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1276774

registered interest
date	14/01/2021
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 plans he has to reduce the number of pupils in school during the covid-19 lockdown that began in January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	138094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2021 answer text <p>During this period of national lockdown, schools should only allow vulnerable children and the children of critical workers to attend face-to-face education. The Department has resisted restrictions on attendance at schools since the first lockdown but, given the rapidly rising numbers of cases across the country and the intense pressure on the NHS, we have needed to do more to reduce all our social contacts wherever possible. Limiting attendance at this time is about reducing the number of contacts that people have with other households.</p><p>The Department publishes weekly national-level data on pupil attendance. The latest data, published 19 January, shows that attendance in state primary schools in England was at 21% and at 5% in state secondaries. The data is available to view here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>.</p><p>On 7 January the Department published further guidance, ‘Restricting attendance during the national lockdown: schools’, which sets out what all schools need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021. This includes the system of controls which schools must continue to implement, to the fullest extent possible, to reduce risks in their school and create an inherently safer environment. The guidance is available to view here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/01/2021 14:13:58 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1236603

registered interest
date	22/09/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Assessments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure exam fairness in the 2020-21academic year.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	93701
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2020 answer text <p>Ensuring fairness in exams in academic year 2020-21 is the priority. It is for this reason that we have said we expect the summer 2021 exam series to go ahead.</p><p>The Department has worked closely with the qualifications regulator, Ofqual, on ways to ensure the 2021 exam series supports catch up as well as complies with public health restrictions. Ofqual has consulted on measures to free up teaching time, as well as to include optionality in some of the most content heavy subjects at GCSE. These adaptations have been developed to maximise teaching time without compromising the validity of the qualifications. We are also engaging with relevant stakeholders on the timing of examinations and the grading approach with fairness to students and upholding public confidence in qualifications as the overarching drivers. We are also working closely with Ofqual and the exam boards on contingency plans so all students have the opportunity to take exams and to receive a grade. There will be further announcements made before October half term.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 30/09/2020 16:20:02 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1199038

registered interest
date	01/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Private Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to private schools on a timeline for reopening schools following the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	52582
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2020 answer text <p>Guidance on the wider opening of all schools applies to all schools in England, including independent schools, can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june</a>. It includes detailed guidance on how schools can manage and minimise risks to children, teachers, and their families as they reopen.</p><p>We encourage all independent schools to follow the timelines we have outlined for wider opening and welcome the constructive and supportive approach taken by the sector throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>At this point, we have asked primary schools to welcome back children in Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside the priority groups (vulnerable children and children of critical workers) that could already attend. While we will be unable to welcome all primary children back for a month before the summer, we continue to work with all parts of the education sector on the next steps. We would like to see wider opening to enable schools that have capacity to do so to bring back more children in the smaller class sizes before the summer holidays.</p><p>As outlined by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 24 May, secondary schools should prepare to invite year 10 and 12 pupils back into school for some face-to-face support with their teachers from 15 June.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 12/06/2020 15:18:21 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols

1195471

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Trade Unions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings he has had since 16 March 2020 with school (a) leadership unions, (b) teaching unions and (c) support staff unions.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Charlotte Nichols
uin	46816
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The Department has been engaging widely with a wide range of stakeholders at both official and ministerial level, including headteacher, teacher and support staff unions, including through meetings listed below.</p><p>Details of weekly engagement are set out below:</p><ul><li>Weekly meetings with senior policy officials and key stakeholders along with other main teaching unions, governance, social care, school trusts and local government;</li><li>A weekly meeting with wider stakeholders including support staff, further education and school business organisations;</li><li>Weekly calls for evidence from key stakeholders on key policy questions to inform decision making on reopening;</li><li>Weekly meetings between my right hon. Friend, my right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education and the main teaching unions and stakeholder groups; and</li><li>Ad hoc additional stakeholder meetings to address key issues as and when they arise.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/05/2020 12:55:08 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4799 label Biography information for Charlotte Nichols