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1273763

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Redbridge
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons schools in the London Borough of Redbridge were not included in the covid-19 contingency framework implementation guidance, published on 30 December 2020.
tabling member constituency	Ilford North
tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
uin	133988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>Redbridge was inadvertently omitted from the list supplied to the Department for Education by the Department of Health and Social Care, but was added as soon as the mistake was identified.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 16:16:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1273772

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the criteria used to determine which areas with primary schools were made subject to the contingency framework on Wednesday 30 December 2020.
tabling member constituency	Greenwich and Woolwich
tabling member printed	Matthew Pennycook
uin	134026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>In considering which areas may be suitable for primary restrictions under our contingency framework, the Department worked closely with Public Health England, the Joint Biosecurity Centre, NHS Test &amp; Trace and the Department for Health and Social Care using the most recent data available. We used a balanced approach, rather than simple threshold cut offs, and took all factors into account, but with particular focus on: very high rates of infection, particularly high increases in seven-day case rates, and intelligence about pressure on the NHS.</p><p>These were not easy decisions to make, but they were made according to the best clinical advice and the key indicators set out within the COVID-19 Winter Plan. More information on the COVID-19 Winter Plan can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-winter-plan" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-winter-plan</a>.</p><p>The national lockdown announced on 4 January 2021 replaced the restrictions that had been active in some primary schools under the contingency framework. We will be continually reviewing the restrictions on schools, colleges and universities to ensure that pupils and students can return to face to face education when the pressures are easing on the NHS.</p><p>These decisions do not suggest that schools and colleges are no longer safe places. Instead, limiting attendance is about reducing the number of contacts that all of us have with people in other households.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 16:13:54 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4520 label Biography information for Matthew Pennycook

1273988

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the 15 January 2021 deadline for primary school place applications in response to the disruption resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	134183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>We have no plans to extend the deadline of 15 January for primary school applications.</p><p>Applications for school places are made online or by post. The restrictions on attendance at schools do not prevent parents from submitting applications for school places.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 17:51:39 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1274141

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary and secondary school teachers have died as a result of covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	134055
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on how many deaths there have been due to COVID-19 in the teaching profession, nor information on how many teachers have contracted COVID-19 in the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>Current scientific evidence is that children are at very low risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and there is also no current evidence that staff are at higher risk of infection than those working in other sectors.</p><p> </p><p>The safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils is always our priority. The Government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our registered nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities in this unprecedented situation, while mitigating the impact on education.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January the Department published guidance “Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak”, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will continue to keep its plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 134056 134057 question first answered 11/01/2021 17:44:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1274143

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary and secondary school teachers have contracted covid-19 in the workplace.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	134056
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on how many deaths there have been due to COVID-19 in the teaching profession, nor information on how many teachers have contracted COVID-19 in the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>Current scientific evidence is that children are at very low risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and there is also no current evidence that staff are at higher risk of infection than those working in other sectors.</p><p> </p><p>The safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils is always our priority. The Government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our registered nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities in this unprecedented situation, while mitigating the impact on education.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January the Department published guidance “Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak”, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will continue to keep its plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 134055 134057 question first answered 11/01/2021 17:44:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1274146

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will publish statistics on the number of teachers who have died of covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	134057
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on how many deaths there have been due to COVID-19 in the teaching profession, nor information on how many teachers have contracted COVID-19 in the workplace.</p><p> </p><p>Current scientific evidence is that children are at very low risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and there is also no current evidence that staff are at higher risk of infection than those working in other sectors.</p><p> </p><p>The safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils is always our priority. The Government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our registered nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities in this unprecedented situation, while mitigating the impact on education.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January the Department published guidance “Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak”, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will continue to keep its plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 134055 134056 question first answered 11/01/2021 17:44:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1274151

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Absenteeism and Sick Leave
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the data his Department holds on the rates of (a) sick leave and (b) absence of (i) primary and (ii) secondary school teachers from the workplace for the periods from (A) 1 September 2018 to 4 January 2019, (B) 1 September 2019 to 4 January 2020 and (C) 1 September 2020 to 4 January 2021.
tabling member constituency	Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
tabling member printed	Jamie Stone
uin	134058
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The information requested is not available in the format requested.</p><p>For the 2018/19 academic year, the Department collects information on teacher sickness absence from all state funded schools via the School Workforce Census, held in November each year since 2010. Each census collects data for absence from the previous academic year. The latest data available cover the academic year September 2018 to August 2019.</p><p>Information on the number and rates of teacher sickness absence are published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at the following link: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england</a>.</p><p>The table below shows teacher sickness absence data during the 2018/19 academic year in state funded schools in England:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Teacher sickness absence data<strong>[1]</strong><strong>[2]</strong></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Average number of Days - all teachers</p></td><td><p>4.1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Average number of days taken</p></td><td><p>7.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Percentage taking absence</p></td><td><p>54.0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total Number of Days lost</p></td><td><p>2,133,253</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total teachers taking absence</p></td><td><p>284,146</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>For the 2019/20 academic year, to reduce burdens on schools during the COVID-19 outbreak, the return of absence data for the 2019/20 academic year was not required in the ongoing 2020 School Workforce Census. Schools will not be asked to submit 2020 census absence data retrospectively in future censuses.</p><p>For the 2020/21 academic year, the Department intends to publish detailed school workforce absence data from 19 January 2021. This data will be included as part of the publication ‘Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID- 19) outbreak’.  The data shall be drawn from the educational setting status form, which was set up to help the government monitor the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on schools, nurseries and colleges, focus support more effectively and keep children safe.</p><p>The Department plans to return to collecting information on teacher sickness absence in the 2020/21 academic year from all state funded schools via the School Workforce Census, held in November 2021. This data shall be released, as per the usual timings, in the summer of 2022.</p><p> </p><p>[1] The total teachers taking sickness absence and total days taken are estimates based on the schools that were able to make a full absence return. They are only available for England as a whole and not by region, local authority or school. For further details please see the methodology document.</p><p> </p><p>[2] Before using this data, please check the methodology section for important information such as definitions, limitations and caveats. This is available here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/891b274b-8080-433d-897f-5e39f2082379" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/891b274b-8080-433d-897f-5e39f2082379</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 18:11:25 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4612 label Biography information for Jamie Stone

1274180

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Remote Education: Disadvantaged
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many IT devices have been given to disadvantaged children to enable them to attend school remotely in (a) North West Durham constituency, (b) County Durham and (c) England.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	134232
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government is investing over £300 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including securing over one million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people. This includes over 560,000 laptops and tablets that have already been delivered to schools, academy trusts and local authorities in 2020.</p><p>As of 18 December 2020, 1,808 devices have been delivered directly to Durham Local Authority. Devices have also been delivered to academy trusts that have schools located in Durham Local Authority, which are not included in this figure. This is because it is for academy trusts, which may have schools in several Local Authorities, to determine how best to distribute the devices they have received. It is not possible to provide figures on the number of devices received specifically by schools in the North West Durham constituency, because schools in a specific constituency will have received devices from their Local Authority or, if they are an academy, from the trust of which they are part.</p><p>More information on the number of devices delivered as of the 18 December can be viewed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946954/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_data_as_of_December.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946954/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_data_as_of_December.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 17:45:32 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1274181

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
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	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the latest rate of infection with covid-19 of (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants, (c) non teaching school staff, (d) staff in registered childcare settings, (e) college staff and (f) university staff.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	133815
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Department does not hold data on infection rates amongst (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants, (c) non teaching school staff, (d) staff in registered childcare settings,<ins class="ministerial"> and</ins> (e) college staff<ins class="ministerial">.</ins> <del class="ministerial">and (f) university staff.</del></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">For (f) university staff, the department has asked higher education (HE) providers to share information on their staff numbers and the number of staff COVID-19 cases that have been reported to them. For the 183 HE providers which provided this information to us for the 7 days between 10 and 16 December, our estimate is that there were 56.7 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 non-academic and academic staff in HE providers for that period.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">Estimates for more recent weeks are not available due to: i) a pause in data collection over the winter break and ii) inconsistencies arising from the effect of the national lockdown that began this month.</ins></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Advice from the Children's Task and Finish group is that children are at very low risk of serious illness from the virus, and there is also no current evidence that staff<ins class="ministerial"> in schools and colleges</ins> are at higher risk of infection than those working in other sectors. This advice can be accessed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948617/s0998-tfc-update-to-4-november-2020-paper-on-children-schools-transmission.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948617/s0998-tfc-update-to-4-november-2020-paper-on-children-schools-transmission.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The safety and wellbeing of staff, pupils and students in education settings is always our priority. The Government is doing all it can to minimise the risks to those working and studying in our nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities in this unprecedented situation, while mitigating the impact on education.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January, the Department published guidance to universities and students returning to higher education in the spring term. This guidance sets out how we will support higher education providers to enable students to return as safely as possible following the winter break, by staggering this process following the period of national lockdown and to facilitate testing for all. The guidance is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950367/Students_returning_to_and_starting_higher_education_in_Spring_Term_2021.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950367/Students_returning_to_and_starting_higher_education_in_Spring_Term_2021.pdf</a>.</p><p>The Department also published ‘guidance: Actions for schools during the coronavirus outbreak’, which sets out what all schools will need to do during the COVID-19 outbreak from January 2021. The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On 7 January, the Department published guidance for all early years settings and local authorities in England, which provides information on how the national lockdown restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19 will impact early years and childcare settings. This guidance is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950653/Education_and_childcare_settings_-_national_lockdown_from_5_January_2021_.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950653/Education_and_childcare_settings_-_national_lockdown_from_5_January_2021_.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>On 8 January, the Department published guidance on actions for further education colleges and providers during the COVID-19 outbreak: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department will continue to keep our plans under review and ensure our position is informed by the latest evidence.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 17:32:00 question first ministerially corrected 25/01/2021 18:30:13 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb previous answer version 71906 answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1274267

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Remote Education: Software
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what software he is providing to help children and families access remote learning.
tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Hallam
tabling member printed	Olivia Blake
uin	134284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>We are funding schools to get set up on Google or Microsoft digital education platforms. These platforms bring together the school community, pool resources and give pupils the opportunity to work with their peers remotely. As of 5 January 2021, 6900 schools have applied for a digital platform as part of the Get Help With Technology programme.</p><p>This is part of over £300 million being invested to support access to remote education and online social care services, which also includes securing over one million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children and young people.</p><p>Over 560,000 laptops and tablets have already been delivered to schools, trusts and local authorities in 2020. The devices come with standard software packages included, and this allows schools to make their own choice on how best to provide remote education according to their own local needs. This may include acquiring software of their choice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/01/2021 17:54:11 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4864 label Biography information for Olivia Blake