Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effect of unmet mental health needs among care leavers on their (a) educational and (b) training and employment outcomes and levels of homelessness.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Care leavers’ experiences before care mean that as a group they have poorer outcomes than other young people. While the Department does not collect data on the relationship between mental health needs and outcomes, our cross-government care leaver strategy, published in July 2016, is based around five issues care leavers identified as barriers to success, including improved access to health support. We also know from our consultations with care leavers that they often find it difficult to access the right mental health support when they leave care which impacts on other areas of their lives. This includes their engagement in education, employment and training.
The Department of Health is represented on a senior Whitehall officials group on care leavers. The Department is working closely with the Department for Health, NHS England and the Expert Working Group to develop the scope of the mental health assessment pilots announced by Lord Nash on 23 November. No decisions have yet been made on the precise scope of the pilots and whether they will cover children in care and care leavers. The terms of reference of the Expert Working Group to develop mental health care pathways for looked after children explicitly include care leavers. We will act on the findings from the Expert Working Group and the mental health assessment pilots.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted inspectors are required to have experience of teaching in primary schools prior to becoming an inspector.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures her Department has in place to scrutinise any possible conflicts of interest that Ofsted inspectors may have when inspecting primary schools; how many Ofsted inspectors are involved in the conversion of primary schools to academies in either an advisory or developmental capacity; and whether Ofsted inspectors are required to inform head teachers that they have an interest in the development of academies prior to conducting an inspection.
Answered by Nick Gibb
These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw. I have asked him to write to you and a copy of his reply will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will update the actuarial analysis used for the Risk Protection Arrangement to include the effect of the recent storms in the assessment of exposure to risk.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All claims received up to 31 March 2016, including those arising from the recent storm events, will form part of the next actuarial analysis of claim experience and will inform the assessment of risk to the Risk Protection Agreement. Our next actuarial analysis exercise will be finalised in July 2016.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, within what timescale the Risk Protection Arrangement will cover (a) the costs of temporary accommodation while the original building is reinstated and (b) all other storm-related costs incurred by Burnley Road Academy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Risk Protection Agreement (RPA) will cover all the costs associated with temporary accommodation for the period whilst the original building is fully reinstated. Significant costs arising are likely to be met in the form of staged payments as and when they arise. The tender processes for repairs to Burnley Road Academy and the remedial work necessary have yet to be concluded; therefore we are unable to provide specific timescales as to when the full costs will be reimbursed at this stage.
The latest position for Burnley Road Academy in relation to both costs of temporary accommodation (Business Interruption) and all other storm related costs (Property Buildings and Property Contents) within scope of the RPA membership rules is summarised in the table below:
Summary of RPA Claims due to Storms December 2015 - Status at 29.02.16 | ||||
Total Value of claims received (paid & reserve) | ||||
School | Property Buildings (£) | Property Contents (£) | Business Interruption (£) | Grand Total (£) |
BURNLEY ROAD ACADEMY | 697,000.00 | 307,500.00 | 210,000.00 | 1,214,500.00 |
Further information on the cover provided by the RPA can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/risk-protection-arrangement-rpa-for-academy-trusts-membership-rules
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support the academies risk protection arrangement is providing to schools affected by the recent floods.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Risk Protection Agreement (RPA) will cover all storm related costs, including flooding, incurred by academy trusts which are members of the RPA, in accordance with RPA membership rules. Cover will also be provided for temporary accommodation while their original buildings are being reinstated.
The RPA service providers are working closely with those schools affected to minimise disruption and complete remedial works in a timely manner to the satisfaction of all parties concerned.
Further information on the cover provided by the RPA can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/risk-protection-arrangement-rpa-for-academy-trusts-membership-rules
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support the Risk Protection Arrangement has offered to Burnley Road Academy in Cumbria; and what assessment she has made of the extent to which that scheme has reimbursed the losses incurred by academy trusts as a result of flooding.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) will cover all storm related costs incurred by Burnley Road academy in Calderdale, including the costs of temporary accommodation while the original building is reinstated.
The RPA will similarly cover all costs incurred by academy trusts who are members of the RPA as a result of flooding, in accordance with the RPA membership rules. It is too early to assess the total cost to RPA of these losses, since claims are still being reported, evaluated and settled. As at January 27, a £3.7 million reserve total for RPA claims has so far been identified to cover losses as a result of recent storms.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how accurate prior actuarial analysis of the Risk Protection Arrangement was in forecasting the scheme's overall loss as a result of flooding.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Risk Protection Arrangement provision includes an allowance within its benchmarks for large storm or flood events, based on the actuarial work undertaken, which last took place on data as at 31 August 2015. Actuarial analysis is not intended to provide forecasts for individual events, so it would not be meaningful to compare the analysis with recent events.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the long term liabilities of the Risk Protection Arrangement; and how her Department has estimated the total funds needed to cover these liabilities.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Secretary of State for Education has engaged with professional actuaries both from the private sector and Government, to provide an actuarial assessment of the long term liabilities applicable to the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA).
The estimated total funds needed to cover these liabilities are modelled on the current RPA membership and expected future pupil numbers of the academy trusts which are forecast to join the RPA.
Asked by: Ian Mearns (Labour - Gateshead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of 16 to 19 year old students studying GCSE mathematics and English in further education and sixth form colleges.
Answered by Nick Boles
The requested information for 16 to 19 year olds is not available. Information on 16 to 18 year olds students entered for GCSE English and/or maths, having not achieved a grade A* to C at the end of key stage 4, is published by institution type in the “Level 1 and 2 English and mathematics: 16 to 18 students - 2013 to 2014” statistical first release[1].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/level-1-and-2-english-and-maths-16-to-18-students-2013-to-2014 (Tables 1 and 3)