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1127747

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Languages: GCSE
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the difficulty in obtaining top grades in exams on the number of students choosing to study a foreign language at GCSE.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	257044
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department is aware that many factors can influence a student’s decision to study languages at GCSE level. As the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessment in England, Ofqual takes claims of grading severity in modern foreign languages (MFL) seriously. Ofqual is currently conducting a comprehensive review of grading standards in GCSE French, German and Spanish to see if there is a compelling case for an adjustment to grading standards in these subjects. Ofqual’s review will consider statistical evidence, contextual data including trends in the numbers taking these subjects, and the quality of students’ work through looking at how GCSE grades relate to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Ofqual is also gathering the views of subject experts and other stakeholders and is due to report on this work in autumn 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The Department wants to see more pupils taking a language GCSE. We are supporting schools to increase the number of pupils taking GCSEs in languages through several programmes including, the £4.8 million MFL pedagogy programme, an undergraduate digi-mentoring scheme, the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme, and targeted communications activity at key points in the school year to challenge misconceptions about studying languages.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 04/06/2019 07:39:28 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1127748

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	English Baccalaureate
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to ensure that grades awarded for EBaccs are comparable across all subjects.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	257045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. ​​</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 04/06/2019 07:40:39 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1127461

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Further Education: Domestic Visits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) he and (b) any Ministers in his Department visited a further education college on or between 13 and 17 May 2019.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	256317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and ministers in the department did not visit a further education college on the dates of 13 and 17 May 2019 or between these dates.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 23/05/2019 11:22:13 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1127542

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Pollution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department took to alert (a) schools and (b) nurseries to pollution episodes in England during April 2019.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	256345
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Outdoor air quality is a responsibility of local authorities. The Department does not currently monitor air quality in schools, nurseries or other educational institutions. Where there are concerns about air quality, a local authority must prepare an air quality action plan. The Department has recently published ‘Building Bulletin 101 Ventilation of School Buildings’, which provides guidance on achieving good indoor air quality in new and refurbished schools.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 256346 256347 question first answered 23/05/2019 13:59:45 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1127543

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Pollution
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 protect children in (a) schools and (b) nurseries from pollution episodes.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	256346
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Outdoor air quality is a responsibility of local authorities. The Department does not currently monitor air quality in schools, nurseries or other educational institutions. Where there are concerns about air quality, a local authority must prepare an air quality action plan. The Department has recently published ‘Building Bulletin 101 Ventilation of School Buildings’, which provides guidance on achieving good indoor air quality in new and refurbished schools.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 256345 256347 question first answered 23/05/2019 13:59:45 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1127599

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students have died by suicide at each UK university in each of the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	256292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Mental health is a priority for this government, which is why we continue to work closely with Universities UK (UUK) on embedding the Step Change programme within the sector. Step Change calls on higher education (HE) leaders to adopt mental health as a strategic priority and adopt a whole-institution approach to mental health, embedding it across all policies, cultures, curricula and practice.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the government actively backs the introduction of a sector-led University Mental Health Charter, launched in June 2018. This will drive up standards in promoting student and staff mental health and wellbeing. It will invite universities to meet high standards of practice, including in areas such as leadership, early intervention and data collection.</p><p> </p><p>HE institutions (HEI) have legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support students, including those with mental health conditions. It is for HEIs to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer that support.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested is not held centrally regarding student suicide. However, in June 2018, the Office for National Statistics released experimental statistics estimating suicide among higher education students in England and Wales which can be found following this link: <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/estimatingsuicideamonghighereducationstudentsenglandandwalesexperimentalstatistics/2018-06-25" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/estimatingsuicideamonghighereducationstudentsenglandandwalesexperimentalstatistics/2018-06-25</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government has worked with UUK, the Office for Students, and other stakeholders to develop guidance on measures to help prevent suicide and deal sensitively with issues that may arise when tragedy does occur. This guidance was published in September 2018, ahead of the 2018/19 academic year.</p><p> </p><p>As independent and autonomous bodies, HEIs are responsible for decisions regarding required training for their staff and have a duty of care to their staff, like all employers, as well as to their students.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore grouped question UIN 256293 256294 question first answered 23/05/2019 10:14:17 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1127601

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training in health and wellbeing is required of university lecturers.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	256294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Mental health is a priority for this government, which is why we continue to work closely with Universities UK (UUK) on embedding the Step Change programme within the sector. Step Change calls on higher education (HE) leaders to adopt mental health as a strategic priority and adopt a whole-institution approach to mental health, embedding it across all policies, cultures, curricula and practice.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the government actively backs the introduction of a sector-led University Mental Health Charter, launched in June 2018. This will drive up standards in promoting student and staff mental health and wellbeing. It will invite universities to meet high standards of practice, including in areas such as leadership, early intervention and data collection.</p><p> </p><p>HE institutions (HEI) have legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support students, including those with mental health conditions. It is for HEIs to determine what welfare and counselling services they need to provide to their students to offer that support.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested is not held centrally regarding student suicide. However, in June 2018, the Office for National Statistics released experimental statistics estimating suicide among higher education students in England and Wales which can be found following this link: <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/estimatingsuicideamonghighereducationstudentsenglandandwalesexperimentalstatistics/2018-06-25" target="_blank">https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/estimatingsuicideamonghighereducationstudentsenglandandwalesexperimentalstatistics/2018-06-25</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government has worked with UUK, the Office for Students, and other stakeholders to develop guidance on measures to help prevent suicide and deal sensitively with issues that may arise when tragedy does occur. This guidance was published in September 2018, ahead of the 2018/19 academic year.</p><p> </p><p>As independent and autonomous bodies, HEIs are responsible for decisions regarding required training for their staff and have a duty of care to their staff, like all employers, as well as to their students.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore grouped question UIN 256292 256293 question first answered 23/05/2019 10:14:17 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1127629

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Food Banks
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of schools in England and Wales that have opened foodbanks on their premises.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	256239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally. The department does not collect information on the number of schools in England and Wales that have opened foodbanks on their premises.</p><p>We know that the reasons for people using food banks are varied and many. We will continue to reform the welfare system so that it encourages work whilst supporting those who need help – an approach that is based on clear evidence that work offers families the best opportunity to get out of poverty. This government continues to spend over £95 billion a year on working age welfare benefits for those who need them.</p><p>The provision of a healthy meal for children from households who are out of work or on low incomes is of the upmost importance to the government. We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals (FSM), and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. Over 1.1million of the most disadvantaged children are eligible for and claiming FSM, this saves families hundreds of pounds each year.</p><p>We have recently announced an additional £9.1 million will be spent ensuring the most disadvantaged children in 11 local authority areas will benefit from healthy food and enriching activities in the 2019 summer holidays. My department is also investing up to £26 million to the National Schools Breakfast Programme, to kick-start or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 schools in the most disadvantaged areas of the country.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/05/2019 11:40:11 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1127643

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Disclosure of Information
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 whistleblowing policies throughout academy trusts.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	256304
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trust accountability is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook.</p><p> </p><p>The Academies Financial Handbook requires that all academy trusts have appropriate whistleblowing procedures in place. Academy trusts must also ensure that all concerns raised with them by whistleblowers are responded to properly and fairly. Whistleblowers can also report allegations of fraud or financial irregularity to the ESFA. The ESFA has published guidance about how to report such allegations, the actions the ESFA will take when it receives an allegation and the rights of whistleblowers.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256305 question first answered 23/05/2019 11:46:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1127644

registered interest
date	20/05/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure staff working for academy trusts can raise concerns about schools' governance.
tabling member constituency	Wirral South
tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
uin	256305
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trust accountability is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook.</p><p> </p><p>The Academies Financial Handbook requires that all academy trusts have appropriate whistleblowing procedures in place. Academy trusts must also ensure that all concerns raised with them by whistleblowers are responded to properly and fairly. Whistleblowers can also report allegations of fraud or financial irregularity to the ESFA. The ESFA has published guidance about how to report such allegations, the actions the ESFA will take when it receives an allegation and the rights of whistleblowers.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256304 question first answered 23/05/2019 11:46:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern