Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 22 June (HL7956), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what assessment they have made of any implications for national security arising from the funding received by schools from Qatar Foundation International for the teaching of religious education and Arabic in schools; and if they have made no such assessment, whether they intend to do so.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government continuously assesses threats posed to the UK. As a matter of longstanding policy, the department is unable to release information regarding threat assessments on the grounds of national security.
The government is clear that any challenges to its core values, whatever their origin, will not be tolerated.
If there is a concern that a school is not fulfilling its legal duties, complaints procedure should be followed. Where the department is made aware that schools are not fulfilling their legal duties, it will investigate.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether schools in England are free to decide where collective prayer should take place on their premises.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Maintained schools and academies are required to conduct a daily act of collective worship which is wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character. Most schools with a religious designation may conduct collective worship which aligns with their trust deeds or tenets of their religion.
Daily acts of collective worship, subject to the right of withdrawal, must include all pupils attending a school. As a rule, all acts of collective worship should take place on the school premises and schools are free to determine where in the school it takes place. Schools have discretion to organise collective worship elsewhere on special occasions.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Teacher Regulation Agency, dated 23 May, recommending that a prohibition order should be imposed on Mr Joshua Sutcliffe.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
It is important that processes relating to teacher misconduct are progressed without any political involvement. Decisions on whether to progress cases are taken independently by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).
An independent Professional Conduct Panel is appointed to hear cases and determine whether the evidence proves unacceptable professional conduct, conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute, or a conviction of a relevant offence. If so, the Professional Conduct Panel will make a recommendation on whether to prohibit the individual from teaching.
Following the recommendation, the decision to impose a prohibition order is taken by a senior TRA official. Although that decision is taken on behalf of the Secretary of State, neither she or any other Ministers in the department can have any involvement in these independent investigations, related processes, and decisions.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what legal rights parents have to access the teaching materials used at their children's schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
All schools have a duty to share information about their curriculum with parents and, whilst this does not require them to share all of the teaching materials they use with parents routinely, the department has been very clear that schools should respond positively where parents request to see specific materials. On 31 March 2023, the Secretary of State wrote to all schools to set out that, under current arrangements, schools can and should share curriculum materials with parents, and the department would expect schools to avoid entering into any agreement with an external agency that seeks to prevent them from ensuring parents are properly aware of the materials that are being used to teach their children.
The department is aware that some parents have particular concerns about materials used to teach Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE). The department will consider, as part of the review of the RSHE statutory guidance, whether any further changes are needed to reinforce the need for transparency around RSHE materials.
In May 2023, the Secretary of State announced the details of the independent expert advisory panel who will advise on the review of the RSHE curriculum. They have been tasked with identifying the topics within the curriculum which would benefit from age limits.
It will remain important that schools take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable, and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations.
Oak National Academy, the independent provider of freely available online curriculum and lesson resources, will develop curriculum materials to make sure every school can access high quality, compliant RSHE resources.
Schools may choose to use curriculum materials developed by Oak, an Arm’s Length Body, working independently of Government and collaboratively with the education sector. Oak works with teachers across the country, giving them and their pupils access to free, optional, and adaptable high quality digital curriculum resources. Its current resources can be viewed online at: https://www.thenational.academy/. Oak is developing new resources which will begin to become available from this Autumn.
Schedule 4 Paragraph 7(a) of the School Information Regulations (England) 2008/3093 requires all maintained schools to publish their school curriculum on their website. The guidance for this is outlined online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online.
All academies must follow a similar process for their school curriculum. The guidance for this is outlined online at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-academies-free-schools-and-colleges-should-publish-online.
If a parent feels that a maintained school is failing to comply with its legal requirements relating to the provision of the curriculum, or that the school is acting unreasonably in the way it complies with them, they can make a formal complaint to the governing body by following the school’s statutory complaints procedures.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to schools on disciplinary action associated with teachers who refer to transgender pupils by their legal and biological sex.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance to support schools in relation to gender questioning pupils. The Department will be finalising the draft guidance shortly and will hold a full public consultation on it.
All schools are required to have a disciplinary process that deals with matters relating to staff misconduct. The Department does not provide specific guidance on this issue.
