Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students at (1) secondary schools, (2) sixth forms, and (3) University Technical Colleges, did not attend in the week ending 16 October because they were isolating or quarantined; and how many of those students had access to a computer and an internet connection to facilitate remote learning.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave to question HL9006, available here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-10-12/hl9006.
Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the Government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.
The Department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. We are currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 99.7% of state funded schools were open as of 15 October. Of the small proportion (0.3%) of schools that were closed on 15 October, almost all were due to COVID-19 related reasons. Approximately 89% of all children on roll in all state funded schools were in attendance on 15 October. This data is updated weekly and can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
The Department does not hold data on the number of students self-isolating who do not have access to a computer and an internet connection.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students at (1) secondary schools, (2) sixth forms, and (3) University Technical Colleges, did not attend in the week ending 9 October because they were isolating or quarantined; and how many of those students had access to a computer and an internet connection to facilitate remote learning.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.
The department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis, as well as gathering information from local areas and following up with individual settings to confirm that procedures for requiring pupils to isolate are well understood and that necessary decisions are made on the basis of public health advice.
The department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures. We are currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 99.3% of state-funded schools were fully open on 22 October (excluding schools on half term or inset days). Of the small proportion (0.7%) of schools that were closed, almost all were due to COVID-19 related reasons. Approximately 86% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools not on half term or inset days were in attendance on 22 October. This data is updated weekly and the most recent data can be found online at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
During the summer term, the department provided over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers for disadvantaged pupils in year 10, children with a social worker and care leavers. The department has spent over £195 million on support for disadvantaged children and young people to access remote education through laptops and tablets, internet connectivity support, and access to online education platforms. We have delivered over 100,000 laptops and tablets to disadvantaged children during the autumn term. This is in addition to the over 220,000 delivered earlier this year.
We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families who rely on a mobile internet connection.
Young people aged 16 to 19 without suitable laptops and tablets for education may be eligible for support through the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. Providers make decisions as to who receives a bursary, based on their own criteria.
The department does not hold data on the number of students self-isolating who do not have access to a computer and internet connection.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) 16 year olds, (2) 17 year olds, and (3) 18 year olds, have registered as unemployed in the last three months.
Answered by Baroness Stedman-Scott
The number of people who registered for unemployment related benefits are published as part of the Alternative Claimant Count and are available by age.
Alternative Claimant Count – Monthly On Flows, June to August 2020, UK
Age | June | July | August |
16 | 567 | 457 | 198 |
17 | 2,026 | 1,699 | 604 |
18 | 11,962 | 11,066 | 8,082 |
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Source: Alternative Claimant Count - On Flows
Notes:
This data is published and available at: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many loans were made to students who were studying for (1) Higher National Certificate, and (2) Higher National Diploma, qualifications in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, and (3) 2019.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The attached tables show management information from the Student Loans Company on the number of students in receipt of a loan (broken down by tuition fee loan and maintenance loan) and studying for a Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma.
These figures cover students who received funding as English-domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many students at (1) secondary schools, (2) sixth forms, and (3) University Technical Colleges, did not attend in the week ending 2 October because they were isolating or quarantined; and how many of those students had access to a computer and an internet connection to facilitate remote learning.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Keeping close track of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases in schools is a priority for the government. Public Health England (PHE) leads in holding data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. PHE have published data on COVID-19 incidents by institution, including educational settings. This data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-covid-19-surveillance-reports.
The department is currently collecting data from schools on a daily basis, as well as gathering information from local areas and following up with individual settings to confirm that procedures requiring pupils to isolate are well understood and that necessary decisions are made on the basis of public health advice.
The department collects data on the number of schools that have indicated that they have either sent children home due to COVID-19 containment measures or have staff shortages due to COVID-19 related absences, and have attendance data for schools that have done so. We are currently looking at the quality of that data with a view to publishing it as part of the official statistics series. The series includes published data on school openings and attendance, which shows that at a national level approximately 93% of state-funded schools were fully open on 1 October. Of all schools that responded to the survey, 7% said they were not fully open due to suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 on 1 October. Equivalent estimates have not been made at phase level. Approximately 90% of all children on roll in all state-funded schools were in attendance on 1 October. More information is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
During the summer term, the department delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets, and over 50,000 4G wireless routers, for disadvantaged children in year 10, as well as children with a social worker and care leavers who would not otherwise have had online access, as part of over £160 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.
The department is now supplementing this support by making 250,000 additional laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. This scheme is intended to enable schools to support disadvantaged children in years 3 to 11 who cannot afford their own laptops and tablets. Schools will also be able to order laptops and tablets for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official or medical advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their key stage 4 at a further education college.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many GCSE entrants there were in (1) art, (2) music, (3) dance, and (4) drama, in (a) the 2010, and (b) the 2020, academic years.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
This information is not yet available for 2019/20. It will become available once we release our provisional publication between December and January 2021 at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/entries-for-gcse-november-2020-exam-series.
The number of pupils in all schools in England at the end of key stage 4 who entered music, art, drama or dance at GCSE level (including equivalents) is published each year (including 2010 onwards) in the ‘subject time series data’ table at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-performance-2019-revised.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many primary schools taught computer coding in the current academic year.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The computing curriculum in England was introduced in 2014 across key stages 1 to 4 to ensure it better reflects employers’ needs and the increasing demand for digital skills. There are over 10,000 state-funded primary schools in the academic year 2019/20 which are all required to teach the computing curriculum from key stage 1, with England being one of the first G20 countries to introduce teaching of coding in primary schools. Other schools, such as academies and free schools, have freedom to design their own school curriculum, but are required to offer a broad and balanced curriculum to their pupils, with many using the computing curriculum as an exemplar.
To strengthen the teaching of the computing curriculum and GCSE/A Level computer science, and to improve take up of computing qualifications, we are investing over £80 million in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE). The NCCE is providing free high quality continuing professional development (CPD) and teaching resources for both primary and secondary teachers, as well as overseeing a network of 34 computing hubs to support schools across the country. Support from the NCCE includes resources specifically mapped against the whole primary and secondary computing curriculum up to and including key stage 4, a Computer Science Accelerator Programme for GCSE teachers that includes programming-specific CPD elements, and the Isaac Computer Science A level online platform which provides resources for teachers and student workshops.
Computing science is one of the fastest growing subjects at GCSE with over 77,000 pupils sitting the exam in 2019.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) primary, and (2) secondary, schools have installed a 3D printer.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The information requested is not held centrally by the Department.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) laptops, and (2) other computers, have been distributed to disadvantaged students under their digital devices and internet access scheme.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department is providing laptops and tablets to vulnerable and disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examination in Year 10, receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school children, or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and children in Year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers.
The department has also partnered with BT to give 10,000 young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots, who do not have access to good internet by other means.
Local authorities and academy trusts are best placed to identify and distribute the laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to children and young people who need devices. The department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children first - children with a social worker and care leavers.
Devices are being delivered to local authorities daily and will continue to be distributed throughout June.
Asked by: Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received any information from O2 as to when they will improve the mobile telephony in the village of Iford in East Sussex.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Ofcom publishes information on coverage in the UK, which can be displayed by Local Authority. Its latest Connected Nations Report shows that, as of May 2018, there is 99.6% 4G indoor coverage from at least one Mobile Network Operator (MNO), and 69.7% from all four MNOs in the Lewes local authority area. In the same area, the data show that there is 99.9% 4G geographic coverage from at least one MNO and 95.1% from all four MNOs.
The Government does not hold the information as asked in the question.