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93536

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Missing Persons: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide help to missing children.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Huppert
uin	210779
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>In January 2014 the Department for Education published revised statutory guidance on children missing from home or care.[1] This sets out the steps that local authorities and their partners should take to prevent children going missing and to protect them when they do. The guidance is clear that within seventy hours of a missing child being found, the council should offer them an independent return interview to uncover information that will help protect children from:</p><ol><li>The risk of going missing again.</li><li>The risks they may have been exposed to while missing.</li><li>The risk factors in their home.</li></ol><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-who-run-away-or-go-missing-from-home-or-care</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 21/10/2014 16:05:07 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	3931 label Biography information for Dr Julian Huppert

93537

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Classroom Assistants: Qualifications
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that teaching assistants in schools have the correct qualifications.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	210706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003, require teaching assistants to work under the direction and supervision of a qualified teacher. This ensures that a teacher continues to provide the leading contribution to the teaching and learning.</p><p>The regulations also require headteachers to be satisfied that the teaching assistant has the appropriate skills, expertise and experience.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 22/10/2014 10:38:11 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

93538

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Secondary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that secondary education provides children with adequate skills for working life.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	210705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The abiding principle of our plan for education is that schools should do everything possible to prepare young people for life in modern Britain. Ensuring that young people are prepared for the workplace and equipped with the skills, experience and qualifications that employers want is central to this.</p><p>My Rt hon. friend the Secretary of State for Education has made clear that she wants to see improvements to the quality of careers advice and guidance available to young people, with more schools and employers working together to ensure that pupils make the transition from education into work successfully. We have issued revised statutory guidance, underpinning the duty to secure independent careers guidance, to strengthen the requirement for schools to build links with employers to inspire and mentor students. We have also asked the National Careers Service to broker those relationships where that is needed. We are keeping these changes under review and are considering what further action may be necessary.</p><p>We are linking the education system more closely to the world of work with an emphasis on learning practical skills through new Technical Awards for 14- to- 16-year-olds, and Tech Levels for 16- to- 19-year-olds, providing a high-quality vocational alternative to A levels that leads to a recognised occupation. The introduction of Study Programmes for all 16- to- 19-year-olds is also expanding the provision of genuine work experience and work-related learning for all post-16 students. We have invested in new apprenticeships and introduced traineeships to give young people the skills and experience they need to compete successfully for a job.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 22/10/2014 13:00:01 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

93540

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupil Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of how many infant pupils (a) are eligible to receive pupil premium and (b) have been registered to receive pupil premium in the school year 2014-15.
tabling member constituency	North Devon
tabling member printed	Sir Nick Harvey
uin	210677
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Pupil premium funding is allocated to state-funded schools for each financial year rather than by school year, primarily on the basis of the number of pupils recorded in the January school census as having been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years. A smaller proportion of pupils attract the pupil premium on the basis of being looked after, or having left care through adoption or under a Special Guardianship, Residence or Child Arrangements Order.</p><p>The Department for Education has published illustrative pupil premium funding allocations for the financial year 2014-15, based on census data from 2013. Final allocations for 2014-15 will be published later in the year, based on pupil data gathered through the January 2014 school census and the spring 2014 children looked after data return (and also the October 2014 school census, for adopted and other previously looked after pupils who were not recorded as such in the January 2014 school census).</p><p>From the data on which the published illustrative allocations for 2014-15 are based, the Department estimates that 430,350 pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 will attract pupil premium funding on the basis of having been registered for FSM at any point in the last 6 years.</p><p>Pupil premium final allocations for the financial year 2015-16 will be based on pupil data gathered through the forthcoming January 2015 school census and the spring 2015 children looked after data return. Final allocations for 2015-16 will be published towards the end of 2015. To ensure we have the best estimates, we are working with primary schools and local authorities so that registration rates for benefits-related FSM are maintained for pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 classes.</p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 21/10/2014 13:46:51 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
tabling member	231 label Biography information for Sir Nick Harvey

93541

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Standards
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure greater consistency in educational outcomes (a) from each stage of provision and (b) across all regions.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	210718
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>This Government has introduced an ambitious, coherent programme of reforms to ensure greater consistency in educational outcomes across all stages and regions in England.</p><p>We are reforming assessment and the curriculum across the primary and secondary phases and general and vocational qualifications to ensure we have a system that prepares young people for life in modern Britain. We are reforming GCSEs and A levels to be robust and rigorous, to match the best education systems in the world and to keep pace with universities’ and employers’ demands. The new national curriculum, introduced from this school year, also sets out expectations for children at all four key stages that match the curricula used in the world’s most successful school systems.</p><p>We are improving the accountability framework to improve standards across the country. In addition, Ofsted has implemented a more rigorous inspection framework, with performance data being used to target inspections on the weakest schools and a recognition that any school rated less than ‘good' is not performing well enough.</p><p>Some schools are still not performing well enough. We issued revised statutory guidance[1] to local authorities in May that makes very clear our expectations that they should take swift and robust action when maintained schools are performing poorly. This includes our expectation that their assessment should include the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and that poorly performing schools should become sponsored academies.</p><p>In addition, the academies and free schools programmes are shifting power and responsibility to leaders of education, giving schools greater autonomy to drive improvements, within a strong framework of accountability. The growth in sponsored academies is raising standards by turning around some of the most disadvantaged and worst performing schools in the country. Increasingly, high performing schools are taking the lead as sponsors, sharing their expertise and experience to benefit others.</p><p>Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible for overseeing the performance of academies, free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools in their region. RSCs, along with their headteacher boards, are helping to build the capacity of the Department for Education to pick up local and regional soft intelligence which will contribute to the ability of the Department to oversee academies and free schools and hold them to account. The RSCs will be able to take decisions on academy issues whilst being immersed in the local context. This will enable them to make decisions based on the circumstances of the school(s) and sponsor(s) in question.</p><p>All of these reforms will also help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap with their peers at every phase and in every region in England. In particular, the Government introduced the pupil premium in April 2011 – worth a total of £6.25 billion to date – to give schools the resources to raise the attainment of mainly economically disadvantaged pupils and those in care.</p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2</a></p> answering member constituency Yeovil answering member printed Mr David Laws question first answered 21/10/2014 13:48:27 answering member 1473 label Biography information for Mr David Laws
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

93542

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Relationships and Sex Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the promotion of sexual education for Key Stage 3 pupils.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	210623
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>Sex and relationship education (SRE) is compulsory in maintained secondary schools. When teaching SRE, all schools (including academies through their funding agreements) must have regard to the Secretary of State’s guidance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The statutory guidance makes clear that all sex and relationship education should be age-appropriate and that schools should ensure that young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their decisions, judgments and behaviour.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department for Education also encourages schools to draw on resources produced by experts to inform their SRE teaching. For example, the PSHE Association, the Sex Education Forum and Brook have published ‘Sex and Relationships Education for the 21st century’, which helps schools to take into account recent changes in technology and legislation when teaching SRE.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 22/10/2014 11:24:36 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

93684

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Disadvantaged
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to co-ordinate good leadership with local authorities to improve the attainment levels of disadvantaged pupils.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL2113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department for Education expects local authorities to provide strategic leadership to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in their maintained schools. This was set out in the recently revised guidance to local authorities on <em>Schools Causing Concern</em>, which was published in May 2014. Since May 2013, Ofsted has inspected local authority school improvement arrangements which relate to their duty to ensure that, ‘their education functions are exercised with a view to promote high standards and fulfilment of potential’ (Education Act 1996, s13a).</p><p>My Rt. hon. Friend the Minister of State for Schools, has met leaders from the nine local authorities that have failed these inspections to date. These discussions have focused on the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. In addition, in his role as Pupil Premium Champion, Sir John Dunford has worked closely with school leaders in 25 local authority areas with the poorest results for disadvantaged pupils during the 2013/14 school year. This work continues.</p><p>Peer-to-peer support for school leaders is a highly effective way to tackle poor school performance. The Department is therefore increasing the number of National Leaders of Education (NLEs) and the number of teaching schools. The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) has designated over 900 NLEs and establish 602 teaching schools to date, and some local authorities use local teaching school alliances and national leaders to provide school improvement.</p><p>The Talented Leaders programme and School-to-School Support Fund, both launched on 10 September 2014 by the Minister of State for Schools, will also help drive school improvement through better leadership. The Talented Leaders programme will recruit one hundred talented school leaders and deploy them to take on headship positions in challenging schools, working with local authorities who sign up to the programme. The £13m School-to-School Support Fund will support NLEs and teaching schools to undertake deployment in under-performing maintained schools and academies.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 24/10/2014 11:32:32 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

93685

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Regional Schools Commissioners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the total set-up costs of the school commissioner network; and what are the total running costs.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL2114
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The first year set-up and running costs of the Regional Schools Commissioners and their offices are estimated to be approximately £4.5 million. This is not new additional funding: it will be met from within the Department for Education’s existing budget envelope.</p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 21/10/2014 14:26:45 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

93686

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Care Leavers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Action For Children’s recent report <i>Too Much, Too Young </i>on the recognition of the emotional needs of young care leavers; and what steps they are taking to improve the emotional well-being of young care leavers.
tabling member printed	Lord Storey
uin	HL2115
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2014 answer text <p>Improving the lives of care leavers has always been a priority for this Government, and the Department for Education has significantly improved the support on offer to this vulnerable group. The Department published the first cross-Government care leavers’ strategy in 2013, and will shortly produce a ‘one year on’ report setting out how those commitments have been met. We have tightened the rules so that fewer young people leave care before they are ready. We have also provided an additional £40 million to local authorities, backed by a change in the law, so that looked-after children can remain with their former foster carers until they are 21 years old.</p><p>The Action for Children report highlights the importance of mental health and emotional wellbeing.[1] We recognise that there is more to be done, and the Government has established the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Task Force to make recommendations on improving mental health commissioning for young people. This will include a particular focus on the needs of vulnerable groups. The Government recently published a National Prospectus setting out the key activities it wishes to fund at a national level though organisations working with children, young people and families in 2015-16. One of the policy areas we wish to fund through this programme relates to improving the identification of children and young people’s mental health issues (including care leavers’), prevention, improved commissioning of support and more effective collaboration between agencies and services.</p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/policy-research/policy-priorities/too-much-too-young" target="_blank">www.actionforchildren.org.uk/policy-research/policy-priorities/too-much-too-young</a></p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 24/10/2014 13:51:07 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

93710

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Class Sizes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average size of primary school classes in (1) the United Kingdom, (2) the South West of England, and (3) Bristol, in every month since May 2010.
tabling member printed	Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
uin	HL2139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The average size of state-funded primary school classes in England in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was 26.6, 26.8, 26.8 and 26.9 respectively. These figures are published in table 6c of the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2014 statistical first release.[1] The Department for Education only holds this information for schools in England.</p><p> </p><p>The average size of primary school classes in the South West in 2014 was 26.5. The figure for Bristol was 26.8. These figures were derived from underlying data in the statistical release referred to above.</p><p> </p><p>Monthly figures are not available as the Department collects this data annually each January. Overall, primary school figures for Bristol or the South West are only available for 2014, as it would incur disproportionate cost to derive these figures for previous years. However, the 2011 figure is available in table 14a of the 2011 statistical first release.[2]</p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335177/SFR15_2014_national_tables_v101.xlsx" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335177/SFR15_2014_national_tables_v101.xlsx</a></p><p>[2] <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219066/sfr12-2011latv2.xls" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/219066/sfr12-2011latv2.xls</a></p> answering member printed Lord Nash question first answered 22/10/2014 16:14:12 answering member 4270 label Biography information for Lord Nash
tabling member	3703 label Biography information for Baroness Royall of Blaisdon