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1254238

registered interest
date	23/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social care to deploy lateral flow covid-19 tests in (a) schools and (b) other education settings.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	909081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government is piloting the use of lateral flow tests in education settings. This will help us better understand how this new technology can be operationalised to protect those at high risk, find the virus and help enable us to go back to as normal a way of life as possible. Establishing this mass testing capability, with fast turn-around times, should allow students to continue their studies safely and minimise the risk of virus transmission in our communities.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 17:06:52 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1253228

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Performing Arts: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received from youth arts companies on bringing into line with the covid-19 regulations for boarding schools out-of-school arts activities that are run as residential courses.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	117189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department has been in close communication with various stakeholders, including some with connections to youth arts, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak with respect to residential trips. We will continue this communication over the coming months.</p><p>The guidance for full opening of schools and the guidance for holiday and after school clubs, and other out-of-school settings, set out the Department’s current position in relation to educational visits. They can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>At present, schools and out-of-school settings can undertake COVID-19 secure day visits within the UK but are advised against the resumption of domestic and overseas residential educational visits. This is because, unlike boarding schools, residential settings have a transient population with different groups rotating in and out of the centre on a weekly basis. This constant change of population serves to increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission.</p><p>This decision has not been taken lightly and is taken in the context of the Government announcing new national restrictions to address rising cases of COVID-19 in England. This position will be reviewed again before the end of November 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 16:06:48 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

1253351

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the ability of school pupils to prepare for examinations in 2021.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	117174
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>Our priority is that there is a consistent approach to what is taught and will be assessed across schools. We know schools will be making every effort, including in areas where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19, to deliver high quality teaching, including through remote education. All schools are expected to plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and make good progress.</p><p>The changes to assessments in certain subjects that were announced by Ofqual in the summer, alongside the later starting date for exams in summer 2021, will give schools and colleges extra time to plan teaching and pupils extra time to study. Combined with our £1 billion catch-up package, including a 'Catch-Up Premium' worth a total of £650 million, these changes give young people the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.</p><p>The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a student unable to sit examinations due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local COVID-19 outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. More details will be published later in the autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 15:00:40 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1253356

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of schools to prepare for Ofsted inspections in 2021; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	117175
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on schools across the country. The Department acknowledges the continued hard work of all school staff in ensuring that pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress whilst putting in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff.</p><p>It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, but at the right time and in the right way. The Department is working with schools and Ofsted to decide the best way to achieve this in a sensitive and gradual way.</p><p>The Department and Ofsted are clear that schools are not expected to prepare for Ofsted inspections.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117176 question first answered 23/11/2020 14:39:08 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1253362

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to amend the Education Inspection Framework for 2021 in response to the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on school performance.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	117176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on schools across the country. The Department acknowledges the continued hard work of all school staff in ensuring that pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress whilst putting in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff.</p><p>It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, but at the right time and in the right way. The Department is working with schools and Ofsted to decide the best way to achieve this in a sensitive and gradual way.</p><p>The Department and Ofsted are clear that schools are not expected to prepare for Ofsted inspections.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117175 question first answered 23/11/2020 14:39:08 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1253374

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Remote Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of pupils who are told to self-isolate to access online learning at home in circumstances where those pupils do not have access to the internet.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	117177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department has invested over £195 million to support access to remote education and online social care. As part of this, we have already provided over 50,000 4G wireless routers, with free data for the rest of the 2020/21 academic year; 220,000 laptops and tablets in the summer term; and over 100,000 more this term to support disadvantaged children. Departmental guidance about remote education is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice</a>.</p><p>The Department estimated the number of disadvantaged pupils without access to an internet connection using data on pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, taking into consideration estimations by Ofcom and reflecting that some pupils would already have access to a private internet connection. We know that schools and local authorities will have the best judgement of the children that need access to a device or internet connection.</p><p>We continue to provide 4G wireless routers, with free data, where schools face disruption and children need to access remote education.</p><p>In partnership with mobile network operators, the Department is providing temporary access to free additional mobile data, offering families flexibility to access the resources that they need the most.</p><p>Schools can request free mobile data uplifts for families who lack sufficient internet access until the end of the academic year via the Get Help with Technology service, when they experience disruption to face-to-face education or for clinically extremely vulnerable children. Further guidance about the Get Help with Technology service is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-help-with-technology-for-remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 15:23:34 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1253377

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
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 assessment he has made of the effect of fixed penalty notices for non-attendance at school on the wellbeing of households containing a clinically vulnerable adult who is shielding and a child of school age.
tabling member constituency	Garston and Halewood
tabling member printed	Maria Eagle
uin	117178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>It is vital that pupils continue to attend school for their education, wellbeing and long term development. Time spent out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. The Government guidance for the opening of schools during the COVID-19 outbreak is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools</a>.</p><p>Children who live with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, but who are not clinically extremely vulnerable themselves, should still attend school. Guidance on shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable persons from COVID-19 is available through the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19</a>.</p><p>The usual powers to secure high levels of attendance continue to be available to schools and local authorities during the COVID-19 outbreak. It would be for either the school or the local authority to decide if they wish to use a penalty notice as a sanction. When considering the appropriate action to tackle absence, schools and local authorities should consider the individual circumstances of each pupil and family and take the best course of action to support the child’s return to school.</p><p>Schools should consider concerns from pupils, parents and households who may be reluctant or anxious about school attendance and put the right support in place to address this. Schools will be able to provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 23/11/2020 14:09:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	483 label Biography information for Maria Eagle

1253389

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes he plans to make to A-Level and GCSE exams to ensure that students who have missed learning due to the covid-19 outbreak are not disadvantaged.
tabling member constituency	Ilford North
tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
uin	117309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department believes that examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that next year’s GCSE, AS and A level examination series will go ahead.</p><p>It is a priority for the Department that there is a consistent approach to what is taught and will be assessed across schools. We know schools will be making every effort, including in areas where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19, to deliver high quality teaching, including through remote education. All schools are expected to plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and make good progress.</p><p>Changes to assessments in certain subjects, announced by Ofqual over the summer, alongside the later starting date for exams in summer 2021, will give schools and colleges extra time to plan teaching and pupils extra time to study. The Government has committed to a £1 billion catch-up package, including a ‘Catch-Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. These changes will give students the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.</p><p>The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a student unable to sit examinations due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. More details will be published later in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117310 117311 question first answered 23/11/2020 14:53:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1253392

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential for regional disparities in school attendance to affect exam results in summer 2020.
tabling member constituency	Ilford North
tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
uin	117310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department believes that examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that next year’s GCSE, AS and A level examination series will go ahead.</p><p>It is a priority for the Department that there is a consistent approach to what is taught and will be assessed across schools. We know schools will be making every effort, including in areas where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19, to deliver high quality teaching, including through remote education. All schools are expected to plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and make good progress.</p><p>Changes to assessments in certain subjects, announced by Ofqual over the summer, alongside the later starting date for exams in summer 2021, will give schools and colleges extra time to plan teaching and pupils extra time to study. The Government has committed to a £1 billion catch-up package, including a ‘Catch-Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. These changes will give students the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.</p><p>The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a student unable to sit examinations due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. More details will be published later in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117309 117311 question first answered 23/11/2020 14:53:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1253395

registered interest
date	18/11/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contingency plans he has discussed with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders in the education sector in the event that it is not possible for GCSE and A-Level students to take their exams in summer 2021.
tabling member constituency	Ilford North
tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
uin	117311
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>The Department believes that examinations and assessments are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has confirmed that next year’s GCSE, AS and A level examination series will go ahead.</p><p>It is a priority for the Department that there is a consistent approach to what is taught and will be assessed across schools. We know schools will be making every effort, including in areas where there is a high prevalence of COVID-19, to deliver high quality teaching, including through remote education. All schools are expected to plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and make good progress.</p><p>Changes to assessments in certain subjects, announced by Ofqual over the summer, alongside the later starting date for exams in summer 2021, will give schools and colleges extra time to plan teaching and pupils extra time to study. The Government has committed to a £1 billion catch-up package, including a ‘Catch-Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. These changes will give students the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive.</p><p>The Department is working with Ofqual and engaging widely with the education sector to identify any risks to examinations at a national, local, and individual student level, and to consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a student unable to sit examinations due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local outbreak during the examination season resulting in examination centres not being able to open. More details will be published later in the autumn.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 117309 117310 question first answered 23/11/2020 14:53:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting