The government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the length of school break times on obesity, academic performance or children\u2019s social lives. Schools have the autonomy to make decisions about the structure and duration of their school day to suit their own circumstances. However, the department is clear that pupils should be given an appropriate break and expects school leaders to make sure this happens.<\/p>
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The government recognises the importance of physical activity in schools to improve physical and mental wellbeing and support attainment. That is why our Childhood Obesity strategy reflects the Chief Medical Officer\u2019s guidelines that primary age children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day and the aim that 30 minutes of that should be during the school day.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4689", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Agnew of Oulton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-22T15:39:32.723Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "School Day"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the report by the UCL Institute of Education School break times and young people\u2019s social lives: A follow-up national study, published in May, what assessment they have made of the impact of shortening school break times on (1) childhood obesity, (2) academic performance, and (3) children\u2019s social lives; and what steps they are taking to address any such impact.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/457", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Pendry"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Pendry"} ], "uin" : "HL15737"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126721", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1126721/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The current national curriculum programmes of study for history, which have been taught since September 2014, set the framework for the teaching of the subject in maintained schools in terms of the broad time periods and themes to be taught. Academies may design and follow their own curricula.<\/p>
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The government does not specify what the content of lessons on particular topics should be or how teachers should present information. We trust teachers, as professionals, to plan their own lessons and select their own resources.<\/p>
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However, the curriculum does aim to make sure that pupils know and understand how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world. Therefore, Empire and colonialism is a significant theme, and a suggested topic within the \u2018challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day\u2019 theme is \u2018Indian independence and end of Empire\u2019.<\/p>
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Programmes of study also require at least one study of a significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments. While not mandatory, a suggested topic is \u2018China\u2019s Qing dynasty 1644-1911\u2019, which encompasses the period within which the Opium Wars took place.<\/p>
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<\/p><\/td> | 2017/18[5]<\/p><\/td> | 2016/17<\/p><\/td> | 2015/16<\/p><\/td> | 2014/15<\/p><\/td> | 2013/14<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||||||
Number of mainstream schools<\/p><\/td> | 3,175<\/p><\/td> | 3,153<\/p><\/td> | 3,113<\/p><\/td> | 3,069<\/p><\/td> | 3,037<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||||||
Percentage of mainstream schools<\/p><\/td> | 95<\/p><\/td> | 97<\/p><\/td> | 99<\/p><\/td> | 99<\/p><\/td> | 99<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | ||||||||||||||
with at least one pupil entering<\/p><\/td><\/tr> | |||||||||||||||||||
a non-GCSE qualification (%)<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> <\/p> The percentage of mainstream school pupils entering at least one non-GCSE qualification, in each of the last 5 years, is shown in the table below:<\/p>
|