show that only 3% of settings using carbon dioxide monitors reported sustained high carbon dioxide readings that couldn’t otherwise be addressed. This is available to view here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units</a>.</p><p>The total number of air cleaning units that education providers have applied for was just over 8,000. Up to an additional 1,000 units have now been ordered, bringing the total number of units available up to 9,000, allowing all eligible applications to be fulfilled.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111734 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:43:38 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1416564

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many education settings have had their requests for Government-funded air cleaning units (a) approved and (b) rejected, by parliamentary constituency.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	111719
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>Applications for air cleaning units closed on 17 January and were assessed against strict eligibility criteria set out in the guidance, details of which can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj</a>.</p><p>The department does not hold information on air cleaning unit allocations by either constituency or geographical region for England. As of 24 January, the department has received applications from 1,550 providers, of which 285 did not meet the eligibility criteria. For example, the room applied for may not have reported sustained CO2 readings above 1500ppm, or it may have been an unsuitable space, such as a hall, corridor, or dining room. 1,265 providers in total were eligible for air cleaning units and up to 1,000 additional units are being purchased so that the department can fulfil all eligible applications.</p><p>Natural ventilation is best where that is achievable, and the department has robust evidence that in the vast majority of cases, teaching spaces and classrooms benefit from sufficient natural ventilation. That evidence includes the responses to our recent survey of providers using the carbon dioxide monitors that the department published on 24 January, which showed that only 3% of providers reported sustained high CO2 readings (above 1500ppm) that could not be remedied through quick fixes or remedial building works, details can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units</a>.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111720 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:51:06 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1416565

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many education settings have their requests for Government-funded air cleaning units (a) approved and (b) rejected in (i) the North West, (ii) the North East, (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iv) the East Midlands, (v) the West Midlands, (vi) Wales, (vii) the South West, (viii) the East of England, (ix) the South East and (x) London.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	111720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>Applications for air cleaning units closed on 17 January and were assessed against strict eligibility criteria set out in the guidance, details of which can be found here: <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj</a>.</p><p>The department does not hold information on air cleaning unit allocations by either constituency or geographical region for England. As of 24 January, the department has received applications from 1,550 providers, of which 285 did not meet the eligibility criteria. For example, the room applied for may not have reported sustained CO2 readings above 1500ppm, or it may have been an unsuitable space, such as a hall, corridor, or dining room. 1,265 providers in total were eligible for air cleaning units and up to 1,000 additional units are being purchased so that the department can fulfil all eligible applications.</p><p>Natural ventilation is best where that is achievable, and the department has robust evidence that in the vast majority of cases, teaching spaces and classrooms benefit from sufficient natural ventilation. That evidence includes the responses to our recent survey of providers using the carbon dioxide monitors that the department published on 24 January, which showed that only 3% of providers reported sustained high CO2 readings (above 1500ppm) that could not be remedied through quick fixes or remedial building works, details can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units</a>.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111719 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:51:06 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1416572

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Condition Improvement Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied for and (a) received and (b) did not receive Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) financial support since 2017, by parliamentary constituency.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	111721
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>The tables attached show the constituency and regional breakdown of eligible schools and sixth form colleges which have applied to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) since 2017. This includes how many of those were awarded funding and how many were not awarded funding. The data covers the five CIF rounds from the 2017-18 to 2021-22 financial years. Since 2017, 5,016 establishments have applied for CIF funding, 3,763 have been awarded funding, and 1,253 have not been awarded funding. The current round of CIF (the 2022-23 financial year) closed for applications on 15 December 2021, and the department is currently assessing all applications.</p><p>Lists of successful applications by constituency are available on gov.uk:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2017-to-2018-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2017-to-2018-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-cif-application-outcomes-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-cif-application-outcomes-2019-to-2020</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2020-to-2021-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2020-to-2021-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2021-to-2022-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2021-to-2022-outcome</a>.</li></ul><p>Education is a devolved policy area, so no schools or sixth form colleges in Wales are eligible to apply for CIF.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111722 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:41:37 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker attachment 1 file name 111721_111722_table.pdf title 111721_111722_table_CIF
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1416573

registered interest
date	25/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Condition Improvement Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied for and (a) received and (b) did not receive Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) financial support in (i) the North West, (ii) the North East, (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber, (iv) the East Midlands, (v) the West Midlands, (vi) Wales, (vii) the South West, (viii) the East of England, (ix) South East and (x) London.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	111722
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>The tables attached show the constituency and regional breakdown of eligible schools and sixth form colleges which have applied to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) since 2017. This includes how many of those were awarded funding and how many were not awarded funding. The data covers the five CIF rounds from the 2017-18 to 2021-22 financial years. Since 2017, 5,016 establishments have applied for CIF funding, 3,763 have been awarded funding, and 1,253 have not been awarded funding. The current round of CIF (the 2022-23 financial year) closed for applications on 15 December 2021, and the department is currently assessing all applications.</p><p>Lists of successful applications by constituency are available on gov.uk:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2017-to-2018-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2017-to-2018-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-cif-application-outcomes-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-cif-application-outcomes-2019-to-2020</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2020-to-2021-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2020-to-2021-outcome</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2021-to-2022-outcome" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2021-to-2022-outcome</a>.</li></ul><p>Education is a devolved policy area, so no schools or sixth form colleges in Wales are eligible to apply for CIF.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 111721 question first answered 28/01/2022 13:41:37 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker attachment 1 file name 111721_111722_table.pdf title 111721_111722_table_CIF
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1415794

registered interest
date	24/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's portal to purchase air filtration units for education and childcare settings, if he will define the suitable standard of specification for their use in education settings.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	110568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>All air cleaning units provided by the department have met an approved technical specification, including units available to purchase via the marketplace. The department’s technical specification used to assess the units was developed through a rigorous consultation with industry wide experts in both air cleaning and ventilation from academia, professional bodies, and industry, including chartered engineers, scientists and several government departments. Through this consultation we have developed a specification specific to education.</p><p>The specification included a wide range of factors appropriate to an education environment to determine overall suitability. This included clean air delivery rates, noise levels, filtration capability, technical certification, ease of use and maintenance, warranty, and strength of evidence for manufacturer claims. The primary considerations were around the standard of filtration which is high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration technology; the minimum standard was specified to HEPA H13/ISO35H, which is a medical grade of filter which helps to remove airborne contaminants, including viruses such as SARS‑CoV‑2. HEPA technology is a mature technology and removes the risk of any less well tested technology being implemented into classrooms. Acoustic performance was also a major consideration due to the units needing to go into a classroom environment. All these criteria formed part of our technical specification used to assess and select units that meet our high specification and are suitable for teaching environments.</p><p>Any procurement that we undertake must comply with the Public Contract Regulations (2015). The procurement of air cleaning devices was undertaken using the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Framework (RM6157) which can be accessed by central government departments including the Department for Education and the wider public sector. We have selected a range of products which meet our high specification criteria to provide education and childcare settings with high quality air cleaning units.</p><p>The department has published details of the contract for air cleaning units provided to SEND and alternative provision settings, including the technical specification for these units, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d2955fc4-b281-45dd-9203-5c37df79dfda" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d2955fc4-b281-45dd-9203-5c37df79dfda</a>. The department will publish details of further contracts for air cleaning units, which will include the technical specification criteria, on contracts finder in line with the government’s transparency agenda.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 28/01/2022 10:10:29 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1415807

registered interest
date	24/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Air Conditioning
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2022 to Question 99046 on Schools: Air Conditioning, how many of the additional 7,000 air purifiers to increase classroom ventilation, announced on 2 January 2022, will be allocated to schools in (a) Plymouth, (b) Devon and Cornwall and (c) the South West.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Luke Pollard
uin	110583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>Air cleaning units were allocated to settings based on need, using the eligibility criteria we have set out in our guidance: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12cU_I5q0v1_my97yPMpb87RsSL5d5lpj.</p><p>As of 24 January, 1,265 providers that applied for department-funded air cleaning units were eligible for air cleaning units, including 2 providers in Plymouth and 25 providers in Devon and Cornwall. Please note that we do not hold information by geographical region. We are currently finalising the total number of units allocated to providers. This will depend on the needs identified by eligible providers, including the number of people using the room(s).</p><p>The total number of eligible providers mirrors published summary findings from the department’s survey of the use of CO2 monitors, which show that only 3% of providers using carbon dioxide monitors reported sustained high carbon dioxide readings that couldn’t otherwise be addressed. This is available to view here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/co2-monitor-survey-and-applications-for-air-cleaning-units</a>.</p><p>The total number of air cleaning units that providers have applied for was just over 8,000. Up to an additional 1,000 units have now been ordered, bringing the total number of units available up to 9,000, allowing all eligible applications to be fulfilled.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 28/01/2022 13:45:15 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4682 label Biography information for Luke Pollard

1415920

registered interest
date	24/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Literacy: Teaching Methods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of schools moving to validated systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programmes.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	110601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>A comprehensive review of robust studies by the Education Endowment Foundation found that systematic phonics is the most effective approach for teaching pupils to decode, including older pupils struggling with decoding, when embedded in a rich literacy environment. That is why the government has made systematic phonics teaching part of the national curriculum, embedded it as a component of teacher training, introduced the phonics screening check and made reading a core part of Ofsted primary inspections.</p><p>The department and Ofsted do not mandate that schools use a validated programme to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP). What is important is that schools take an approach that is rigorous, systematic, used with fidelity (any resources used should exactly match the Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence progression of their chosen SSP approach), and achieves strong results for all pupils, including the most disadvantaged. To support the high-quality teaching of phonics, the department recommends using a programme from the validated list of SSP programmes, but this is not mandatory. If schools are receiving support through the English Hubs programme to improve their phonics teaching, they must follow a programme from the validated list.</p><p>Validation indicates that an SSP programme has been self-assessed by its publisher and assessed by a panel of experts, and that both consider it to meet all of the most recent Department for Education criteria for an effective SSP programme, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-teaching-materials-core-criteria-and-self-assessment/validation-of-systematic-synthetic-phonics-programmes-supporting-documentation#essential-core-criteria" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-teaching-materials-core-criteria-and-self-assessment/validation-of-systematic-synthetic-phonics-programmes-supporting-documentation#essential-core-criteria</a>. The department sought views on the validation criteria from SSP experts before publishing a final version.</p><p>The department’s list of validated programmes has been updated on gov.uk and there will be further updates following future validation panels. The updated list includes a number of options, including school-to-school support programmes and not for profit options. We recommend schools contact individual programme providers for more information on programme prices.</p><p>Schools have the flexibility to decide how to prioritise their spending to invest in a range of resources and activities that will best support their staff and pupils. Schools can choose to use their core funding to buy an SSP programme.</p><p>The department has made a further £5 million funding available to schools to purchase validated SSP programmes. Eligible schools must have a minimum of 22% of their pupils eligible for the pupil premium or service pupil premium and will be situated in a local authority area listed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes</a>.</p><p>In addition, the department has funded various initiatives to improve the teaching of phonics in schools. Between 2011 and 2013, we provided £23.7 million of matched funding for resources and training for 14,000 schools. In 2018, we launched a £26.3 million English Hubs programme dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have since invested a further £17 million in this school-to-school improvement programme, which focuses on SSP, early language, and reading for pleasure. Since its launch, the English Hubs programme has provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousands of schools across England.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 110602 question first answered 28/01/2022 14:14:18 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1415921

registered interest
date	24/01/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Literacy: Teaching Methods
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria his Department used to decide which systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programmes to validate.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	110602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2022 answer text <p>A comprehensive review of robust studies by the Education Endowment Foundation found that systematic phonics is the most effective approach for teaching pupils to decode, including older pupils struggling with decoding, when embedded in a rich literacy environment. That is why the government has made systematic phonics teaching part of the national curriculum, embedded it as a component of teacher training, introduced the phonics screening check and made reading a core part of Ofsted primary inspections.</p><p>The department and Ofsted do not mandate that schools use a validated programme to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP). What is important is that schools take an approach that is rigorous, systematic, used with fidelity (any resources used should exactly match the Grapheme Phoneme Correspondence progression of their chosen SSP approach), and achieves strong results for all pupils, including the most disadvantaged. To support the high-quality teaching of phonics, the department recommends using a programme from the validated list of SSP programmes, but this is not mandatory. If schools are receiving support through the English Hubs programme to improve their phonics teaching, they must follow a programme from the validated list.</p><p>Validation indicates that an SSP programme has been self-assessed by its publisher and assessed by a panel of experts, and that both consider it to meet all of the most recent Department for Education criteria for an effective SSP programme, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-teaching-materials-core-criteria-and-self-assessment/validation-of-systematic-synthetic-phonics-programmes-supporting-documentation#essential-core-criteria" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-teaching-materials-core-criteria-and-self-assessment/validation-of-systematic-synthetic-phonics-programmes-supporting-documentation#essential-core-criteria</a>. The department sought views on the validation criteria from SSP experts before publishing a final version.</p><p>The department’s list of validated programmes has been updated on gov.uk and there will be further updates following future validation panels. The updated list includes a number of options, including school-to-school support programmes and not for profit options. We recommend schools contact individual programme providers for more information on programme prices.</p><p>Schools have the flexibility to decide how to prioritise their spending to invest in a range of resources and activities that will best support their staff and pupils. Schools can choose to use their core funding to buy an SSP programme.</p><p>The department has made a further £5 million funding available to schools to purchase validated SSP programmes. Eligible schools must have a minimum of 22% of their pupils eligible for the pupil premium or service pupil premium and will be situated in a local authority area listed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes</a>.</p><p>In addition, the department has funded various initiatives to improve the teaching of phonics in schools. Between 2011 and 2013, we provided £23.7 million of matched funding for resources and training for 14,000 schools. In 2018, we launched a £26.3 million English Hubs programme dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have since invested a further £17 million in this school-to-school improvement programme, which focuses on SSP, early language, and reading for pleasure. Since its launch, the English Hubs programme has provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousands of schools across England.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 110601 question first answered 28/01/2022 14:14:18 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson