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1243421

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Computers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of children in England without a laptop or tablet.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	103485
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2020 answer text <p>The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have had online access, as part of over £160 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.</p><p>The Department is now supplementing this support by making an additional 250,000 laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection.</p><p>The laptops and tablets are an injection of support to help local authorities and academy trusts to provide access to remote education and online social care services during the COVID-19 restriction period.</p><p>The Department arrived at an allocated number of devices by estimating how many pupils are without access to a device. The Department did this by combining data on the number of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in each school, with an assumption that some pupils’ needs will be met by the devices provided by the schools. The Department used the BESA ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and pupils.</p><p>The Department has published data about the delivery of laptops and tablets, which can be viewed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/laptops and tablets_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 103486 103487 question first answered 20/10/2020 12:49:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1243422

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Computers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by what date his Department completed distribution of all laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to eligible pupils during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	103486
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2020 answer text <p>The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have had online access, as part of over £160 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.</p><p>The Department is now supplementing this support by making an additional 250,000 laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection.</p><p>The laptops and tablets are an injection of support to help local authorities and academy trusts to provide access to remote education and online social care services during the COVID-19 restriction period.</p><p>The Department arrived at an allocated number of devices by estimating how many pupils are without access to a device. The Department did this by combining data on the number of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in each school, with an assumption that some pupils’ needs will be met by the devices provided by the schools. The Department used the BESA ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and pupils.</p><p>The Department has published data about the delivery of laptops and tablets, which can be viewed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/laptops and tablets_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 103485 103487 question first answered 20/10/2020 12:49:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1243423

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Computers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops, tablets and 4G routers the Government has distributed to eligible pupils during the coronavirus outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	103487
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2020 answer text <p>The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have had online access, as part of over £160 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.</p><p>The Department is now supplementing this support by making an additional 250,000 laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection.</p><p>The laptops and tablets are an injection of support to help local authorities and academy trusts to provide access to remote education and online social care services during the COVID-19 restriction period.</p><p>The Department arrived at an allocated number of devices by estimating how many pupils are without access to a device. The Department did this by combining data on the number of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in each school, with an assumption that some pupils’ needs will be met by the devices provided by the schools. The Department used the BESA ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and pupils.</p><p>The Department has published data about the delivery of laptops and tablets, which can be viewed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/laptops and tablets_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 103485 103486 question first answered 20/10/2020 12:49:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

786194

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2017
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Grammar Schools
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what day she plans to respond to the Fourth Report of the Education Committee, Evidence check: Grammar Schools, Session 2016-17, HC 780.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	111925
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2017 answer text <p>We will provide a response to the Education Committee’s report in due course.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 13/11/2017 17:15:46 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1250986

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pupil Exclusions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to minimise the (a) incidences and (b) effect of pupil exclusion from school.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	114146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>It is important that all schools should be calm and disciplined environments within which pupils feel happy and able to fulfil their potential, free from low-level disruption.</p><p>The Department supports head teachers using exclusion where warranted. It is clear that there is no right number of exclusions, and permanent exclusion should only be used as a last resort. Exclusion from school should not mean exclusion from high quality education.</p><p>The Department is pursuing an ambitious programme of work on school behaviour and to rapidly improve the availability of good alternative provision. This will ensure that permanently excluded children, and children at risk of exclusion, receive high-quality education and support suited to their individual needs. This includes a £10 million investment in behaviour hubs, which will enable schools and multi-academy trusts with exemplary behaviour cultures and practices to work in partnership with those that want to improve their behaviour culture. The Department is also working with Ofsted to eliminate off-rolling.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/11/2020 14:56:40 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1252739

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Remote Education: ICT
	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 support 16-19 year-olds with digital access to learning to ensure they can continue their education in the event that they are not in school.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	116462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2020 answer text <p>Young people aged 16 to 19 without suitable laptops and tablets for education may be eligible for support through the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. Providers make decisions as to who receives bursary funding, based on their own criteria. More information on support for 16 to 19 year olds can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students</a>.</p><p>Where further education colleges are supplementing their on-site education with online education, the Department’s guidance asks colleges and other further education institutions to preserve provision on-site for all students who need it. This includes students without access to devices or connectivity at home.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 25/11/2020 12:56:13 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1253427

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Music: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the evidence base if for the decision to allow face-to-face private music lessons in students' homes, if there is no other viable option, or in school settings, outside of the school day, but not to allow face-to-face private music lessons in music teachers' homes during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	117237
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2020 answer text <p>Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government has listened carefully to the views of the scientific community, the information from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-groups when taking decisions on the best way to tackle the outbreak. Data and scientific advice informing the fight against COVID-19 are published on GOV.UK and specific relevant findings are shared in presentations accompanying significant policy announcements.</p><p> </p><p>As outlined in the guidance for education and childcare settings on new national restrictions from 5 November, music lessons in music teachers' homes are permitted during the national restrictions but only if online lessons are not reasonably possible. The guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020#ooss</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Music teachers who are operating out of their own homes or private studios, should ensure they are only being accessed for face to face provision by parents if their primary purpose is registered childcare, or where they are providing other activities for children, where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work or search for work, or to undertake training or education, or for the purposes of respite care.</p><p> </p><p>Out of school activities, including private tuition, that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education may also continue to operate for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions.</p><p> </p><p>Tutors that continue to operate face to face provision during this period should continue to undertake risk assessments and implement the system of controls set out in the protective measures for holiday clubs and after-school clubs and other out-of-school clubs for children during the COVID-19 outbreak guidance, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak</a>. Providers operating out of other people’s homes should also implement the guidance on working safely in other people’s homes, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/homes</a>.</p><p> </p><p>All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes and that can offer remote education, should close for face to face provision for the duration of the national restrictions. This will minimise the amount of mixing between different groups of people and therefore reduce the risk of infection and transmission of COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 27/11/2020 16:03:45 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1257606

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCSE: English Language
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils did not achieve a grade 4 or above in GCSE English in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	124164
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2020 answer text <p>The Department publishes the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4[1] who achieved the English and maths pillars of the English Baccalaureate[2]<sup>,</sup>[3]. The attached table shows the percentage of pupils who did not achieve Ebacc pillars for English and Maths for each of the last 3 years.</p><p>The cancellation of the summer 2020 GCSE exams and the substantially changed method for awarding GCSE grades has impacted greatly on the results. Comparisons with earlier years are not recommended for the purposes of measuring changes in underlying pupil performance.</p><p>[1] Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.</p><p>[2] All State-funded schools include local authority maintained mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14 to 16 year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision.</p><p>[3] Link to published data: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 124165 question first answered 07/12/2020 16:04:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb attachment 1 file name 124164 124165_table_showing_proportion_of_students_not_achieving_English_and_Maths_Ebacc.pdf title 124164 124165 table
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1257607

	registered interest
	date	02/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	GCSE: Mathematics
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of pupils did not achieve a grade 4 or above in GCSE Maths in (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19 and (c) 2019-20.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	124165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2020 answer text <p>The Department publishes the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4[1] who achieved the English and maths pillars of the English Baccalaureate[2]<sup>,</sup>[3]. The attached table shows the percentage of pupils who did not achieve Ebacc pillars for English and Maths for each of the last 3 years.</p><p>The cancellation of the summer 2020 GCSE exams and the substantially changed method for awarding GCSE grades has impacted greatly on the results. Comparisons with earlier years are not recommended for the purposes of measuring changes in underlying pupil performance.</p><p>[1] Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.</p><p>[2] All State-funded schools include local authority maintained mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14 to 16 year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision.</p><p>[3] Link to published data: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 124164 question first answered 07/12/2020 16:04:06 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb attachment 1 file name 124164 124165_table_showing_proportion_of_students_not_achieving_English_and_Maths_Ebacc.pdf title 124164 124165 table
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1258336

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Disadvantaged
	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 estimate private device ownership to inform its allocation of devices to support disadvantaged children in the 2020-21 academic year.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	124721
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2020 answer text <p>The Department has based allocations on estimates of children in years 3 to 11 without a device. The Department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals, which was effectively equivalent to the estimate of children without private devices, and external estimates of the number of devices that schools already own.</p><p>Schools, local authorities and academy trusts can request additional devices if their allocation from the Department does not meet their needs. These requests can be submitted to <a href="mailto:covid.technology@educationg.gov.uk" target="_blank">covid.technology@educationg.gov.uk</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 11/12/2020 14:01:00 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon