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418415

registered interest
date	11/09/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
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 pupils are able to share information about their backgrounds and cultures as part of personal, social and health education.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	10019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2015 answer text <p>Education is a devolved power; as such, this reply concerns schools in England only.</p><p> </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> </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: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-fundamental-british-values-through-smsc</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 21/09/2015 09:02:31 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

381430

registered interest
date	16/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Housing Improvement: 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 benefits of home maintenance and improvement skills being taught in schools.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	2699
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2015 answer text <p>The new national curriculum, which came into force in maintained schools in England from September 2014, focuses on the essential knowledge that schools should cover. It gives teachers and schools the freedom and flexibility to develop a wider school curriculum that meets the needs of their pupils.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Design and Technology (D&amp;T) is compulsory for pupils aged 5-14. As part of the D&amp;T curriculum pupils have opportunities to design and make products that solve real world problems. The D&amp;T curriculum encourages schools to use a wide range of industrial, commercial and domestic contexts for their teaching. Whilst the curriculum does not specify which craft skills or activities should be taught, it is possible for schools to teach home maintenance and improvement skills.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/06/2015 15:17:21 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

381432

registered interest
date	16/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Physical Education: Young 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 increase opportunities for young people to undertake physical activity in the countryside.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	2700
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2015 answer text <p>Physical Education (PE) remains compulsory at all four key stages in the new national curriculum in England and the programmes of study at key stages 2, 3 and 4 all state that pupils should take part in outdoor, adventurous activities. At key stage 4, these activities should take place in a range of environments and present intellectual and physical challenges. The national curriculum programme of study for PE is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We also know that some schools are using their Primary PE and Sport Premium to provide enhanced opportunities for their pupils in this area – this includes rock-climbing, mountaineering and sailing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 24/06/2015 09:54:13 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

349206

registered interest
date	09/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Holidays
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 pupils are not taken out of schools for holidays in term time.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	1680
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>We want schools to reduce their overall absence rates because evidence shows there is a link between regular school attendance and high levels of academic attainment [1]. In September 2013 we changed the law so that schools in England can only grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. The most recent figures show that almost 2.4 million fewer school days were missed because of term-time family holidays in the 2013/14 academic year, compared to the 2012/13 academic year.</p><p>[1] <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nazrpd2" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/nazrpd2</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/06/2015 16:35:11 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

347980

registered interest
date	02/06/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Food Technology
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 promote in primary and secondary schools (a) participation in home economics by and (b) the catering industry as a career for boys.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	816
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2015 answer text <p>Since the introduction of the new national curriculum for England, in September 2014, cooking and nutrition have been compulsory for both boys and girls from key stage 1 to key stage 3. Pupils can also take the new GCSE in food preparation and nutrition from September 2016. This qualification will be a valuable stepping stone for young people wishing to develop their skills, interests and career paths in food-related professions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Our reforms to careers guidance in England are based on schools connecting pupils with employers, helping them to understand the breadth of career opportunities available. The new, independent Careers and Enterprise Company, announced by the Secretary of State for Education in December 2014, will help secondary schools to build these links. We also welcome the work of programmes such as Primary Futures, which help to broaden the aspirations of young people from an even earlier age.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Schools should consciously work to prevent all forms of stereotyping in the advice and guidance they provide in order to ensure that boys and girls from all backgrounds consider the widest possible range of careers. This is made clear in statutory guidance for schools, which underpins their careers duty.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 08/06/2015 10:13:24 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

229372

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assistance is provided in schools for children with special educational needs; and what standards and targets her Department sets for the provision and delivery of such assistance.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	228928
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Schools in England have a legal duty to do all that they can to ensure that children with special educational needs get the support they need.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Advice to schools in England on carrying out this duty is given in the statutory guidance provided in the ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 Years’.<a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228928-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228928%20QA%20250315.docx#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a></p><p> </p><p><a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228928-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228928%20QA%20250315.docx#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson question first answered 26/03/2015 10:01:56 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

228123

registered interest
date	18/03/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to reduce the incidence of suicide.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	228146
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2015 answer text <p>Where schools have immediate concerns about the risk of suicide, their safeguarding role is set out in our statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education. This emphasises that schools should have a designated senior lead, with responsibility for the handling of safeguarding concerns, in place. Where schools have immediate concerns about the risk of suicide, an immediate referral should be made to children’s social care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Schools can also play an important role in identifying mental health issues early and ensuring that pupils get support to prevent problems from escalating. One in ten children has a diagnosable mental health disorder and the Government is committed to improving support for these young people. The Department for Education is taking action to tackle the stigma around mental health, promote positive wellbeing, and to ensure pupils have the support and knowledge that they need to keep themselves healthy and safe.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In order to support schools, the Department is publishing new guidance for both primary and secondary schools. This guidance is produced in conjunction with the Personal Social Health and Economic Education Association (PSHE). This will help them to provide age-appropriate teaching on a range of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression and self-harm. We are also updating the Mental Health and Behaviour guidance for schools, first published in June 2014<a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228146-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228146%20-%20QA%20-%20200315.docx#_ftn1" target="_blank">[1]</a>. This is to ensure that current advice and guidance on supporting pupils mental health needs is reflected. The guidance helps schools to identify and support those with more severe needs and to make appropriate referrals to specialist mental health services. The ‘Future in Mind’ report, published on 17 March 2015<a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228146-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228146%20-%20QA%20-%20200315.docx#_ftn2" target="_blank">[2]</a>, set out a clear set of ambitions for improving access to specialist mental health support for children and young people. Later this year we will be piloting joint training for points of contact in specialist mental health services and schools across 15 Clinical Commissioning Group areas; this will improve knowledge and referrals, so that pupils get the support they need more quickly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Many schools already provide pupils with access to counselling services, providing children and young people with safe environments where they can discuss problems and receive support. The Department is publishing new guidance for primary and secondary schools on how to deliver good quality school-based counselling services to support their pupils.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department knows that children and young people who are persistently bullied are more likely to suffer from poor mental health and emotional wellbeing. It is for this reason that we have made tackling bullying in schools a top priority. All schools must have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying. Schools are held to account for their effectiveness by Ofsted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228146-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228146%20-%20QA%20-%20200315.docx#_ftnref1" target="_blank">[1]</a> <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2</a>.</p><p><a title="" href="http://3dcpri-papp09/new_parliamentaryquestion/228146-%20Jim%20Shannon/Draft/228146%20-%20QA%20-%20200315.docx#_ftnref2" target="_blank">[2]</a> <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-mental-health-services-for-young-people" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-mental-health-services-for-young-people</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 23/03/2015 16:14:53 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

178949

registered interest
date	10/02/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Internet: Bullying
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to prevent cyber-bullying of teenage schoolchildren.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	224105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government believes that schools, internet providers and parents all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe online.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>All schools must have a behaviour policy with measures to tackle bullying, including cyberbullying, and they are held closely to account by Ofsted. The Department for Education has issued advice to schools on preventing and tackling bullying and on supporting bullied children which includes cyberbullying. We have also recently issued advice aimed at parents on how to keep children safe online, spot the signs that a child may be being cyberbullied and what to do if it happens.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In addition, e-safety is being taught at all four key stages of the curriculum and covers responsible, respectful and secure use of technology. Pupils are also taught age-appropriate ways of reporting any concerns they may have about what they see or encounter online.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is also providing around £4 million in funding to various anti-bullying organisations, such as the Diana Award, Kidscape and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Children%27s_Bureau" target="_blank">National Children's Bureau</a> (NCB), who work in schools to combat bullying, including cyberbullying. The NCB has produced a guide for schools on preventing and tackling cyberbullying of children with a special educational need or disability who are especially vulnerable to this form of bullying.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, we are currently considering bids through a £25 million voluntary and community sector grant programme to extend the work being undertaken by anti-bullying charities in schools. A £2 million grant is being offered in conjunction with the Government Equalities Office to support projects which tackle specifically homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>More widely, the Government continues to work to protect children online through the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Council_for_Child_Internet_Safety" target="_blank">UK Council for Child Internet Safety</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKCCIS" target="_blank">UKCCIS</a>) which brings together representatives from government, industry, law enforcement, academia, charities and parenting groups.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 23/02/2015 11:28:21 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

92964

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Sexting
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 reduce sexting.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	210260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>The safety of children online is a priority for the Government. As part of the new programmes of study for computing, e-safety will be taught at all four key stages. The programmes of study cover responsible, respectful and secure use of technology. They will also ensure that pupils are taught age-appropriate ways of reporting any concerns they may have about what they see or encounter online.</p><p> </p><p>There is progression in the content across the key stages to reflect the different and escalating risks that young people face as they get older; initially relating to online content, then to the conduct of, and contact with, other people online. Pupils can also be taught about this topic as part of Sex and Relationship Education (SRE). The PSHE Association, Brook and the Sex Education Forum have produced supplementary guidance for schools to help them to teach SRE; this advice covers ‘sexting’, including explaining the law and pointing teachers towards further resources.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) has an important role to play. As a UK law enforcement body it can apply the full range of policing powers in tackling the sexual abuse of children. CEOP has also developed a specific educational resource to tackle ‘sexting’, which is designed for use by teachers, parents and young people.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Mr Nick Gibb question first answered 20/10/2014 15:18:25 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

91263

registered interest
date	09/09/2014
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fostered children have been separated from their siblings in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	208773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2014 answer text <p>The data requested is not held centrally. <br><br>The Department for Education is clear that siblings should be placed together where possible. While the data requested is not held centrally, Action for Children published research on 8 September highlighting the importance of keeping siblings together where this is in their best interests. This research can be found online at:</p><p><a href="http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/news/archive/2014/september/keeping-siblings-together" target="_blank">www.actionforchildren.org.uk/news/archive/2014/september/keeping-siblings-together</a></p><p>The Department is working closely with councils to help them recruit more foster carers who can meet the needs of children harder to place, such as sibling groups.</p><p>Nationally, fostering services are improving their recruitment of foster carers. In 2013 the Government announced a new package of support totalling £750,000 to help local authorities boost foster care recruitment by broadening the range of people who foster.</p><p>This funding is supporting four consortia partnerships of local authorities and independent fostering services, two of which have made increasing the number of foster carers that can care for sibling groups a priority. We plan to share the learning from the consortia in 2015.</p><p>We would also welcome bids to the Innovation Programme from local authorities who may like to test new, innovative approaches to addressing this issue.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 208774 question first answered 25/09/2014 13:36:35 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon