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1467858

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Closures
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools closed in England in (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020 and (d) 2021.
	tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
	tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
	uin	13297
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2022 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>Calendar Year</p></td><td><p>Number of schools closed</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>26</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>This data has been taken from Get Information about Schools, the department’s register of schools[1]. The data shows all types of mainstream local authority-maintained schools, academies, and free schools. The data excludes closures of schools where they become an academy as a result of intervention following an inadequate Ofsted judgement or acquire a new unique reference number on transfer between trusts.</p><p> </p><p>There are a variety of reasons for closing a school. These include where there are surplus places elsewhere in the local area, where provision has been rationalised, for example where an infant and a junior school have been amalgamated to form a primary school, or if a school is no longer financially viable.</p><p> </p><p>The table below shows the numbers of schools that have opened between 2018 and 2021.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Calendar Year</p></td><td><p>Number of schools opened</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>92</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>58</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>24</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong><br> </strong></p><p>[1] Responsibility for updating GIAS is shared between the department, schools, and local authorities and therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 14/06/2022 15:55:45 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1402718

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National Tutoring Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of tutors engaged through the National Tutoring Programme are not fully qualified teachers.
	tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
	tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
	uin	103665
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>​​This data is not held by the department.</p><p>We will consider whether to collect this data going forward.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 18/01/2022 17:05:13 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1402719

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National Tutoring Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils have started tuition courses through the National Tutoring Partnership, by region.
	tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
	tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
	uin	103666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2022 answer text <p>​The National Tutoring Programme aims to deliver up to 2 million courses this year, and up to 90 million tuition hours by the 2024/25 academic year across the programme’s three pillars. Schools have the freedom to enrol the pupils they think could benefit most.</p><p>The programme is on course to deliver its objectives. Since September we have seen more than 300,000 courses started, almost the same number as the whole of last year. An estimated 230,000 courses have been started by pupils through the school-led tutoring pillar. An estimated 20,000 with academic mentors and an estimated 52,000 with tuition partners. A course consists of 15 tuition hours, meaning that pupils who need it most will be receiving millions of hours of high-quality support.</p><p>The department does not currently publish regional performance data. We will consider doing so going forward. We will continue to work closely with the delivery partner to ensure the tuition partner and academic mentor pillars fulfil their objectives by the end of the academic year and will publish further data for the spring and summer terms later this year.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 19/01/2022 17:47:17 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1404979

	registered interest
	date	20/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Closures
	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 close full-time unregistered schools; and if he will give Ofsted greater powers to seize evidence, search premises, and close illegal operations in relation to unregistered schools.
	tabling member constituency	Nottingham North
	tabling member printed	Alex Norris
	uin	108607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2022 answer text <p>​It is a criminal offence under Section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 to conduct an unregistered independent school. The department and Ofsted will investigate any institution where intelligence or evidence suggest that this offence is being committed. Section 97 of the act permits no-notice inspections of education providers believed to be operating as an unregistered independent school.</p><p>​Between 1 January 2016 and 31 August 2021, Ofsted have investigated 850 education providers. These investigations have led to 412 inspections which have resulted in the identification of 114 unregistered schools. Joint work between the department and Ofsted has led to 101 of these providers changing their provision to cease operating unlawfully. In addition, since 2016, 6 successful prosecutions have been brought against groups responsible for operating illegal education providers. <br> <br> The department has made public commitments to take forward measures to make it easier for Ofsted to investigate and gather evidence of breaches of section 96 of the Act and prosecute those responsible for running unregistered schools. These changes are intended to lead to the identification of greater numbers of unregistered schools. Such measures will be taken forward when a suitable legislative opportunity arises.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 27/01/2022 17:41:33 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4641 label Biography information for Alex Norris

1483425

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	National Curriculum Tests
	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 help ensure that SATs do not have a negative impact on the emotional wellbeing of primary school students.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
	uin	25963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2022 answer text <p>​Assessment is a crucial part of a child’s schooling and fundamental in a high-performing education system. At primary school, statutory assessments are an essential part of ensuring that all pupils master the basics of reading, writing and maths to prepare them for secondary school. Assessment data also enables parents, schools and the department to understand the impact of lost time in education and recovery initiatives.</p><p>Schools should encourage pupils to work hard and achieve well, but the department does not recommend that they devote excessive preparation time to assessments, and certainly not at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. We trust schools to administer assessments in the appropriate way.</p><p>Research conducted by UCL Institute of Education, published in 2021, found that there was ‘little evidence to changes in [pupil] wellbeing around the time of key stage 2 tests, or that children in England become happier - either in general or about school - once these tests are over’.</p><p>Nevertheless, the department knows that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and will have an impact in the longer-term. Mental health and wellbeing are a priority for the government, and we remain committed to promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges. In May 2021, the department announced an investment of over £17 million of mental health funding to improve mental health and wellbeing support in schools and colleges. This includes £9.5 million dedicated to training senior mental health leads in over 8,000 schools and colleges, with an additional £3 million announced this year to extend this training to even more schools and colleges. The training will equip leads with the skills and knowledge to develop a culture and ethos that promotes positive mental health wellbeing, as well as how to make the best use of local resources to support children and young people experiencing issues such as anxiety.</p><p>The department has also recently brought together all its sources of advice for schools and colleges into a single site on GOV.UK, which includes signposting to external sources of mental health and wellbeing support for teachers, school staff and school leaders. The site is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources</a>. ​</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 05/07/2022 15:45:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1438662

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupils: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure teachers and support staff are adequately equipped to meet the needs of school-aged children from Ukraine including support for their trauma and mental health.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	135570
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2022 answer text <p>Work is underway across government departments to address the implications of the Ukraine crises and meet the needs of Ukrainian refugees and the Ukrainian diaspora living in England.</p><p> </p><p>The government wants all children, regardless of their background, and no matter what challenges they face, to feel safe. ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) gives schools and colleges statutory guidance and best practice advice to safeguard all children in their care. This guidance enables teachers and all school staff to feel confident in supporting children and is clear on what they should do if they have any concerns about a child to enable early help and intervention.</p><p> </p><p>All schools and colleges should appoint a Designated Safeguarding Lead who takes lead responsibility for safeguarding. They act as a source of support, advice and expertise for staff, working closely with local authorities on children’s social care. Local authorities have equal and shared duty with police and health, to make arrangements to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in a local area. KCSIE and the ‘working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance are clear that safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility.</p><p> </p><p>Teachers are not mental health professionals, and Ukrainian children and their families may need ongoing support available from specialist NHS and other community services. However, education staff are well placed to observe children day-to-day and identify those whose behaviour suggests that they may be experiencing trauma or a mental health issue.</p><p> </p><p>The department has put in place a wide range of training and guidance to help education staff to understand mental health issues, including trauma and how to respond effectively. The department’s £15 million Wellbeing for Education Recovery and Return programmes provided free training, support and resources for staff dealing with children and young people experiencing additional pressures from COVID-19 or other events, including trauma, anxiety or grief. Psychological first aid e-learning training is also available for parents and carers, front line workers and volunteers supporting children and young people in emergency or crisis situations. This training is available here: <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/psychological-first-aid-for-children-and-young-people" target="_blank">https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/psychological-first-aid-for-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department’s ‘mental health and behaviour in schools’ guidance also advises how education staff can identify children in need of extra mental health support, which includes working with external agencies. This guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2</a>. As well as that, the department has published guidance and signposting to external sources of mental health and wellbeing support for teachers, school staff and school leaders, which is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges#mental-health-and-wellbeing-resources</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Senior mental health lead training grants are being provided to schools and colleges, helping them to develop effective approaches to promote and support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, backed by £9.5 million in the 2021/22 academic year. Over 8,000 schools and colleges have so far applied for a training grant, and a further £3 million to extend senior mental health leads training to even more schools and colleges was announced in February 2022. The government is also increasing the number of Mental Health Support Teams that work with groups of schools and colleges and provide early intervention for those experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues, to cover approximately 35% of pupils in England by 2023.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 15/03/2022 15:50:55 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1420445

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Religion: Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the judgment in R (Fox) v Secretary of State for Education [2015] EWHC 3404, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed reforms to sections 3 and 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 on his policies on the delivery of religious education.
	tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
	tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
	uin	119631
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2022 answer text <p>Whilst the administrative court ruled against the department in the case of R (Fox) v Secretary of State for Education, the government considered the judgment to have no broader impact on any aspect of its policy in relation to the religious education curriculum or religious studies GCSE subject content for schools, with or without a religious character.</p><p>In December 2015, the department responded to this judgment by publishing guidance for schools and awarding organisations about the religious studies GCSE, alongside the religious studies GCSE subject content, at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-religious-studies" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-religious-studies</a>.</p><p>The proposed reforms to the Human Rights Act (1998) are currently subject to a public consultation which will run until 8 March 2022. The department will make an assessment of any impact of these reforms on the delivery of religious education once they have been confirmed.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 14/02/2022 16:23:13 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

1466405

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Religion: Education
	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 the potential impact of the withdrawal element of the Education Act 1944 on (a) a child’s education in religious education lessons and (b) the expectation that schools promote mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Northampton South
	tabling member printed	Andrew Lewer
	uin	9999
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>While the department considers religious education (RE) to be an important subject, we respect parental rights and have no plans to change the right of withdrawal. Legislation gives parents the right to request withdrawing their child from all or part of a school’s RE. Parents are not required to give a reason for their requests, which must be complied with. The right of withdrawal from RE does not extend to other areas of the curriculum where religious matters are spontaneously raised by pupils or arise in other subjects such as history or citizenship.</p><p> </p><p>The department believes that the current position is correct, as it balances the rights of parents and of children.</p><p> </p><p>It is, of course, important that schools promote mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. The Education Act 2002 requires schools to ensure the Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development of all their pupils. There are many opportunities within the curriculum for schools to promote SMSC, including through RE, history, and citizenship. State-funded schools are also required to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/06/2022 10:11:30 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4659 label Biography information for Andrew Lewer

1463186

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Safety
	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 help ensure that schools are a safe environment for pupils.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton South
	tabling member printed	Matt Vickers
	uin	2704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>Well-maintained, safe buildings are essential to support high-quality education, which is why investing in the estate is a priority for the department. We have significantly improved our understanding of the condition of the school estate through the Condition Data Collection programme, which allows effective targeting of funding where it is needed most.</p><p>Local authorities, academy trusts and school governing bodies are responsible for ensuring buildings are well-maintained, safe, and compliant with relevant regulations. The department supports the sector through capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes, and providing extensive guidance and support.</p><p>The department provides annual capital funding to schools, and those responsible for school buildings, to improve and maintain the condition of the estate, based on local knowledge of building issues and priorities. Since 2015, over £13 billion of condition funding has been allocated, including £1.8 billion committed in the 2022/23 financial year.</p><p>In addition to annual capital allocations, the School Rebuilding Programme will deliver rebuilding and refurbishment projects at 500 schools over the next decade, transforming education for hundreds of thousands of pupils. The first 100 schools to benefit from the programme were announced in 2021, and the department expects to announce up to 300 more schools this year. The latest round of nominations closed in March, and responsible bodies were able to submit evidence of severe need or potential safety issues, which will be prioritised by the programme.</p><p>The department is also helping to improve practice and safe management of buildings by providing extensive guidance, advice, and tools on effective estate management, including specific safety issues, such as asbestos.</p><p>The department has also recently revised its statutory guidance, ‘keeping children safe in education’, which provides a strong safeguarding framework for schools. This guidance along with revision of the ‘searching, screening and confiscation’ guidance, and the forthcoming updated ‘behaviour in school’ guidance, will support schools to create a safe environment for pupils.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 24/05/2022 16:40:46 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	4844 label Biography information for Matt Vickers

1433794

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	British Constitution: Education
	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 help ensure that schools teach young people about the history of the British constitutional system.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	126578
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2022 answer text <p>We want all children to leave school with the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare them to be active citizens in modern Britain.</p><p>Teaching about the British constitutional system, political issues, different viewpoints and the way in which pupils can engage in our democratic society form an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum, and are covered within citizenship education. Citizenship education is mandatory in secondary maintained schools as part of the national curriculum. Primary maintained schools and all academies are encouraged to cover citizenship as part of their duty to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.</p><p>In citizenship, pupils will learn about the role of Parliament and how citizens can take part in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond. They will also learn about the role of police, courts and justice, free press, human rights and international law, as well as the governments of other countries.</p><p>Whilst we do not direct schools to teach about British veterans and the Armed Forces Covenant, schools are free to do so in the context of their citizenship curriculum. Teachers are also able to teach about Britain’s constitutional system, British veterans and the armed forces within other subjects. For instance, the history curriculum can cover political and social movements past and present, as can other subjects such as English when the context is right.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 126579 question first answered 28/02/2022 16:34:37 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell