Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of books that discuss critical race theory in school libraries.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
All pupils deserve to be taught a knowledge-rich curriculum that promotes the extensive reading of books and other texts, both in and out of school. School libraries complement public libraries in allowing pupils to do this. It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including which books the library stocks, or whether to employ a qualified librarian.
Given this autonomy, which is granted to schools, the department does not collect information about book stocks.
In February 2022, the department published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties regarding political impartiality. The law is clear that schools must remain politically impartial, not promote partisan political views and should ensure the balanced treatment of political issues.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for Education, Health and Care plan assessments in (a) North West Leicestershire constituency and (b) the UK.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has invested £1 million through the ‘Delivering Better Value’ programme to support the ‘Transforming SEND and Inclusion in Leicestershire’ programme, which aims to improve how the Leicestershire Area Partnership (LAP) supports children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families. Following the Ofsted inspection published in January 2023, the LAP was required to produce an Accelerated Progress Plan to address systemic weaknesses in the quality of their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. The department monitors progress against this plan at regular intervals. In addition, the department has commissioned specific support and challenge for the LAP, targeted at improving both the timeliness and quality of EHC plan assessments.
Within the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department has set out its proposals for EHC plan reform. The department has co-produced an EHC plan template and supporting guidance, which will shortly be piloted in the Change Programme for local authorities, which, alongside the other measures described in the Improvement Plan, will help create a nationally consistent EHC plan process which makes greater use of digital technology, with the aim to improve the quality, consistency and experience of getting EHC plans.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, the number of legal claims that have been submitted against the Education and Skills Funding Agency by private providers since its formation.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Complaints made about the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are published in the ESFA’s Annual Report and Accounts on GOV.UK, and can be found through the following links:
On the number of legal claims submitted against the ESFA by private providers, there is no central record of legal cases held by the department.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints her Department has received on the conduct of the Education and Skills Funding Agency since its formation.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Complaints made about the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman are published in the ESFA’s Annual Report and Accounts on GOV.UK, and can be found through the following links:
On the number of legal claims submitted against the ESFA by private providers, there is no central record of legal cases held by the department.
Asked by: Andrew Bridgen (Independent - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of assessments carried out by (a) full-time regulatory Ofsted and (b) contract non-Ofsted employed inspectors were Inadequate or Needs Improvement judgments in the Early Years sector in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.