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1715755

registered interest
date	03/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Mathematics: GCSE
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to allow people who are aged 18 and 19 and not in (a) education and (b) training to resit maths GSCE for free.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	24778
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>This government recognises the importance of numeracy skills for adults, both in work and everyday life. That is why the department is continuing to support participation in mathematics provision, including retaking GCSEs, for all 16 to 19 year olds and adults who need it.</p><p>The department introduced the mathematics and English Condition of Funding in 2014 which ensures all 16 to 19 year olds continue to study English and mathematics to level 2 (GCSE grade 4+ or equivalent) as part of their study programme.</p><p> </p><p>The Adult Education Budget also supports all adults (19+) in England who do not yet hold a relevant qualification or have Level 2 skills the right to study for a qualification in mathematics for free.</p><p> </p><p>Under the Education Skills and Funding Agency funding rules, a learner will not be fully-funded to just resit an examination where no extra learning takes place.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/05/2024 14:45:49 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1715599

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Digital Technology: Older People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the digital skills of older people.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	24639
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>The government recognises that digital skills are important for adults of all ages, and the department is committed to improving their level of digital skills to support active participation in society.</p><p> </p><p>From August 2020, the department introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake specified digital qualifications free of charge. The new entitlement mirrors the existing legal entitlements for English and mathematics. This puts essential digital skills on an equal footing in the adult education system, as the third essential skill adults need for work, life and further learning.</p><p><br> The department introduced new Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) at entry level and level 1 from August 2020, funded under the digital entitlement. EDSQs are based on the national standards for essential digital skills and are designed to meet the diverse needs of adults with no or low digital skills, reflecting different learning needs, motivations and starting points.</p><p> </p><p>To further enhance the essential digital skills offer for adults, from August 2023, the department introduced new digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs), which have replaced FSQs in Information and Communication Technology. Digital FSQs have standardised content and assessment, providing a benchmark of digital skills for employers. These are based on subject content for digital FSQs the department published in October 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The government recognises that formal qualifications are not necessary for everyone. That is why the department also fund community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, older people may also be looking to progress beyond essential digital skills, potentially through a desire to retrain or upskill. Through the department’s wider skills reforms, the department is continuing to ensure learners, whatever their age, can train, retrain and upskill towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.</p><p> </p><p>More information about essential digital skills and other government funded training opportunities can be found here: <a href="https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life" target="_blank">https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life</a>.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 13/05/2024 11:45:24 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1715614

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the role that academy trusts in improving (a) educational standards and (b) school facilities.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	24650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>High quality academy trusts have been a key vehicle in improving educational standards. They have facilitated better collaboration, directed resources to where they are needed most, and enabled the best leaders to support a greater number of schools. As of 1 April, over 50% of all state-funded schools are academies.</p><p> </p><p>As of December 2023, 90% of schools were rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, compared to 68% in 2010. There is also evidence that high quality trusts have improved underperforming schools via the sponsored academies programme. Departmental analysis has demonstrated that, on average, sponsored schools improve more quickly than equivalent local authority maintained schools. More than seven out of ten sponsored academies which were found to be underperforming as a local authority maintained school in their previous inspection now have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts work with their school’s day to day to meet their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, well maintained and compliant with relevant regulations. The department supports them by providing significant capital funding, rebuilding programmes and support and guidance.</p><p> </p><p>The department has allocated £17 billion to improve the condition of the school estate since 2015, including £1.8 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. This is informed by consistent data on the condition of the school estate. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme is transforming buildings at over 500 schools across England.</p><p> </p><p>The department also provides extensive guidance to help academy trusts and other responsible bodies to maintain their estates safely and effectively, such as through Good Estate Management for Schools. The department has also published a new estate management competency framework, which sets out the skills and knowledge needed in different roles to manage school estates.</p><p> </p><p>Where there are serious issues with buildings that cannot be managed independently by responsible bodies, the department provides additional advice and support on a case by case basis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/05/2024 16:42:23 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

1715155

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Allergies: Primary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of resources for teaching children about allergies in primary schools.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.</p><p>Health education has been compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools in England from September 2020, alongside relationships education for all primary pupils and relationships and sex education (RSE) for all secondary pupils. The statutory guidance sets out that pupils will be taught about the importance of good physical health and mental wellbeing to ensure they have the information that they need in order to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing. The statutory guidance for the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum is here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education</a>.</p><p>The RSHE statutory guidance states that by the end of primary school pupils should know the facts and science relating to allergies, immunisation and vaccination. There is also content relating to teaching about allergies in the RSHE teacher training module on health and prevention, which is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-health-and-prevention" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-training-health-and-prevention.</a></p><p>Schools are responsible for what they teach and for any resources they use. The department does not direct schools on which resources, external speakers or organisations to use, and it does not endorse or promote resources to schools other than those produced by other government departments. The RSHE guidance is clear that all materials used should be age appropriate and factual.</p><p>The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. The review has been informed by an independent expert panel to advise the Secretary of State for Education on the introduction of age limits for sensitive subjects.</p><p>In March 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, also wrote to schools to remind them that copyright law does not prevent them sharing external resources with parents. In October 2023, she wrote again to clarify that any contractual clause that prevents schools from sharing materials is void and unenforceable, and to provide practical advice on how to share materials with parents in a way that is in line with copyright legislation. The department will ensure that the updated guidance fully reflects this very clear position. The Secretary of State’s letter can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-state-letter-to-schools-about-sharing-curriculum-resources-with-parents" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secretary-of-state-letter-to-schools-about-sharing-curriculum-resources-with-parents</a>.</p><p>A draft of the amended guidance will be published for consultation as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 09/05/2024 15:08:08 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1715166

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Secondary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of studying religious education at key stage (a) 4 and (b) 5 on the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24473
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.</p><p>It is mandatory for state-funded schools to teach religious education to all pupils to age 18, subject to parents having a right to withdraw their children from all or part of the subject. However, it is not mandatory for schools to teach the religious studies GCSE or A level. The department has not assessed the impact of studying religious education at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 on the overall educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 09/05/2024 15:12:24 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1715172

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Autism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support young people with autism spectrum conditions who have education otherwise than at school plans.
tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
tabling member printed	Darren Jones
uin	24512
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>Local authorities provide support to certain children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) through Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. A local authority may choose, where statutory criteria are met, to make an ‘Education Otherwise than in School’ arrangement, whereby the child or young person with the EHC plan receives special educational support outside of a school or college.</p><p> </p><p>The department are taking steps to improve the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. There are measures in place for the department to support and challenge local authorities to improve their practice. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission commenced a strengthened local inspection framework in January 2023. Where local authorities are failing, the department works with them, using a range of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisers to address weaknesses. Inspections under this new framework will place greater emphasis on the outcomes that are being achieved for children and young people with SEND, including those who are autistic.</p><p> </p><p>More generally, as part of the department’s support for autistic young people, the department worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to develop a refreshed cross-government Autism Strategy. This was published in July 2021 and includes children and young people. The strategy recognised the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges and priorities for reducing inequalities, and enabling autistic people of all ages to have the same opportunities as everyone else to lead healthy, happy and fulfilling lives. The national strategy sets out the department’s vision to make life fundamentally better for autistic people, their families and carers by 2026.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 10/05/2024 16:42:07 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1715241

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	National Tutoring Programme: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of ending funding for the National Tutoring Programme on the attainment gap in 2024.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	24488
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>​The department has invested over £1 billion in the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), which runs from the 2020/21 academic year to the 2023/24 academic year. The NTP is a time limited, four-year programme to support pupils to catch up following the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>The department remains committed to the objective that tutoring should be embedded across schools in England, following the end of the NTP.</p><p>Schools are best placed to decide how to spend their funding, depending on their unique circumstances and priorities, which may include spend on tutoring.</p><p>Tutoring is included in the menu of approaches in the pupil premium guidance for school leaders.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/05/2024 16:39:28 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1715298

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Absenteeism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that changes to parent fines for missing school do not unintentionally impact children who are absent from school due to prolonged illness.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	24478
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>Legislation and the government’s ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance state that a penalty notice can only be issued when the absence constitutes an offence under section 444 of the Education Act 1997. Where a pupil cannot attend due to illness, this is not an offence and so legal enforcement action cannot be taken. This position will not change when the new rules for penalty notices come into force on 19 August 2024. The full guidance can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f1b048133c22b8eecd38f7/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance__applies_from_19_August_2024_.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f1b048133c22b8eecd38f7/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance__applies_from_19_August_2024_.pdf</a>.</p><p>More generally, the department expects schools and local authorities to take a ‘support first’ approach to improving attendance, only using penalty notices for absence that is classed as unauthorised and when support has already been provided and not worked or been engaged with, or in the case of holidays taken in term-time, is not appropriate. The vast majority of penalty notices for unauthorised absence (89% in the 2022/2023 academic year) are issued for term time holidays.</p><p>Whatever the cause of absence from school, school staff should work with families and pupils to understand the barriers to attendance and provide support where possible. This might include providing pastoral support or making reasonable adjustments where a pupil has a disability. In the case of prolonged illness, as soon as it is clear that a child will be away from school for 15 school days or more because of their health needs, the local authority should arrange suitable alternative provision. It is important that all pupils’ right to a full-time education is protected, whilst acknowledging that some pupils require more support than others.</p><p>The department is providing a series of training events and webinars throughout the summer term for schools and local authorities to ensure that the new rules regarding penalty notices are understood and implemented in line with the ‘support first’ approach.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 07/05/2024 15:57:14 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1715346

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices and T-levels
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many businesses can be involved in the provision of (a) a T Level industry placement and (b) flexi-job apprenticeships.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	24481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days). Industry placements can be split across a maximum of two employers to help deliver a breadth of experience for the student, as well as creating opportunities within small to medium enterprises, in sectors such as creative, digital and construction, where short project-based work is common. Alternatively, a placement can be carried out across an employer’s supply chain or network, up to a maximum of two partners/sub-contractors, to enable students to experience an end-to-end process.</p><p>Over 16,000 students started a T Level course from September 2023, which is almost as many students as in the first three cohorts combined, and the department will be introducing new T Levels in September 2024. As the department scale up T Levels, we are keen to increase the numbers of employers offering industry placements. The department has recently published the T Level Action Plan, which sets out further measures the department is taking over the year ahead to support providers and employers to grow their T Level programmes and support even more young people across the country. This includes new resources from the Strategic Development Network to support easier engagement between providers and employers. The T Level action plan can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6627c087d29479e036a7e68e/T_Level_Action_Plan_2023_to_2024.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6627c087d29479e036a7e68e/T_Level_Action_Plan_2023_to_2024.pdf</a>.</p><p>Flexi Job Apprenticeship Agencies (FJAAs) were introduced in 2022 to support sectors with short-term, project-based work to access apprenticeships. They allow apprentices to work with different host employers, and on a range of projects, to gain the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen field.</p><p>An organisation must be on the Register of FJAAs to operate as a Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency. Any business can contact an agency to become a host employer. The department does not place a limit on how many host employers an agency can work with, it is for the agency to decide what is best for their delivery model.</p><p>FJAAs will arrange placements with one or more host employer to cover the duration of the apprenticeship. Placements must offer apprentices the chance and time to obtain and embed the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for their apprenticeship standard. There were 640 FJAA apprenticeship starts in the 2022/23 academic year and 570 starts have been reported from August to January in the 2023/24 academic year. More details on Flexi Job Apprenticeships can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 07/05/2024 16:05:02 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1714842

registered interest
date	30/04/2024
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 recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the requirement for Academy schools to provide parents with an annual report of their child's progress.
tabling member constituency	Linlithgow and East Falkirk
tabling member printed	Martyn Day
uin	24264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.</p><p>The department has not made any recent assessment of this requirement. The requirements on academies in relation to reporting on pupils’ progress to parents are set out in <ins class="ministerial">paragraph 32(1)(f) of the Schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014</ins> <del class="ministerial">paragraph 24 of Schedule 1 to The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010.</del> These regulations can be accessed here: <ins class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/made" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/made</a>.</ins> <del class="ministerial"><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made" target="_blank">https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made</a>.</del></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 08/05/2024 14:52:16 question first ministerially corrected 14/05/2024 13:49:14 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds previous answer version 32234 answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4488 label Biography information for Martyn Day