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1202817

registered interest
date	11/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Further Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he will take to ensure that students have full access to online learning while college and university campuses are closed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	58700
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>When lockdown began, higher education providers reacted rapidly to move provision online (in many cases within 24 hours), to ensure that students were able to access teaching and assessment. The vast majority of providers are currently planning to move to blended or dual provision for the next academic year. They have redesigned courses and timetables to be suitable for these new styles of delivery, front-loaded the next academic year with more online friendly provision and moved areas which require practical, face-to-face teaching or assessment to the back of the academic year.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for Students (OfS) has published information and guidance for providers and students, including frequently asked questions on a broad range of issues. The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has also published a series of guides to support higher education providers to secure academic standards and to support student achievement during the outbreak.</p><p> </p><p>The government is aware of the disproportionate impact that the COVID-19 outbreak will have on some students. Officials are working with the sector to identify what further steps may be necessary. The government has already worked closely with the OfS to help clarify that providers can draw upon existing funding to provide hardship funds and to support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. Providers are able to use the funding, worth around £23 million per month for June and July, towards student hardship funds, including the purchase of IT equipment and mental health support as well as to support providers’ access and participation plans.</p><p> </p><p>Using this facility, providers have been supporting those with practical access issues through the provision of IT equipment including laptops and Wi-Fi dongles to ensure that they are able to continue their studies online.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 16/06/2020 10:13:29 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1202880

registered interest
date	11/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons academy-related discrimination cases are outside the remit of the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and what options people have in an academy setting to pursue a discrimination case.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	58728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The law covering discrimination is the Equality Act 2010. This applies to all maintained and independent schools, including academies, and maintained and non-maintained special schools in England.</p><p>The Act makes it unlawful for the responsible body of a school to discriminate against, harass or victimise a pupil or potential pupil:</p><ul><li>in relation to admissions;</li><li>in the way it provides education for pupils;</li><li>in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service; or</li><li>by excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment.</li></ul><p> </p><p>If an individual feels that discrimination has taken place, in the first instance these cases could be resolved informally with the school. Should this fail to satisfactorily resolve the issue, then an official complaint can be made to the academy.</p><p>If the complainant feels that the trust has not followed its complaints procedure, they can escalate this to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The ESFA will assess the trust’s compliance with their complaints policy but cannot overturn the decision itself or suggest remedy.</p><p>Formal proceedings in relation to a contravention of the education provisions of the Act will be brought in a county court. If the court rules that there has been a contravention, then it has the power to award an appropriate remedy, including any award of damages.</p><p>Specialist tribunals which have experience and knowledge of disability issues will hear cases of contravention of the education provisions on grounds of disability. In England this will be the First-tier Tribunal. If the Tribunal rules that there has been a contravention, then it has the power to make an order of a remedy, which it sees as appropriate.</p><p>The Department has set out advice on the Equality Act on GOV.UK, which is available at:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:44:31 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1202886

registered interest
date	11/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Southwark
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary school children receive free school meals in (a) Camberwell and Peckham and (b) the London Borough of Southwark.
tabling member constituency	Camberwell and Peckham
tabling member printed	Ms Harriet Harman
uin	58602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The most recent figures for number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals come from the school census for January 2019, published on 27 June 2019. 2,658 pupils in primary schools in Camberwell and Peckham constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals in January 2019, and 5,732 primary school pupils in the whole of the London Borough of Southwark.</p><p> </p><p>Further information can be found in the annual “School, pupils and their characteristics” statistical release which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Figures relating to January 2020 are due to be published on 25 June 2020.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 16/06/2020 13:32:24 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	150 label Biography information for Ms Harriet Harman

1202270

registered interest
date	10/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that universities have adequate short-term liquidity during the covid-19 pandemic; and whether he plans to allocate additional funding to that sector.
tabling member constituency	Rutland and Melton
tabling member printed	Alicia Kearns
uin	58104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector, and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts including on short-term liquidity.</p><p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.</p><p>We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more cash in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.</p><p>In England, we will also be bringing forward £100 million of quality-related research funding for providers to the current academic year to help to address some of the immediate pressures faced by university research activities.</p><p>The department will consider purchasing land and buildings where they can be used for new or expanding schools and colleges in England. This will take place as part of existing programmes and using established procedures. This financial year (across purchases from all suitable vendors, including but not limited to HE providers), we have budgeted up to £100 million to acquire sites for planned projects in England. Details are available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students</a>.</p><p>The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes. The Office for Students (OfS), the regulator in England, estimates that this could be worth at least £700 million to the sector. We will only intervene further where we believe there is a case to do so and where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate and as a last resort.</p><p>In such instances, we will work with providers to review their circumstances and assess the need for restructuring and any attached conditions. The department will be working with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop this restructuring regime, as well as with the devolved administrations.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 16/06/2020 16:06:05 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4805 label Biography information for Alicia Kearns

1201130

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate the Government has made of the number of universities that have charged (a) full or (b) partial tuition fees during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	55889
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and responsible for setting their own fees. Higher education providers will of course want to ensure that they can continue to deliver courses that are fit for purpose and that help students progress their qualifications.</p><p> </p><p>As of 11 June, no university had made a submission of changes in the level of chargeable fees for courses during the COVID-19 outbreak for the academic year 2019/20. It is possible that a higher education provider has submitted adjustments for an individual or sub-set of students on a course. However, these adjustments would have been processed on a student-by-student basis, and no information is recorded on the reason for a fee reduction being recorded.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 16/06/2020 10:11:00 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1201142

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Academic Year
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to instruct schools to open during the 2020 summer holidays.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Mr Stephen Morgan
uin	56150
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>We have no plans to instruct schools to operate throughout summer.</p><p>We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused disruption to young people’s education as teachers and parents have had to adapt to remote education. We are doing everything possible to make sure every child, whatever their background, has the support they need to deal with the impact of COVID-19 on their education and wellbeing and are working with partners to consider the best ways to deliver this ongoing support.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 56065 question first answered 16/06/2020 16:50:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1201143

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
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, if the Government will review (a) pay and (b) conditions for school staff who have had to work through Easter and half term as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Mr Stephen Morgan
uin	56151
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD) covers the pay and conditions for teachers in maintained schools in England, and requires that teachers must be available to teach for 190 days each year. There are no plans to review this.</p><p>During the COVID-19 outbreak, we know that many schools have implemented a rota system so that any staff who are asked to work during a holiday period will have time off during normal term time. Teachers and other school staff will continue to be paid during this period as normal, and we expect schools to continue to fulfill their contractual duties to their staff.</p><p>Responsibility for the pay and conditions of support staff lies at a local level with headteachers and school employers; they are best placed to use their professional judgement to set terms and conditions to suit local circumstances.</p><p>Non-maintained schools, including academies and free schools, are responsible for determining the pay and conditions of their staff themselves; such schools are not obliged to follow the statutory arrangements set out in the STPCD, although they may still choose to do so if they wish.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:41:04 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1201193

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
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 financial support his Department plans to make available to schools to enable them to temporarily hire other premises to allow for more social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	56016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>We have published guidance on the additional funding we are providing to schools to cover unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources. The fund is targeted towards the costs we have identified as the biggest barrier to schools operating as they need to at this challenging time.</p><p>The cost categories covered by the fund are clearly set out in the guidance below - increased premises related costs of opening over school holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs relating to cases or suspected cases of coronavirus, above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools/school-funding-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19-for-the-period-march-to-july-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools/school-funding-exceptional-costs-associated-with-coronavirus-covid-19-for-the-period-march-to-july-2020</a></p><p>Each school's circumstances will be slightly different. Any schools that cannot achieve the small group sizes set out in the protective measures guidance (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings</a>) should discuss options with their local authority or academy trust. If necessary, schools have the flexibility to focus first on continuing to provide places for priority groups and then, to support children’s early education, settings should prioritise groups of children as follows:</p><ul><li>early years settings - 3 and 4 year olds followed by younger age groups;</li><li>infant schools - nursery (where applicable) and Reception;</li><li>primary schools - nursery (where applicable), Reception and year 1.</li></ul> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:57:42 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1201205

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Educational Visits: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will issue guidance to (a) schools, (b) parents, and (c) insurance companies prohibiting school residential trips until after the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	New Forest West
tabling member printed	Sir Desmond Swayne
uin	55835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The Department currently advises against any overseas, domestic or residential visits for children under 18 organised by schools. This advice will remain under review and will be updated in line with guidance from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for Transport (DfT) and Public Health England (PHE).</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:43:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	55 label Biography information for Sir Desmond Swayne

1201230

registered interest
date	08/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Members: Correspondence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Leeds Central, dated 8 April 2020, on high school places in South Leeds.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	55869
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>I can confirm that the letter, received by the Department on 8 April 2020, from the right hon. Member for Leeds Central has been responded to.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:37:23 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn