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1609708

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ban school admissions policies that require women to dress modestly.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	179841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Like all other mainstream state funded schools, schools designated with a religious character, commonly known as faith schools, must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith, where there are places available. Where they are oversubscribed, they may give priority for places to applicants on the basis of faith. No parent is required to provide information on their membership or practice of the faith when applying to a faith school, although they may not then be eligible for priority under any faith oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department does not intend to remove faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. Faith-based oversubscription criteria provide a means to support parents to have their children educated in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs, where they wish to do so.</p><p>The admission authority of a faith school is responsible for setting their admission arrangements and deciding whether or not to use faith-based oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department issues the statutory School Admissions Code which applies to all mainstream state funded schools, including faith schools, and places requirements on admission authorities about their arrangements and what they may ask from parents as part of the admissions process. The Code also signposts other relevant laws which admission authorities must comply with, including the Human Rights Act 1998.</p><p>In constructing any faith oversubscription criteria, a faith school’s admission authority must have regard to any guidance from the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination, to the extent that the guidance complies with the Code. They must also consult with the religious body when deciding how membership or practice of the faith is to be demonstrated. Ultimately, the admission authority must ensure its arrangements comply with the Code and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Anyone who is concerned that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful is encouraged to refer an objection to the independent Schools Adjudicator, whose decision is binding and enforceable. The Government does not routinely make an assessment of the impact of individual faith schools’ admissions criteria. All legislation, including admissions law, must be compatible with equalities and human rights law.</p><p>The Department has no current plans to introduce more specific requirements for faith school admissions beyond those already set out in law. The Department routinely considers reports and guidance from stakeholders and other bodies, such as the report issued by the National Secular Society. All such information helps to inform future policy development.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179842 179843 179844 179845 question first answered 24/04/2023 15:00:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1609709

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Faith Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the national secular society report entitled how state school admissions policies enable coercive control in religious communities, published in February 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policies of that report's findings on admissions requirements for state-funded faith schools.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	179842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Like all other mainstream state funded schools, schools designated with a religious character, commonly known as faith schools, must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith, where there are places available. Where they are oversubscribed, they may give priority for places to applicants on the basis of faith. No parent is required to provide information on their membership or practice of the faith when applying to a faith school, although they may not then be eligible for priority under any faith oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department does not intend to remove faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. Faith-based oversubscription criteria provide a means to support parents to have their children educated in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs, where they wish to do so.</p><p>The admission authority of a faith school is responsible for setting their admission arrangements and deciding whether or not to use faith-based oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department issues the statutory School Admissions Code which applies to all mainstream state funded schools, including faith schools, and places requirements on admission authorities about their arrangements and what they may ask from parents as part of the admissions process. The Code also signposts other relevant laws which admission authorities must comply with, including the Human Rights Act 1998.</p><p>In constructing any faith oversubscription criteria, a faith school’s admission authority must have regard to any guidance from the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination, to the extent that the guidance complies with the Code. They must also consult with the religious body when deciding how membership or practice of the faith is to be demonstrated. Ultimately, the admission authority must ensure its arrangements comply with the Code and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Anyone who is concerned that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful is encouraged to refer an objection to the independent Schools Adjudicator, whose decision is binding and enforceable. The Government does not routinely make an assessment of the impact of individual faith schools’ admissions criteria. All legislation, including admissions law, must be compatible with equalities and human rights law.</p><p>The Department has no current plans to introduce more specific requirements for faith school admissions beyond those already set out in law. The Department routinely considers reports and guidance from stakeholders and other bodies, such as the report issued by the National Secular Society. All such information helps to inform future policy development.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179841 179843 179844 179845 question first answered 24/04/2023 15:00:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1609710

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Faith Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of faith schools setting admissions criteria relating to families' private lives on those families.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	179843
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Like all other mainstream state funded schools, schools designated with a religious character, commonly known as faith schools, must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith, where there are places available. Where they are oversubscribed, they may give priority for places to applicants on the basis of faith. No parent is required to provide information on their membership or practice of the faith when applying to a faith school, although they may not then be eligible for priority under any faith oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department does not intend to remove faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. Faith-based oversubscription criteria provide a means to support parents to have their children educated in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs, where they wish to do so.</p><p>The admission authority of a faith school is responsible for setting their admission arrangements and deciding whether or not to use faith-based oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department issues the statutory School Admissions Code which applies to all mainstream state funded schools, including faith schools, and places requirements on admission authorities about their arrangements and what they may ask from parents as part of the admissions process. The Code also signposts other relevant laws which admission authorities must comply with, including the Human Rights Act 1998.</p><p>In constructing any faith oversubscription criteria, a faith school’s admission authority must have regard to any guidance from the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination, to the extent that the guidance complies with the Code. They must also consult with the religious body when deciding how membership or practice of the faith is to be demonstrated. Ultimately, the admission authority must ensure its arrangements comply with the Code and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Anyone who is concerned that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful is encouraged to refer an objection to the independent Schools Adjudicator, whose decision is binding and enforceable. The Government does not routinely make an assessment of the impact of individual faith schools’ admissions criteria. All legislation, including admissions law, must be compatible with equalities and human rights law.</p><p>The Department has no current plans to introduce more specific requirements for faith school admissions beyond those already set out in law. The Department routinely considers reports and guidance from stakeholders and other bodies, such as the report issued by the National Secular Society. All such information helps to inform future policy development.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179841 179842 179844 179845 question first answered 24/04/2023 15:00:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1609711

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Faith Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to faith schools on the implications of the UK's human rights obligations under international law for their admissions policies.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	179844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Like all other mainstream state funded schools, schools designated with a religious character, commonly known as faith schools, must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith, where there are places available. Where they are oversubscribed, they may give priority for places to applicants on the basis of faith. No parent is required to provide information on their membership or practice of the faith when applying to a faith school, although they may not then be eligible for priority under any faith oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department does not intend to remove faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. Faith-based oversubscription criteria provide a means to support parents to have their children educated in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs, where they wish to do so.</p><p>The admission authority of a faith school is responsible for setting their admission arrangements and deciding whether or not to use faith-based oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department issues the statutory School Admissions Code which applies to all mainstream state funded schools, including faith schools, and places requirements on admission authorities about their arrangements and what they may ask from parents as part of the admissions process. The Code also signposts other relevant laws which admission authorities must comply with, including the Human Rights Act 1998.</p><p>In constructing any faith oversubscription criteria, a faith school’s admission authority must have regard to any guidance from the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination, to the extent that the guidance complies with the Code. They must also consult with the religious body when deciding how membership or practice of the faith is to be demonstrated. Ultimately, the admission authority must ensure its arrangements comply with the Code and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Anyone who is concerned that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful is encouraged to refer an objection to the independent Schools Adjudicator, whose decision is binding and enforceable. The Government does not routinely make an assessment of the impact of individual faith schools’ admissions criteria. All legislation, including admissions law, must be compatible with equalities and human rights law.</p><p>The Department has no current plans to introduce more specific requirements for faith school admissions beyond those already set out in law. The Department routinely considers reports and guidance from stakeholders and other bodies, such as the report issued by the National Secular Society. All such information helps to inform future policy development.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179841 179842 179843 179845 question first answered 24/04/2023 15:00:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1609712

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Faith Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing admissions exemptions that allow faith schools to select pupils based on the religious beliefs and practices of parents.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	179845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Like all other mainstream state funded schools, schools designated with a religious character, commonly known as faith schools, must admit all children who apply, without reference to faith, where there are places available. Where they are oversubscribed, they may give priority for places to applicants on the basis of faith. No parent is required to provide information on their membership or practice of the faith when applying to a faith school, although they may not then be eligible for priority under any faith oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department does not intend to remove faith schools’ ability to set faith-based oversubscription criteria. Faith-based oversubscription criteria provide a means to support parents to have their children educated in line with their religious and philosophical beliefs, where they wish to do so.</p><p>The admission authority of a faith school is responsible for setting their admission arrangements and deciding whether or not to use faith-based oversubscription criteria.</p><p>The Department issues the statutory School Admissions Code which applies to all mainstream state funded schools, including faith schools, and places requirements on admission authorities about their arrangements and what they may ask from parents as part of the admissions process. The Code also signposts other relevant laws which admission authorities must comply with, including the Human Rights Act 1998.</p><p>In constructing any faith oversubscription criteria, a faith school’s admission authority must have regard to any guidance from the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination, to the extent that the guidance complies with the Code. They must also consult with the religious body when deciding how membership or practice of the faith is to be demonstrated. Ultimately, the admission authority must ensure its arrangements comply with the Code and other relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010.</p><p>Anyone who is concerned that a school’s admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful is encouraged to refer an objection to the independent Schools Adjudicator, whose decision is binding and enforceable. The Government does not routinely make an assessment of the impact of individual faith schools’ admissions criteria. All legislation, including admissions law, must be compatible with equalities and human rights law.</p><p>The Department has no current plans to introduce more specific requirements for faith school admissions beyond those already set out in law. The Department routinely considers reports and guidance from stakeholders and other bodies, such as the report issued by the National Secular Society. All such information helps to inform future policy development.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 179841 179842 179843 179844 question first answered 24/04/2023 15:00:01 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1609766

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	School Libraries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have a school library.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	179899
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The Department believes that all pupils deserve to be taught a knowledge rich curriculum that promotes the extensive reading of books and other texts, both in and out of school. School libraries complement public libraries in allowing pupils to do this.</p><p>Given the autonomy which is granted to schools, the Department does not collect information on the number of school libraries.</p><p>It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Many head teachers recognise the important role school libraries play in improving literacy and encouraging pupils to read for pleasure and ensure that suitable library facilities are provided. School libraries can take many forms, with some schools preferring to make books a focus in other ways, including housing them within classrooms.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/04/2023 14:10:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1609803

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Attendance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve school attendance (a) by students who are eligible for free school meals and from deprived areas and (b) generally.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
uin	179936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2023 answer text <p>The Department has a comprehensive strategy to drive a more consistent response from schools, trusts and Local Authorities to help keep children in school.</p><p>The Department has published new, stronger expectations of schools, trusts and Local Authorities to work together to improve attendance. Alongside this, the Department has deployed 10 expert Attendance Advisers to work with Local Authorities and trusts to review attendance practices and develop improvement plans.</p><p>The Department has established an improved, more timely flow of national pupil level attendance data. This will help schools, trusts and Local Authorities make better use of attendance data to identify those in need of support earlier, including those on free school meals (FSMs).</p><p>The Department’s Attendance Action Alliance of system leaders work to remove barriers to attendance, particularly for vulnerable children, and reduce absence through pledges.</p><p>The Department is piloting a mentor programme in Middlesborough that provides direct support to persistently and severely absent children, who are more likely to be eligible for FSMs. The Department is also offering intensive support to the most vulnerable through the Supporting Families and Virtual Schools Head extension programmes and those at risk in serious violence hotspots with our SAFE and Alternative Provision Taskforces. Alongside this, programmes such as Breakfast Clubs and the Holiday and Activities Food Programme stand to particularly support disadvantaged children’s attendance.</p><p>The Department is also working closely with schools, trusts, Local Authorities and other partners to address specific attendance issues identified in Priority Education Investment Areas through the local area needs funding.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 19/04/2023 15:50:30 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1609809

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Relationships and Sex Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to issue new Relationships, Sex, Health and Education statutory guidance.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	179942
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>On 8 March, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that the Department had brought forward the review of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. The review will cover the full scope of the statutory guidance, including the use of external speakers and resources, and will involve working closely with stakeholders and experts to draw on the best available evidence.</p><p>On 31 March, the Department announced further details of the review, including the plan to set up an independent panel of experts to advise on what can be done to ensure that what is taught is appropriate by, for example, introducing age restrictions. Further details can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-of-relationships-sex-and-health-education-to-protect-children-to-conclude-by-end-of-year" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/review-of-relationships-sex-and-health-education-to-protect-children-to-conclude-by-end-of-year</a>.</p><p>The Department will undertake a public consultation on the amended guidance in the autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 180155 question first answered 24/04/2023 14:14:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1609816

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Solihull
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding will be allocated to schools in Solihull to upgrade buildings and boost school places.
tabling member constituency	Solihull
tabling member printed	Julian Knight
uin	179949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Solihull Local Authority has been provisionally allocated a school condition allocation of £1,830,392 for the 2023/24 financial year to spend maintaining and improving its school buildings.</p><p>Large multi-academy trusts and voluntary-aided school groups with schools in Solihull will also have been allocated a school condition allocation to spend on their school buildings. Smaller and single academy trusts have been invited to bid into the condition improvement fund, with outcomes expected in May 2023. Schools in Solihull Local Authority have also been provisionally allocated £989,127 in devolved formula capital to spend on their own capital priorities. Two schools in Solihull Local Authority, Arden and Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School, have been announced for inclusion for the School Rebuilding Programme, which will see transformational rebuilds or significant refurbishments at these schools.</p><p>The Department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support Local Authorities provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools, and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools. Solihull will receive just over £7.8 million for places needed for 2026. This takes Solihull’s total funding allocated between 2011 and 2026 to just over £41.2 million.</p><p>Solihull has also been allocated a total of just under £6.3 million through High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) for financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. This funding will help the Local Authority to create new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision. Prior to that, the Local Authority received just under £1.1 million through its 2021/22 HNPCA funding announced in April 2021. It is for the Local Authority to determine how to best use their HNPCA funding to address their local priorities, and they can work with any school in their area to do so.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/04/2023 13:39:26 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight

1609851

registered interest
date	14/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Postgraduate Education: Languages
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will provide additional support for people studying for a languages PGCE who will not qualify for the higher bursary available to those starting in September this year.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	179984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/04/2023 answer text <p>The Department is providing a £15,000 tax free bursary for language trainees who have started initial teacher training (ITT) courses in the 2022/23 academic year. The Department reviews bursaries each year before deciding the amount for trainees starting ITT the following academic year. This review assesses several factors, including historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject.</p><p>The final bursary amount is communicated to candidates considering ITT, so that they are aware before they apply to, and start their ITT course. As the bursaries are designed to incentivise applications to specific ITT courses, they cannot be awarded retrospectively to trainees who were not eligible when they applied.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/04/2023 15:10:31 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan