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1077590

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment
	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 support visually impaired students to (a) study and (b) live independently in higher education.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	226070
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2019 answer text <p>Higher Education providers have legal responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support disabled students, including those with visual impairments, for example, by making reasonable adjustments. The responsibility to support students should include communicating what support and services are available. Alongside this, eligible students can receive support through Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), which can help with the costs of additional learning-related equipment, personal support and travel disabled students may incur. Visually impaired students eligible for DSAs receive specialist professional support, for example in making the best use of specialist equipment and in modifying learning materials into accessible formats.</p><p>I recently met organisations who represent visually impaired students, and agreed that the department will work with them to ensure the support available through DSAs continues to enable visually impaired students to participate fully in higher education.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 05/03/2019 11:26:30 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1091368

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Opening Hours
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has he made of the number of schools closing early as a result of a lack of resources.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	234119
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2019 answer text <p>Information on when schools finish their school day is not held centrally.</p><p>All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year. They cannot reduce the length of the school week if this would take the total number of sessions below that.</p><p>All schools have the autonomy to decide the structure and duration of their school day, which includes the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. Where schools use this flexibility, they should take into account local circumstances and the needs of their students and staff.</p><p>In the event that a school decides to make changes to its school day the Department would encourage them to do this in consultation with parents. It is the Department’s expectation that the school should act reasonably when making such decisions; giving parents notice and considering the impacts on those affected.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/03/2019 13:00:30 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1091061

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Counselling
	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 counselling services provided in schools in (a) England and (b) Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	233483
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2019 answer text <p>The Department recognises that school based counselling by well-qualified practitioners can play an effective role as part of a whole school approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. It is for schools to decide what support to put in place based on the particular needs of their pupils.</p><p>The Department has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of counselling services provided in schools. However, the Department's nationally representative survey of school provision published in 2017 indicated that 61% of schools offer counselling services, with 84% of secondary schools providing their pupils with access to counselling support.[1] To support schools to provide counselling, the Government has provided advice on how to deliver high quality school-based counselling.[2]</p><p>The Government is introducing new mental health support teams to provide additional support linked to groups of schools and colleges. The first teams are being set up in 25 areas of the country this year. The aim is for these teams to work together with existing provision, including school-based counselling. The Government will evaluate their introduction to ensure that they do not displace existing provision.</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634726/Supporting_Mental-Health_survey_report.pdf" target="_blank">Supporting Mental Health in Schools and Colleges (2017)</a>.</p><p>[2] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 21/03/2019 16:40:07 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1064411

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupils: Hearing Impairment
	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 the adequacy of support for deaf schoolchildren in mainstream schools.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	223936
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>I am determined that all children and young people, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, receive the support they need to achieve the success they deserve.</p><p>94% of pupils identified with hearing impairment as their primary type of need in January 2018 were in a state-funded mainstream school. It is therefore important that teachers in mainstream schools, as well as those in specialist settings, are equipped with the knowledge and skill to support their individual pupils, including those with a hearing impairment, to achieve their potential.</p><p>In April 2018 the Whole School special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consortium, led by nasen, were awarded £3.4 million for 2018-2020 to deliver a programme of work to equip the school workforce to deliver high quality teaching across all types of SEND, including hearing impairment. The programme of work aims to help schools identify and meet SEND training needs and build the specialist workforce. We are also reviewing the learning outcomes of specialist SEND qualifications, including the mandatory qualifications for teachers of classes with hearing impairment, to ensure they reflect the changing needs of the education system.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 16:00:57 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104202 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1082366

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Higher Education
	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 help halt the decline in people studying modern languages at university.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	228655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2019 answer text <p>The institutional autonomy of English Higher Education (HE) providers is protected by the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. This includes autonomy over which courses to offer and which students to admit. The role of government is to create the right conditions and incentives so that HE providers are able to help respond to our economic and strategic priorities. We also want to enable students to make informed choices, and for student demand to influence the decisions providers make on what to offer.</p><p>In England, we agree that learning foreign language is important and believe that building the skills and demand for degree courses starts in schools. That is why we are taking a number of steps to support schools in encouraging uptake of language qualifications.</p><p>This includes:</p><ul><li>Introducing the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure in 2010 to halt the decline in the number of pupils taking GCSEs in the core academic subjects. The reformed national curriculum now makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in key stage 2.</li><li>Promoting the value of language qualifications to students who are choosing their GCSEs and to their parents. We recently published and promoted a guidance leaflet for parents, which explains why studying a language, as part of the EBacc, broadens opportunities in both education and employment. Additionally, in February we drew attention to the benefits of studying a language among 13-14 year olds through a social media campaign.</li><li>Supporting schools to increase languages take up through the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme and through a £4.8 million modern foreign languages pedagogy pilot programme, which will improve uptake and attainment in languages at key stages 3 to 4, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.</li></ul> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 13/03/2019 16:56:43 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1054763

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Human Trafficking: Children
	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 (a) ensure that social workers are adequately trained to respond to cases of trafficked children that subsequently go missing and (b) improve the recording and reporting practices by local authorities on trafficked children.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	216148
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>On 1 November 2017, the government published revised and expanded statutory guidance for local authorities on the care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery, which sets out the training and awareness requirements for all those involved in the care of these vulnerable children. This guidance is available to social workers along with the statutory guidance on children who go missing from care, and practice guidance on children who may have been trafficked. Local authorities are best placed to then ensure that social workers receive the training they need to meet the needs of children locally.</p><p>The Modern Slavery Act 2015 introduced a duty to local authorities to refer all child victims of trafficking or modern slavery into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the UK’s system for identify and supporting victims. A referral into this system enables accurate recording and reporting by the Home Office on a quarterly basis. As part of NRM reform the government is conducting a review of how first responders should be trained. This will include understanding how to support all first responders in making these referrals which will support improved recording and reporting.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 07/02/2019 17:15:35 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1035008

	registered interest
	date	04/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Foster Care: Care Leavers
	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 implications for his policies of the recommendation in the Staying put: an unfulfilled promise, published by the Fostering Network in November 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	205212
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>‘Staying Put’ has helped thousands of care leavers to transition more smoothly from care to living independently. It provides continuity of relationships and care arrangements, enabling care leavers to benefit from a stable and secure family setting, and to prepare for independence at a more gradual pace, rather than facing a ‘cliff-edge’ at age 18.</p><p>The government keeps the Staying Put policy under constant review, including through monitoring data from local authorities on take-up by young people, engagement with the sector, and reviewing information from Ofsted inspections of local authorities. Staying Put was also considered as part of the independent fostering review undertaken by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers, published in February 2018.</p><p>The latest data show that increasing numbers of care leavers are living in Staying Put arrangements. In the year ending March 2018, 55% of 18-year-olds chose to Stay Put, which is an increase of 4% on 2017. Furthermore, the data show that 31% of 19-year-olds, and 26% of 20-year-olds were still living with their former foster carers, which represent increases on the previous year.</p><p>In 2018 to 2019 the government provided £23.3 million to local authorities to implement Staying Put, with a further £23.77 million committed for 2019 to 2020. Decisions on funding beyond March 2020 will be subject to the outcome of the next Spending Review.</p><p>The government does not believe that introducing a national minimum allowance for Staying Put carers is the right way forward. Unlike children in foster care, young people in Staying Put arrangements are adults, and may be in work or claiming benefits. These financial sources can be used to contribute to the cost of providing the Staying Put arrangement, in a similar way that young people who are still living at home with their parents may contribute to the costs of running the household.</p><p>The government does not believe a foster carer’s approval should automatically lapse after 12 months if they are a Staying Put carer. We will communicate this message to the sector.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 14/01/2019 17:48:00 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1058953

	registered interest
	date	11/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	First Aid: Curriculum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans for all secondary school students to receive compulsory first aid training, resulting in a formal qualification.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	219333
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>The draft guidance for the new subjects of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education is currently being finalised following the public consultation that closed in November 2018.</p><p>The Department has set out in the draft statutory guidance that health education should cover first aid and emergency lifesaving. Schools will have flexibility to determine how the content is taught, including options to work with expert organisations such as the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross, that offer a range of specialist lesson plans, some of which may result in a recognised qualification.</p><p>Subject to making the regulations, schools will be required to teach the new subjects from September 2020, but they will be encouraged and supported to start teaching them from September 2019 on a voluntary basis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 14/02/2019 16:25:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1056740

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Erasmus+ Programme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the UK remains part of the Erasmus programme after 29 March 2019.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	218221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK government has repeatedly made clear that it values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain, and we believe that the UK and European countries should continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from each other’s world leading universities post-exit.</p><p>In the event that there is no agreement between the UK and the EU on the Withdrawal Agreement – a “no deal” scenario - it is clearly in the interests of both parties to agree how we can ensure that mobilities and projects can be managed smoothly to completion. This will provide clarity and reassurance for both UK and EU students and institutions.</p><p>The government’s guarantee will cover the payment of awards to UK applicants for all successful Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps bids submitted before the end of 2020. Successful bids are those that are approved directly by the European Commission or by the UK National Agency and ratified by the European Commission.</p><p>To provide more clarity, we published a new technical notice at the end of January, which provides detailed guidance to organisations and students on the UK’s anticipated participation in the current Erasmus+ programme (2014 to 2020) in the event of no deal. You can read this here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/erasmus-in-the-uk-if-theres-no-brexit-deal</a> .</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 12/02/2019 15:39:32 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1022956

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2018
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	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 correlation between deprivation and demand for children’s services.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	200581
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>Demand for children’s services is associated with a number of factors, including deprivation. The most deprived local authorities (LAs) have more looked after children (per 10,000 17 year olds), and these rates have grown faster than the least deprived LAs.</p><p>In preparation for the Spending Review, to help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a sharper and more granular picture of demand for children’s services.</p><p>We are also working with Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Government’s Fair Funding Review of relative needs and resources, where new, up-to-date formulas are being developed to ensure funding distribution to councils is based on the best available evidence.</p><p>We welcome the contributions from the sector in this area, including Newton Europe’s Making Sense (2018) report and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services' continuing research reports, Safeguarding Pressures (2018).</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 13/12/2018 14:41:48 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly