The government recognises a key part of raising the standard of education for all children is to ensure they receive a good level of development in literacy and numeracy before they start school. The government has taken the following steps to ensure children are developing good early language skills before they reach primary school:<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the prime areas of learning which early years providers must follow. This includes a focus on communication and language. The Early Years Foundation Stage requires providers to understand the needs of every child and support them as necessary to make progress. The Early Years Foundation stage is available online at:<\/p>
<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The numeracy and literacy skills of staff working with our youngest children are key to supporting children\u2019s progression. We have improved early years qualifications and encouraged high-quality entrants with good numeracy and literacy skills into the profession through setting clear criteria for level 3 training courses and introducing early years initial teacher training.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The government has invested over £50 million funding through the Early Years Pupil premium, an additional £5.3 million to sector organisations under the VCS grants and a one off grant of £5 million to teaching schools and their childcare provider partners to support staff development. Many of the projects funded through departmental grants are supporting staff to develop strong pedagogical approaches to language development and early literacy.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3980", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Surrey"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Sam Gyimah"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-16T14:12:34.183Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pre-school Education"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children develop good early language skills before they reach primary school.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "9973"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418412", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418412/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " All local authorities in England have a legal duty to ensure all three- and four-year-olds and the most disadvantaged two-year-olds are able to take up a funded early education place free of charge. Each eligible child is entitled to 570 hours of free early learning a year, equivalent to 15 hours a week of early education for 38 weeks per year. Settings delivering the funded early education entitlement are subject to inspection by Ofsted.<\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> The early years pupil premium, which was introduced in April this year, provides nurseries and schools delivering the early education entitlement for three- and four-year-old children with an extra 53p an hour for each eligible child to help them raise the quality of their setting and so close the gap in school readiness between disadvantaged children and their peers. The Government has made £50 million available for the early years pupil premium in 2015-16.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3980", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Surrey"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Sam Gyimah"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-16T14:15:00.547Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Childcare: Disadvantaged"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that disadvantaged children have access to good quality childcare.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4122", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alex Cunningham"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stockton North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alex Cunningham"}
], "uin" : "9974"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418413", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418413/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Ministers have considered the latest evidence on the effective deployment and professional development of teaching assistants, together with a summary of the call for evidence and the draft teaching assistant standards submitted by the expert panel.<\/p> <\/p> In the light of this evidence, the Government believes that schools are best placed to decide how they use and deploy teaching assistants, and to set standards for the teaching assistants they employ. The Secretary of State has therefore decided not to publish the draft standards.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-10-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418413/answer/previousversion/21854", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/111", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nick Gibb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bognor Regis and Littlehampton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Nick Gibb"}
}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-10-07T09:40:42.227Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Classroom Assistants"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the findings of her Department's review into the status and professionalism of teaching assistants announced in October 2014.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1400", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Brennan"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cardiff West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kevin Brennan"}
], "uin" : "10004"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418414", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418414/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Only one school within the relevant areas is currently in special measures; the University of Chester Academy Northwich.<\/p> <\/p> The recent Ofsted monitoring inspections of 4 March 2015 and 10 June 2015, both found the school to be making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1605", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Timpson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crewe and Nantwich"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Edward Timpson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-21T09:21:30.343Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Schools: Cheshire West and Chester"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the current status is of schools placed in special measures in (a) Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency and (b) Cheshire West and Chester local authority area.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4418", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Madders"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ellesmere Port and Neston"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Justin Madders"}
], "uin" : "10014"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418415", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418415/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Education is a devolved power; as such, this reply concerns schools in England only.<\/p> <\/p> It is for schools to tailor their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme to reflect the needs of their pupils. We expect teachers to understand how best to create a safe environment for PSHE, so that pupils feel able to discuss and reflect on issues that are important to them. We have provided funding to the PSHE Association to work with schools to advise them in developing their own PSHE curriculum and improve the quality of teaching. This includes signposting schools to high-quality resources.<\/p> <\/p> Department for Education guidance on promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils states that pupils must be encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. The guidance for schools is found online at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc<\/a><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1605", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Timpson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crewe and Nantwich"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Edward Timpson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2015-09-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2015-09-21T09:02:31.317Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2015-09-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure pupils are able to share information about their backgrounds and cultures as part of personal, social and health education.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4131", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim Shannon"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Strangford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim Shannon"}
], "uin" : "10019"}
], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 5, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]}
}