Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if it his policy that local authorities should encourage schools and academies to update their risk assessments to reflect 1 metre plus social distancing.
Answered by Nick Gibb
On 2 July we published guidance to help schools plan for a full return of all children in September. This sets out that in preparation for September, schools should thoroughly review their health and safety risk assessments and draw up plans for the autumn term that address the risks identified.
Schools are expected to give consideration of how to reduce contacts and maximise distancing between those in school wherever possible and minimise potential for contamination so far as is reasonably practicable. These contacts can be reduced by a variety of steps including grouping children together, avoiding contact between groups and staff maintaining distance from pupils and other staff as much as possible.
Our guidance states that ideally, adults should maintain 2 metre distance from each other, and from children. We know that this is not always possible, particularly when working with younger children. In particular, adults should avoid close face to face contact and minimise time spent within 1 metre of anyone.
Children who are old enough should also be supported to maintain distance and not touch staff and their peers where possible. This will not be possible for the youngest children and some children with complex needs and it is not feasible in some schools where space does not allow. Schools doing this where they can, and even doing this some of the time, will help.
The guidance on the full opening of schools can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy that (a) all schools return to normal teaching and (b) wraparound care providers resume normal operations in September 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government has been clear that our intention is for all children to return to school from September. We want to get all children and young people back into education because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their wellbeing to have social interactions with their teachers and friends.
On 2 July we published guidance to help schools plan for a full return of all pupils in September. In our guidance we advise schools to teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn term but make use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content.
Schools should consider resuming any breakfast and after-school provision, where possible, from the start of the autumn term. We recognise that schools may need to respond flexibly and build this up over time. Such provision will help ensure pupils have opportunities to re-engage with their peers and with the setting, ensure vulnerable children have a healthy breakfast and are ready to focus on their lessons, to provide enrichment activities, and also support working parents. Schools should carefully consider how they can make such provision work alongside their wider protective measures, including keeping children within their year groups or bubbles where possible. If it is not possible to maintain bubbles being used during the school day then schools should use small, consistent groups.
As part of Step 3 of the Government’s recovery strategy, wraparound care providers operating away from a school or nursery have been able to open from 4 July. We have published guidance for after school clubs and wraparound care providers, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether parents unable to utilise their 30 hours free childcare entitlement during the covid-19 lockdown will be able to carry those unused hours over for use during the summer holidays 2020.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We want parents to have access to a range of affordable childcare, giving them increased flexibility in their working hours and helping children thrive in the crucial early years. The government-funded early years entitlements deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible childcare for eligible two, three and four-year-olds for 38 weeks a year.
The government wants to support nurseries, pre-schools and childminders during what must be a worrying and uncertain time. On 17 March, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed the government would continue to pay funding to local authorities for the free entitlements for two, three and four-year-olds during the period of closures, providing reassurance for early years settings in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This entitlement funding has continued to be paid to providers to try and ensure that once the lockdown measures are eased and people return to work, there remains sufficient childcare for all those who need it.
These entitlements, therefore, cannot be accrued for time not spent in the setting and so parents will not be able to carry over unused hours for use in the summer holidays.
From 1 June, childcare settings have been able to reopen for children of all ages.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to ensure the (a) cost-effectiveness and (b) availability of apprenticeships; and what assessment he has made of the level of compliance by schools with the Baker clause.
Answered by Anne Milton
Our reforms are making apprenticeships longer and better, with more off-the job training and proper assessment at the end, helping employers to create high quality apprenticeships training that will lead to a more skilled and productive economy. By 2020, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England will have risen to over £2.5 billion per year, to increase the number of high quality opportunities.
New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed and driven by industry according to their skill needs. There are over 400 apprenticeship standards available, across all levels and in a wide range of occupations, with more in development.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education is responsible for advising the Department for Education (DfE) on the appropriate funding band for apprenticeships, to support high quality apprenticeships and provide value for money for employers and government. The funding band represents the maximum government contribution towards the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment, and employers are encouraged to negotiate a price with their provider.
Information regarding the number of schools that are compliant with the Baker Clause is not held centrally, but the DfE has carried out a survey with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers in June 2018 to find out more about the early impact of the new law. Just over three quarters (76%) of the 75 providers surveyed stated that the duty is being partially complied with in their area. Just under a fifth (19%) said it was not being complied with at all. The remaining 5% said schools in their area are fully compliant. A more recent study by the Institute for Public Policy Research, published on 9 January, found that 70% of providers say that it is difficult to access schools in their area and 31% say that the situation has improved in the last year.
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Wetherby and Easingwold)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the amount held in reserves by maintained schools in the Leeds City Council local authority area in for 2017/18.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department trusts schools to manage their own budgets and the great majority have a cumulative surplus of funds, built up over a number of years. In 2016/17 206 local authority maintained schools in Leeds recorded a cumulative surplus, which totalled £31,553,748.