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Written Question
Primary Education: Sports
Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to announce a decision on the continuation of the Primary PE and Sport Premium for the next academic year.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The government will confirm arrangements for the PE and Sport Premium in the 2020-21 academic year as soon as possible.


Written Question
Primary Education: LGBT People
Wednesday 31st October 2018

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all primary schools are required to deliver an LGBT-inclusive curriculum.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The national curriculum is designed to be accessible and relevant to all pupils. Schools are expected to ensure that teaching is inclusive of the needs of all pupils and must comply with the Equality Act.

The Department is making Relationships Education compulsory in all primary schools and Health Education compulsory in all state-funded primary schools. The Department has launched a public consultation on the draft regulations and guidance for these subjects. The draft guidance is clear that all pupils should feel that the content is relevant to them and that there should be an opportunity to explore the features of stable and healthy same-sex relationships.

The consultation, which closes on 7 November, can be found here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/pshe/relationships-education-rse-health-education/.

Independent schools are already required by the independent school standards to provide personal, social, health and economic education to all pupils of compulsory school age.


Written Question
Schools: Health Education
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is take to ensure that young people are made aware of the benefits to society of signing-up to be an (a) organ, (b) blood and (c) stem cell donor.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The national curriculum includes substantial content that can inform pupils about organ, stem cell and blood donation. Pupils are taught about the function of the heart, blood vessels and blood as part of Key Stage 2 science, and about stem cells as part of Key Stage 4 science. The national curriculum is compulsory in state maintained schools, and is often used as a benchmark by academies.

The Government is proposing to introduce compulsory Health Education, alongside Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education, and is currently consulting on draft regulations and draft statutory guidance on the subjects. Under the topic of physical health and fitness, the draft guidance sets out that pupils should know the facts about wider issues such as organ and blood donation.

The Department hopes as many people as possible will contribute to the consultation, which closes on 7 November, will consider feedback through this process, and may revise the guidance following analysis of the findings.


Written Question
Schools: Health Education
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of including (a) organ donation, (b) blood donation and (c) stem cell donation in the statutory guidance relating to Health Education for secondary school pupils.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The national curriculum includes substantial content that can inform pupils about organ, stem cell and blood donation. Pupils are taught about the function of the heart, blood vessels and blood as part of Key Stage 2 science, and about stem cells as part of Key Stage 4 science. The national curriculum is compulsory in state maintained schools, and is often used as a benchmark by academies.

The Government is proposing to introduce compulsory Health Education, alongside Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education, and is currently consulting on draft regulations and draft statutory guidance on the subjects. Under the topic of physical health and fitness, the draft guidance sets out that pupils should know the facts about wider issues such as organ and blood donation.

The Department hopes as many people as possible will contribute to the consultation, which closes on 7 November, will consider feedback through this process, and may revise the guidance following analysis of the findings.


Written Question
Education: Finance
Monday 16th October 2017

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to make further announcements on funding awards for character education under the character grants programme.

Answered by Nick Gibb

We want all schools to offer a broad and balanced education consisting of a rigorous academic curriculum supported with activities to develop attributes such as resilience, self-efficacy, character and leadership.

That is why the Department invested £3.5m in the Character Grant scheme, which provided developmental activities to young people. On Monday 9 October the Department announced that the Character Grant programme has closed and replaced with £22 million to fund the development of essential life skills in children and young people in the twelve Opportunity Areas. By directing funding specifically towards disadvantaged children in some of the most deprived parts of the country, we are able to help children who face the greatest difficulties building these life skills.

The web link to the announcement is on Gov.uk, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-launched-to-drive-social-mobility-in-opportunity-areas


Written Question
Mathematics: Education
Monday 24th July 2017

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for the publication of the report by Sir Adrian Smith on post-16 mathematics.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Professor Sir Adrian Smith’s review of post 16 mathematics has been published, alongside a letter from myself, responding to the review. The report and letter responding to the review can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smith-review-of-post-16-maths-report-and-government-response.


Written Question
Voluntary Work: Young People
Monday 20th February 2017

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to repeal section 1 of the Employment of Women, Young Persons and Children Act 1920 in so far as that provision applies to voluntary work by persons under the age of 16 engaged in heritage railways, canal charities and similar undertakings.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The Government has no current plans to repeal this legislation, but we are keeping the legislation under review. We appreciate the valuable work done by the organisations mentioned, and understand that young people may benefit from volunteering, but it is important that young people in employment, whether volunteers or paid employees, work safely in suitable environments.


Written Question
Mental Health Services: Schools
Monday 9th January 2017

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation her Department has made of the Mental Health Services and Schools Link Pilots; and what plans she has to extend those pilots.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The pilot of joint training for nominated single points of contact in schools and mental health services is being independently evaluated. The evaluation findings will be available in spring 2017 and will provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot design and implementation, including its sustainability and potential for wider rollout. The evaluation is also looking at the extent to which the pilot resulted in delivery improvements, including in joint working practices between, and the timeliness and appropriateness of referrals from, schools to specialist mental health services; as well as any wider cultural and systems improvements.

We have already shared some of the emerging practice from the pilot through national events, to inform local planning. We will use the formal evaluation findings to determine whether there is value in further roll out of specific training or models of single point of contact, and whether further testing is required of any aspects.


Written Question
Schools: Mental Health Services
Monday 9th January 2017

Asked by: Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation her Department has made of the Mental Health Services and Schools Link pilots; and what plans her Department has for those pilots to be extended.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The pilot of joint training for nominated single points of contact in schools and mental health services is being independently evaluated. The evaluation findings will be available in spring 2017 and will provide an assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot design and implementation, including its sustainability and potential for wider rollout. The evaluation is also looking at the extent to which the pilot resulted in delivery improvements, including in joint working practices between, and the timeliness and appropriateness of referrals from, schools to specialist mental health services; as well as any wider cultural and systems improvements.

We have already shared some of the emerging practice from the pilot through national events, to inform local planning. We will use the formal evaluation findings to determine whether there is value in further roll out of specific training or models of single point of contact, and whether further testing is required of any aspects.