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1127282

registered interest
date	17/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Exclusions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted report entitled, Exploring the issue of off-rolling published on 10 May 2019, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of pupils illegitimately removed from schools.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	255650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>The Department is clear that off-rolling, as defined by Ofsted, is unacceptable, and whilst the Department believes this practice is relatively rare, the Government is committed to continue working with Ofsted to tackle the practice of off-rolling.</p><p>Pupils leave school rolls for many reasons, including permanent exclusion, moving to another school, or changes of circumstances (such as when a pupil moves to a new area). All schools must notify the local authority when a pupil’s name is to be deleted from the admission register. There is no legal definition of ‘off-rolling’. However, the law is clear that a pupil’s name can only be deleted from the admission register on the grounds prescribed in regulation 8 of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, as amended.</p><p>Following media coverage of off-rolling in 2017, the Department wrote to all secondary schools, reminding them of the rules surrounding exclusion.</p><p>Ofsted already considers records of children taken off roll and has also recently consulted on proposals that will see a strengthened focus on this issue. From September 2019 where inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report, and where appropriate will lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate.</p><p>In March 2018, the Government launched an externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review explored how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It also considered the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England.</p><p>The Timpson Review and the Government’s response were published on 7 May. The review makes 30 recommendations and highlights variation in exclusions practice across different schools, local authorities and certain groups of children. The Government has accepted all 30 recommendations in principle, and the Department has committed to working with education leaders over the summer to design a consultation on making schools accountable for the outcomes for permanently excluded children, to be launched in the autumn. As part of this, the Department will seek views on how to mitigate the potential unintended consequences Edward Timpson has identified in his review, including the practice of off-rolling.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/05/2019 10:57:23 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1125933

registered interest
date	10/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Exclusions: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of school exclusions for each ethnic group.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	252824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2019 answer text <p>The rate of exclusion varies by pupil ethnicity, with pupils of some ethnic groups more likely to be excluded and others less.[1]</p><p> </p><p>Last March, the Government commissioned Edward Timpson to explore how head teachers use exclusion and why some groups of pupils are more likely to be excluded than others.</p><p> </p><p>New analysis undertaken for the Timpson Review shows that some ethnic groups are more likely to be excluded after controlling for other observable characteristics. For example, after accounting for other factors, Black Caribbean children are around 1.7 times more likely to be permanently excluded compared to White British children, while Mixed White and Black Caribbean children are around 1.6 times more likely, and Indian and Bangladeshi pupils are around half as likely.</p><p> </p><p>Equally, children in some ethnic groups do not appear to be permanently excluded at a different rate from White British pupils, such as Black African children.</p><p> </p><p>The Timpson review, the analysis technical note, and the Government’s response can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-exclusions-review-call-for-evidence" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-exclusions-review-call-for-evidence</a>.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in-england-2016-to-2017</a>. National tables, table 8.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 15/05/2019 12:13:50 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1125016

registered interest
date	07/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Fossil Fuels: Universities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to encourage universities to divest from global coal, oil and gas companies.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	251208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>Universities are autonomous from the government, so we do not specifically encourage them to divest from global coal, oil and gas companies.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to supporting the effective management of climate-related financial risks, and we have endorsed the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 13/05/2019 16:07:53 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1123141

registered interest
date	25/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Construction: Apprentices
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 increase the number of apprenticeships in the construction sector.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	247581
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>We have introduced a wide range of reforms to apprenticeships to improve their quality and encourage employers in all sectors to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer.</p><p>We are pleased that the construction sector has committed to increase apprenticeship starts to 25,000 a year by 2020, as part of its Sector Deal with the government. We are working closely with them to achieve this (for example, the Construction Industry Training Board links employers and apprentices, and can see encouraging momentum towards this goal).</p><p>In the first half of 2018-19, there were 16,700 starts in the Construction, Planning and Built Environment sector, an increase from 16,080 and from 15,060 at the same points in 2017-18 and 2016-17 respectively. 70 industry-designed apprenticeship standards are available in the construction sector, with 30 more standards in development.</p><p>To support all employers to make the long-term, sustainable investment in training, in April 2019 we halved the co-investment rate from 10% to 5% for new starts and increased the amount that levy paying employers can transfer to other employers from 10% to 25%.</p><p>Through our ‘Fire it Up’ communication campaign, we are also working across the country to raise awareness of apprenticeships and the benefits that they bring to both employers and apprentices.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 30/04/2019 16:10:34 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1122427

registered interest
date	23/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Qualifications: Gender
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 tackle the achievement gap in qualifications between male and female pupils in schools.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	246439
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>This government is determined to deliver an education system that offers world-class education to every pupil, and ensures that all children and young people – regardless of their gender, ethnicity or background – have the opportunity to go as far as their talents and hard work will take them.</p><p>Our ongoing education reforms are intended to set the highest expectations for what all school-age pupils will achieve. We have put in place a stretching national curriculum and world-class qualifications, and performance measures that encourage more pupils to study GCSEs in the academic subjects that most enable progress to higher education. We have also introduced the Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures, which are designed to focus the attention of secondary schools on the academic progress that every pupil makes between the end of primary school and the end of key stage 4, as well as their achievement in GCSEs.</p><p>We have given head teachers flexibility over the resources allocated to their schools, so that they can determine what provision to put in place to ensure that every pupil – boys and girls alike – is engaged, challenged and can achieve to the best of their abilities. The national funding formula for schools includes a low prior attainment factor, to help schools put support in place for those pupils who did not reach the expected standard in national assessments at the end of the previous phase of education. We also continue to provide additional funding to schools through the pupil premium in order to improve the progress and attainment of pupils from financially disadvantaged family backgrounds.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/04/2019 15:55:22 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1122428

registered interest
date	23/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Discrimination
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 prevent sexism in schools.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	246440
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2019 answer text <p>The Equality Act makes it unlawful for a school to discriminate against or treat a pupil less favourably because of protected characteristics. Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, schools that are public bodies have a general duty to have regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and to advance equality of opportunity between different groups and foster good relations between different groups.</p><p> </p><p>In November 2018, the Department published Respectful School Communities, a self-review and signposting tool that supports schools in developing a whole-school approach that promotes respect and discipline. This can combat sexual bullying, sexual harassment, and prejudice and helps schools to identify the various elements that make up a whole school approach, consider gaps in their current practice, and get further support. The Respectful School Communities review is available here: <a href="https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders" target="_blank">https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department is making relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education compulsory for all secondary pupils, and health education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools from September 2020. The draft guidance sets out that pupils will be taught about the importance of developing healthy, respectful and positive relationships. Pupils should also know about the negative impact of discrimination, what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes, including those based on gender, can be unfair, negative or destructive.</p><p> </p><p>Advice is also available for schools and colleges on how to prevent and respond to reports of sexual violence and harassment between children. It sets out what to do if there are incidents of this kind in the school.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 29/04/2019 16:52:34 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1110600

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Finance
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 adequacy of education funding in England.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	242682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The Department frequently reviews the adequacy of funding across its sectors. An additional £1.3 billion has been invested in schools across 2018/19 and 2019/20, over and above the allocations set out at the last Spending Review. £7 billion will be invested in further education and skills this year alone to make sure there is an education or training place for every 16 to 19-year old who wants one, and a major review of post-18 education and funding is underway.</p><p> </p><p>The Spending Review presents an opportunity for the Department to comprehensively review its spending. The Department is committed to working with the Treasury to understand what resources the education sector needs over the coming years, and to securing the right deal for education.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 15/04/2019 15:33:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1110627

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: Curriculum
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 adequacy of the provision for modern foreign language lessons in schools.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	242683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The reformed National Curriculum makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in Key Stage 2, and the English Baccalaureate performance measure, which includes languages, has seen the proportion of GCSE entries from pupils in state-funded schools in a modern foreign language (MFL) increase from 40% in 2010 to 46% in 2018.</p><p>Ofsted's survey of Key Stage 3, published in September 2015, found that of 51 routine inspections carried out during June and July 2015, achievement was not good enough in just under half of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) classes observed.[1]</p><p>The Teaching Schools Council review of MFL pedagogy at Key Stages 3 and 4, conducted in 2016, focussed on how foreign languages are taught, and made a number of recommendations.[2]</p><p>Based on these recommendations, the Government is providing £4.8 million for the MFL Hubs programme, the aim of which is to improve access to high quality MFL subject teaching. The Department has also funded nine projects across the country to provide continuing professional development for primary and secondary teachers.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/459830/Key_Stage_3_the_wasted_years.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/459830/Key_Stage_3_the_wasted_years.pdf</a>.</p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.tscouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MFL-Pedagogy-Review-Report-2.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.tscouncil.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MFL-Pedagogy-Review-Report-2.pdf</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 15/04/2019 15:29:45 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1110356

registered interest
date	08/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Plagiarism
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 prevent essay mills businesses from targeting university students.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	242015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2019 answer text <p>The use of companies that sell bespoke essays to students who pass the work off as their own undermines the reputation of the education system in this country and devalues the hard work of those succeeding on their own merit.</p><p> </p><p>The government has a clear expectation that educational institutions do everything in their power to prevent students being tempted by these companies. In a university context that may be through introducing initiatives such as honour codes, as well as making sure their students are aware of the severe consequences they face if they are caught cheating.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the department published an Education Technology strategy on 3 April which challenges technology companies to identify how anti-cheating software can tackle the growth of essay mills and stay one step ahead of the cheats. This strategy can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/realising-the-potential-of-technology-in-education</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government is supporting the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to put pressure on technology companies who readily facilitate the use of essay mills.</p><p> </p><p>On 20 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, challenged PayPal to stop processing payments for ‘essay mills’ as part of an accelerated drive to preserve and champion the quality of the UK’s world-leading higher education system.</p><p> </p><p>PayPal is now working with businesses associated with essay-writing services to ensure its platform is not used to facilitate deceptive and fraudulent practices in education.</p><p> </p><p>Google and YouTube have also responded by removing hundreds of advertisements for essay writing services and promotional content from their sites.</p><p> </p><p>This supports and furthers the 2017 efforts of the QAA and National Union of Students and Universities UK who responded to the government’s request to develop guidance for higher education providers on how to combat the threat of “contract cheating”.</p><p> </p><p>This guidance includes advice to higher education providers to consider blocking access to essay mills from computers and Wi-Fi systems on their property and disrupting essay mills’ opportunities to advertise by asking pamphlet distributers to leave their campuses and using their own social media and email accounts to contact their students, warning them about any detected contact from particular sites and companies and re-stressing the need for academic integrity.</p><p> </p><p>The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. Through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the government has given the OfS the power to take action if higher education providers are found to be, in any way, complicit in cheating. This includes imposing fines or ultimately de-registration, the highest possible punishment. The government remains open to the future need for additional legislation and will continue to investigate all options available.</p><p> </p><p>We are determined to beat the cheats who threaten the integrity of our higher education system.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 11/04/2019 15:59:58 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1108806

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Exclusions
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 discourage schools from excluding primary-aged pupils.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	239182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2019 answer text <p>Good discipline in schools is essential to ensure that all pupils can benefit from the opportunities provided by education. Schools can only exclude a pupil for a disciplinary reason, and all decisions to exclude a pupil must be lawful, reasonable and fair. The Government supports head teachers in using exclusion as a sanction, where it is warranted.</p><p> </p><p>Statutory guidance issued to schools is clear that they should consider underlying causes of poor behaviour before issuing an exclusion as a last resort.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2018, the Government launched an externally-led review of exclusions practice, led by Edward Timpson CBE. The review is exploring how head teachers use exclusion, and why pupils with particular characteristics are more likely to be excluded from school. It is also considering the differences in exclusion rates across primary and secondary schools in England. The review and the Government response will be published shortly.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 04/04/2019 15:11:49 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham