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1678006

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Anti-semitism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they are taking to tackle anti-Semitism in universities.
tabling member printed	Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown
uin	HL1162
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>​​This government takes antisemitism extremely seriously. The department is deeply concerned about the growth in antisemitic incidents on campus since the 7 October terrorist attacks against Israel. That is why, on 22 November, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced in his Autumn Statement an additional £7 million over 3 years to tackle antisemitism in education.</p><p>​My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, wrote to all schools, colleges and universities on 11 October, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. The department wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November, further emphasising the use of disciplinary measures and the importance of police engagement, as well as the suspension of student visas where the student is a foreign national. This was one of the key actions set out in the five-point plan for tackling antisemitism in higher education, which was published on 5 November 2023.</p><p>​</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:47:41 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	655 label Biography information for Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown

1678009

registered interest
date	13/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Ruth Perry
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills following the report of the senior coroner for Berkshire into the death of Ruth Perry.
tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
uin	HL1196
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The death of Ruth Perry was the most awful tragedy. The Inquest has now concluded and it is clear that lessons need to be learned. The department is working with His Majesty’s Chief Inspector to look closely at the coroner’s findings. The department and Ofsted will make further changes beyond those already announced in June 2023 where these are needed to make sure that the inspection system supports schools and teachers, and ultimately secures Ruth Perry’s legacy.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:17:02 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie

1677565

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children in Care: Mental Health Services
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their timetable for updating the Statutory Guidance on Promoting the Health and Well-being of Looked After Children, published in March 2015; whether there will be a specific focus on mental health services for this group; and how they plan to deliver updated guidance in a culturally sensitive way.
tabling member printed	Lord Carlile of Berriew
uin	HL1094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The government gave a commitment to update the statutory guidance, ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extend it to care leavers up to the age of 25, in the ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy for the reform of children’s social care. The update forms part of the wider mission in the strategy, ‘to reduce the disparities in long-term mental and physical health outcomes and improve wellbeing for care-experienced people’.</p><p>This commitment was reaffirmed in September 2023, but a timeframe for completing the update has not been set. However, the department and the Department of Health and Social Care continue to work together on this update and will work with a wide range of stakeholders with a diversity of professional and lived experience to ensure that the guidance is sensitive to the health and wellbeing needs of all looked-after children and care leavers.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:47:02 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	1138 label Biography information for Lord Carlile of Berriew

1677596

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Attendance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what are (1) the monthly school attendance figures for the most recent academic year for which they are available, and (2) the comparable monthly school attendance figures for the school year 2018–19.
tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
uin	HL1125
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The department holds data on pupil attendance and absence from two sources, the termly National Statistics derived from the School Census, and the Official Statistics in development derived from daily pupil attendance data.</p><p> </p><p>Pupil absence rates for the 2018/19 academic year are only available on a termly basis, therefore the below table displays the latest termly comparison from the same source (School Census).</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>18/19 Autumn term</p></td><td><p>18/19 Spring term</p></td><td><p>18/19 Summer term</p></td><td><p>21/22 Autumn term</p></td><td><p>21/22 Spring term</p></td><td><p>21/22 Summer term</p></td><td><p>22/23 Autumn term</p></td><td><p>22/23 Spring term</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Overall absence rate</p></td><td><p>4.3%</p></td><td><p>4.8%</p></td><td><p>5.2%</p></td><td><p>6.9%</p></td><td><p>7.9%</p></td><td><p>8.0%</p></td><td><p>7.5%</p></td><td><p>7.0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rate of sessions recorded as not attending due to COVID circumstances</p></td><td><p>0.0%</p></td><td><p>0.0%</p></td><td><p>0.0%</p></td><td><p>1.6%</p></td><td><p>1.0%</p></td><td><p>0.1%</p></td><td><p>0.0%</p></td><td><p>0.0%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Source: School census, includes state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools</p><p> </p><p>The data used in this answer is published in the National Statistics release on pupil absence in schools in England, which is accessible at:</p><p><a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department also publishes weekly and termly official statistics in development on pupil attendance. These are derived from daily attendance data automatically submitted by management information systems for participating schools. These statistics are available at:</p><p><a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Due to the timeliness of this data, and the data being based on a subset of schools, with around 87% coverage, these figures should be viewed as an early indicator for the termly school census based National Statistics shared above.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:05:34 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1677597

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Absenteeism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what initiatives and programmes they are pursuing to tackle the problem of pupil absenteeism, and what evaluation of the effectiveness of each of these programmes is being undertaken.
tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
uin	HL1126
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>Improving attendance is one of the department’s top priorities. The department has published the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, encouraging all schools and local authorities to adopt the practices of the most effective schools. A link to the guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance</a>. All schools are now expected to publish an attendance policy and appoint an attendance champion. Local authorities are expected to meet termly with schools to agree individual plans for children at risk of absenteeism. The department’s attendance hubs now support 800 schools benefiting over 400,000 pupils.</p><p>The department has deployed 10 expert attendance advisers to work with trusts and all local authorities to review practices, develop plans to improve and meet expectations set out in the guidance.</p><p>To help identify children at risk of persistent absence and to enable early intervention, the department has established a timelier flow of pupil level attendance data through the daily attendance data collection. This also enables analysis to local authority level of trends in different types of absence by characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, children on free school meals, those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The data is made available to schools, trusts and local authorities to pupil level via a secure interactive dashboard. 87% of schools subscribe to the tool to spot at risk pupils. ​Recent data show that the department is making progress, with around 380,000 fewer children persistently not in school in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22.</p><p>The department has also commissioned an attendance mentoring programme to build the evidence base on what works to improve school attendance. The programme is a £2.3 million pilot over three years across five Priority Education Investment Areas (Doncaster, Knowsley, Middlesbrough, Salford, Stoke-on-Trent), supported by a detailed evaluation. Findings from the first-year evaluation are expected to be published in early 2024.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:07:22 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1677598

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Inspections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement reforms to replace the single-word assessment system for schools currently being operated by Ofsted.
tabling member printed	Lord Weir of Ballyholme
uin	HL1127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The overall effectiveness grade is an important part of the government’s accountability arrangements. It provides clarity for parents, and triggers support where it is needed to improve outcomes for children. In the absence of that grade, there would need to be an alternative basis for intervention, which would add complexity and risk the loss of transparency when decisions are made.</p><p>There is also an important read across to other sectors. Grades are used across Ofsted inspections, not just in schools, and are used by other inspectorates in some other public service inspectorates, including in health and adult social care.</p><p>Following the tragic death of Ruth Perry, the department is working with His Majesty’s Chief Inspector to look closely at the coroner’s findings. The department and Ofsted will make further changes beyond those already announced in June 2023 where these are needed to make sure that the inspection system supports schools and teachers.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:26:16 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4970 label Biography information for Lord Weir of Ballyholme

1676811

registered interest
date	11/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Social Services: Racial Discrimination
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to meet representatives of with Barnardo’s to discuss how local authorities can work with partners to prevent the over-criminalisation of Black children in the care system.
tabling member printed	Baroness Garden of Frognal
uin	HL1053
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The department considers charity sector colleagues to be key stakeholders in work taking place across the department, including on children’s social care reform, as outlined in 'Stable Homes, Built on Love'. The department regularly engages with the Chief Executive and Policy Leads from Barnardo’s on children’s social care policy, as well as their counterparts at Action for Children, The Children’s Society, National Children’s Bureau and NSPCC. The charity sector is also represented in a variety of reference groups on specific aspects of children’s social care policy.</p><p>The majority of children in care do not have any interaction with the criminal justice system. Offending rates for children in care are now at 2%, down from 5% in 2015.</p><p>The department has a national protocol in place on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers and is taking action on risk factors that can lead to criminal behaviour including through the department’s work to improve school attendance.</p><p>The department continues to work urgently across government and with local authorities to ensure that all vulnerable children, no matter their age or circumstances, are kept safe and receive the support they need.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:00:53 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	3842 label Biography information for Baroness Garden of Frognal

1676830

registered interest
date	11/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Care Leavers: Finance
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Autumn Statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 November (HC Deb cols 325–357), whether they have any plans to provide an enhanced package of financial support for care leavers aged 18 to 25 when they leave the care system.
tabling member printed	Lord Polak
uin	HL1072
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2023 answer text <p>The department recognises the challenges that care leavers face as they make the transition from care to living independently and have put in place a range of support measures.</p><p>To help care leavers to engage in education, employment and training (EET), the department has increased the Care Leavers’ Apprenticeships Bursary from £1,000 to £3,000. Local authorities are required to support care leavers to engage in EET, including providing a £2,000 bursary if the young person is studying in higher education. Care leavers are also a priority group for the 16 to19 bursary if studying in further education (up to £1,200 per year).</p><p>In addition, the department has increased the leaving care allowance from £2,000 to £3,000 to enable care leavers to furnish their first home, and the Junior ISA scheme provides an initial £200 payment to open a savings account for all children who have been in care continuously for 12 months. Anyone can pay money into the accounts, and the funds can then be accessed by the young person when they leave care at age 18.</p><p>Improving outcomes for care leavers is a cross-government priority and there are a range of ways in which the government is supporting care leavers to reduce their financial vulnerability, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Providing support to care leavers through the Household Support Fund, which local authorities can use to help vulnerable residents to help with cost-of-living increases.</li><li>Promoting the support available through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which provides support with energy costs over the winter.</li></ul><p>Local authorities are required to publish their ‘local offer’ for care leavers, setting out care leavers’ legal entitlements, plus any further discretionary financial support that the local authority provides, such as Council Tax Exemptions, free leisure passes and rent deposit/guarantor schemes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 21/12/2023 15:02:24 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4547 label Biography information for Lord Polak

1676698

registered interest
date	08/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Minimum Wage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the national minimum wage for apprentices from the current £5.28 per hour.
tabling member printed	Earl Russell
uin	HL1030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>From April 2024, the department is increasing the apprentice minimum wage by 21.2% to £6.40, from £5.28 per hour. This is a cash increase of £1.12 and will benefit an estimated 40,000 apprentices, including young apprentices under 19 and those in their first year of an apprenticeship.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 20/12/2023 13:06:01 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4983 label Biography information for Earl Russell

1676699

registered interest
date	08/12/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Equipment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of whether potential apprentices can afford the cost of the tools they require for their apprenticeships; and whether they have any plans to provide loans or financial support for the purchase of equipment necessary for apprenticeships.
tabling member printed	Earl Russell
uin	HL1031
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>Apprenticeships are jobs and the department expects employers to provide apprentices with the support, tools and resources they need for a high-quality experience.</p><p>The department provides additional financial support to employers and providers to encourage more apprenticeship opportunities and to help meet additional costs associated with apprenticeships. The department makes payments of £1,000 to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to 24 for apprentices with an Education, Health and Care plan, which can be used to support costs such as work equipment, uniforms, or travel. Furthermore, the department has increased the care leavers’ bursary from £1,000 to £3,000, helping even more young people to access and complete apprenticeships.</p><p>The department wants to make sure that apprentice pay supports talented individuals to start and stay in apprenticeships. From April 2024, the apprentice minimum wage will increase by 21.2% to £6.40, from £5.28 per hour. This is a cash increase of £1.12 and will benefit an estimated 40,000 apprentices. This boost to the hourly wage will benefit young apprentices under 19, and those in their first year of an apprenticeship. Many employers pay their apprentices more than the minimum. Latest data shows that the median gross hourly pay for apprentices in 2021 was £9.98 an hour.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 20/12/2023 13:04:10 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	4983 label Biography information for Earl Russell