Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school places.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the School Capacity (SCAP) survey. The most recent SCAP data shows a need for 30,000 additional primary places and 40,000 additional secondary places between May 2023 and September 2027.
The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on the data they provide. The department has announced nearly £1.5 billion to support local authorities to create school places needed over the next three academic years, up to and including the academic year starting September 2026. This funding is on top of the department’s investment in the free schools programme and means the department has now committed Basic Need capital funding of over £14 billion to support the creation of new school places between 2011 and 2026.
The department also engages with local authorities on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, the department supports them to find solutions as quickly as possible.
Between 2010 and 2023, the department supported the creation of 722,000 primary and 466,000 secondary places in response to a substantial increase in pupil numbers. This is the largest increase in school capacity in at least two generations, following a fall of 100,000 places between 2004 and 2010. Many more places are in the pipeline.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of school policies on (a) religious practices and (b) inclusivity.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers. It is a matter for individual schools and headteachers to make a decision that is in the interest of their pupils. It is important when considering any requests relating to prayer that they do so in the context of the Equality Act 2010, and their public sector equality duty.
Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including religion or belief. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). All children and young people must be treated fairly and supported to thrive and reach their potential within a respectful environment.
The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes specific advice on religion or belief.
The PSED was introduced in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and places a legal obligation on public authorities to consider how their policy or service decisions impacts differently on individuals. The department as a public body is required to give due regard to PSED in its decision making. According to the PSED, a public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) tackle potential discrimination in schools against students based on their religious practices.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers. It is a matter for individual schools and headteachers to make a decision that is in the interest of their pupils. It is important when considering any requests relating to prayer that they do so in the context of the Equality Act 2010, and their public sector equality duty.
Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including religion or belief. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). All children and young people must be treated fairly and supported to thrive and reach their potential within a respectful environment.
The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes specific advice on religion or belief.
The PSED was introduced in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and places a legal obligation on public authorities to consider how their policy or service decisions impacts differently on individuals. The department as a public body is required to give due regard to PSED in its decision making. According to the PSED, a public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to schools on balancing inclusivity and religious freedoms.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers. It is a matter for individual schools and headteachers to make a decision that is in the interest of their pupils. It is important when considering any requests relating to prayer that they do so in the context of the Equality Act 2010, and their public sector equality duty.
Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including religion or belief. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). All children and young people must be treated fairly and supported to thrive and reach their potential within a respectful environment.
The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes specific advice on religion or belief.
The PSED was introduced in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and places a legal obligation on public authorities to consider how their policy or service decisions impacts differently on individuals. The department as a public body is required to give due regard to PSED in its decision making. According to the PSED, a public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to non-religious schools on enforcing policies that restrict (a) prayer and (b) other religious practices.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
There is currently no legal requirement for schools to allow their pupils time within the school day to pray upon request, nor are they required to provide any pupil with a physical space, such as a prayer room, to conduct their prayers. It is a matter for individual schools and headteachers to make a decision that is in the interest of their pupils. It is important when considering any requests relating to prayer that they do so in the context of the Equality Act 2010, and their public sector equality duty.
Under the Equality Act 2010 schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including religion or belief. State-funded schools are also subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). All children and young people must be treated fairly and supported to thrive and reach their potential within a respectful environment.
The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, which can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools. This includes specific advice on religion or belief.
The PSED was introduced in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and places a legal obligation on public authorities to consider how their policy or service decisions impacts differently on individuals. The department as a public body is required to give due regard to PSED in its decision making. According to the PSED, a public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support is available to young adult carers between the ages of 16 and 19 who are in further education; and what steps her Department takes to ensure equitable access to that support across regions.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is determined that all young carers get the support they need to succeed in all stages of education.
The department provides a range of financial support for students who need it to enable them to participate in further education. This includes free meals, bursaries to help with the cost of education, such as travel, books, equipment, and trips, plus support for childcare and residential costs where required.
In the 2023/24 academic year, over £160 million of bursary funding has been allocated to institutions to help disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds with the costs of taking part in education. This is nearly 12% higher than published allocations for last year. The department has also made available around £20 million each year specifically to support students in defined vulnerable groups, for example those in care, care leavers and those supporting themselves in receipt of certain social security funds or benefits.
To ensure that the distribution of this funding around the regions matches the needs of young people, the department began moving to a new approach to allocate the fund from the 2020/21 academic year. This approach uses up to date disadvantage data and focusses more on the costs of travel to ensure that institutions get more Bursary Fund if their students are from more disadvantaged areas and/or travel a long way to attend. The 2023/24 academic year allocations fully reflect this new approach after its phasing in over several years.
Institutions decide which young people receive bursaries and determine the level of financial support they receive. They develop their own eligibility criteria for access to the discretionary bursary fund, including setting a household income threshold appropriate to their area and must publish information on this for students.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the level of (a) qualification and (b) experience of staff employed through teacher supply agencies on educational standards.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and by covering teacher absences.
The type of school a supply teacher works in determines the qualifications required. In local authority-maintained schools, maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools, anyone who teaches is legally required to hold qualified teacher status (QTS), subject to the following exceptions:
Academies, free schools and independent schools are not subject to these requirements and have the freedom to appoint teachers with alternative qualifications.
Headteachers are ultimately responsible for the educational performance in their schools and the governing body carries out certain checks on supply staff, and the department trusts them to take decisions about the right mix of qualifications, skills, and experience that they expect teachers in their schools to have.
In August 2018, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, the department launched the agency supply deal. A link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal supports schools to get value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff.
The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which:
The department strongly recommends that schools consider using preferred suppliers first for their agency staffing needs.
Schools can learn more about the deal at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.
The department commissioned a research project last year into the use of supply staff in schools. This research has surveyed and interviewed supply teachers and school leaders and will improve understanding of the supply market. Publication of the report is due in the summer.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the level of experience of cover supervisors in schools and (b) potential impact of the use of cover supervisors on (i) student safety and (ii) educational outcomes.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and by covering teacher absences.
The type of school a supply teacher works in determines the qualifications required. In local authority-maintained schools, maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools, anyone who teaches is legally required to hold qualified teacher status (QTS), subject to the following exceptions:
Academies, free schools and independent schools are not subject to these requirements and have the freedom to appoint teachers with alternative qualifications.
Headteachers are ultimately responsible for the educational performance in their schools and the governing body carries out certain checks on supply staff, and the department trusts them to take decisions about the right mix of qualifications, skills, and experience that they expect teachers in their schools to have.
In August 2018, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, the department launched the agency supply deal. A link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal supports schools to get value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff.
The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which:
The department strongly recommends that schools consider using preferred suppliers first for their agency staffing needs.
Schools can learn more about the deal at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.
The department commissioned a research project last year into the use of supply staff in schools. This research has surveyed and interviewed supply teachers and school leaders and will improve understanding of the supply market. Publication of the report is due in the summer.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of regulating the qualifications and experience of staff made available to schools through teacher supply agencies.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and by covering teacher absences.
The type of school a supply teacher works in determines the qualifications required. In local authority-maintained schools, maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools, anyone who teaches is legally required to hold qualified teacher status (QTS), subject to the following exceptions:
Academies, free schools and independent schools are not subject to these requirements and have the freedom to appoint teachers with alternative qualifications.
Headteachers are ultimately responsible for the educational performance in their schools and the governing body carries out certain checks on supply staff, and the department trusts them to take decisions about the right mix of qualifications, skills, and experience that they expect teachers in their schools to have.
In August 2018, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, the department launched the agency supply deal. A link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal supports schools to get value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff.
The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which:
The department strongly recommends that schools consider using preferred suppliers first for their agency staffing needs.
Schools can learn more about the deal at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.
The department commissioned a research project last year into the use of supply staff in schools. This research has surveyed and interviewed supply teachers and school leaders and will improve understanding of the supply market. Publication of the report is due in the summer.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to support schools in low income areas that may experience challenges in securing qualified supply teachers.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and by covering teacher absences.
The type of school a supply teacher works in determines the qualifications required. In local authority-maintained schools, maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools, anyone who teaches is legally required to hold qualified teacher status (QTS), subject to the following exceptions:
Academies, free schools and independent schools are not subject to these requirements and have the freedom to appoint teachers with alternative qualifications.
Headteachers are ultimately responsible for the educational performance in their schools and the governing body carries out certain checks on supply staff, and the department trusts them to take decisions about the right mix of qualifications, skills, and experience that they expect teachers in their schools to have.
In August 2018, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, the department launched the agency supply deal. A link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal supports schools to get value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff.
The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which:
The department strongly recommends that schools consider using preferred suppliers first for their agency staffing needs.
Schools can learn more about the deal at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.
The department commissioned a research project last year into the use of supply staff in schools. This research has surveyed and interviewed supply teachers and school leaders and will improve understanding of the supply market. Publication of the report is due in the summer.