The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009 set out the procedures that governing bodies in maintained schools must establish for the regulation of the conduct and discipline of staff at the school. They should ensure that they are fully aware of their responsibilities under employment law, in both establishing procedures and how those procedures are undertaken. Advice can be found on GOV.UK at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1026591/Staff_Advice_Handbook_Update_-_October_2021.pdf.
The Teachers’ Standards came into effect from 1 September 2012, and set a clear baseline of expectation for the professional practice and conduct of the vast majority of teachers from the point of qualification. The Teachers’ Standards must be used by maintained schools to assess teachers’ performance as part of the annual appraisal process. The Teaching Regulation Agency uses Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards, relating to professional and personal conduct, to assess cases of serious misconduct against teachers in any educational setting. The standards can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1040274/Teachers__Standards_Dec_2021.pdf.
Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards notes that teachers are expected to demonstrate high standards of personal and professional conduct. This includes treating pupils with dignity, having regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, and showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 15 May (HL7542), what assessment they have made of any implications for national security arising from the funding received by schools from Qatar Foundation International on the teaching of religious education and Arabic in schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department does not receive funding from Qatar Foundation International (QFI) for curriculum programmes that support the teaching of religious education (RE) or Arabic in schools in England. We are aware that QFI partner with primary and secondary schools in the UK, the British Council, and other philanthropic organisations. In their partnership with the British Council, they offer grants to schools to introduce, improve or expand provision for Arabic.
When accepting funds from third party individuals or organisations, we expect schools to follow the guidance of the local authority or the academy trust handbook.
Independent schools, like all private businesses, are required to abide by all relevant legislation.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they encourage Christian teaching in schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The government’s policy is to allow religious education (RE) curricula to be designed at a local level, whether that is through a locally agreed syllabus or by individual schools and academy trusts developing their own curricula.
The government does not specify what the content of a school’s RE curriculum should be, nor does it actively promote the teaching of any particular religion.
Legislation does include the following requirement: a locally agreed syllabus must ‘reflect that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain’. This requirement is replicated in the funding agreements that academies have with the Secretary of State for Education.
Exceptions to this include schools and academies with a religious designation, who are permitted by legislation and funding agreements to provide an RE curriculum in accordance with their trust deeds and tenets of their faith.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their forthcoming guidance for schools on gender identity will take into account the expert evidence cited by Nigel and Sally Rowe in their legal case against the Department for Education which reported harmful effects from affirming children in gender transition.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department believes that all pupils should be supported whilst growing up. Our schools, colleges and teachers are committed to supporting all pupils and students to thrive and reach their potential in a safe and respectful environment.
All schools and colleges must have regard to the Department’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)’ statutory guidance, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The KCSIE statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance for schools in relation to supporting gender questioning pupils. The Department will consider all the evidence, including any relevant cases, such as Mr and Mrs Rowes’. However, we cannot comment further on what the guidance will or will not contain, as we will shortly be holding a full public consultation on our proposed approach.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their forthcoming guidance for schools on gender identity will make provision for teachers who in conscience wish to refer to pupils by their legal and/or biological gender.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department believes that all pupils should be supported whilst growing up. Our schools, colleges and teachers are committed to supporting all pupils and students to thrive and reach their potential in a safe and respectful environment.
All schools and colleges must have regard to the Department’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)’ statutory guidance, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The KCSIE statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance for schools in relation to supporting gender questioning pupils. The Department will consider all the evidence, including any relevant cases, such as Mr and Mrs Rowes’. However, we cannot comment further on what the guidance will or will not contain, as we will shortly be holding a full public consultation on our proposed approach.
Asked by: Lord Pearson of Rannoch (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their forthcoming guidance for schools on gender identity will protect teachers who raise safeguarding concerns about the gender transition of a pupil.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The Department believes that all pupils should be supported whilst growing up. Our schools, colleges and teachers are committed to supporting all pupils and students to thrive and reach their potential in a safe and respectful environment.
All schools and colleges must have regard to the Department’s ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE)’ statutory guidance, when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The KCSIE statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance for schools in relation to supporting gender questioning pupils. The Department will consider all the evidence, including any relevant cases, such as Mr and Mrs Rowes’. However, we cannot comment further on what the guidance will or will not contain, as we will shortly be holding a full public consultation on our proposed approach.