Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential relationship between the quality of school lunches and levels of eating disorders among people under 18.
Answered by Will Quince
No assessment has been made on the potential relationship between school meal quality and levels of eating disorders among young people.
The school food standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options. Compliance with the school food standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, including academies.
The standards define the foods and drinks that must be provided, which foods are restricted, and those which must not be provided. They apply to all food and drink provided to pupils on and off school premises and during an extended school day (up to 6pm), including school trips, breakfast clubs, tuck shops, mid-morning break, vending machines and after school clubs.
The relationships, sex and health education curriculum covers topics like body image and mental wellbeing and, at secondary level, teachers can choose to discuss eating disorders. In teaching RSHE, schools must have regard to the statutory guidance, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1019542/Relationships_Education__Relationships_and_Sex_Education__RSE__and_Health_Education.pdf.
To further build our understanding of eating disorders, the government is funding the Eating Disorders Genetic Initiative study with Kings College London and eating disorder charity, Beat, which aims to better understand what may lead to an eating disorder and how to improve the lives of patients.
Since 2016, investment in children and young people's community eating disorder services has risen every year, with an extra £53 million per year from 2021/22. This will enhance the capacity of the 70 new or improved community eating disorder teams covering the whole of the country.
We are providing more than £17 million this financial year to build on existing mental health support in schools and colleges. This includes £9.5 million to enable up to a third of schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead as part of our commitment to fund training for leads in all schools and colleges by 2025.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many devices were purchased by the IT firm Computacenter for the purpose of the Get help with technology scheme; and what brand and model of devices were purchased by that firm for the scheme.
Answered by Robin Walker
Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has distributed over 1.35 million laptops and tablets to schools, academy trusts, local authorities and further education providers for disadvantaged children and young people through the Get Help With Technology programme. This formed part of the £400 million government investment to support access to remote education and online social care services. Of these, 920,120 devices were purchased via contracts held with ComputaCenter. A table containing information on device type is attached.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to bridge the educational attainment gap between Black pupils and pupils of other ethnic origins in (a) STEM and (b) other subjects.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.
Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.
The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.
The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.
The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.
The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.
Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.
The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.
Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 lockdowns on the educational attainment of Black pupils in STEM subjects.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.
Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.
The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.
The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.
The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.
The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.
Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.
The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.
Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the educational attainment of Black pupils compared to pupils of other ethnic origins in STEM subjects at A-level.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.
Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.
The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.
The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.
The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.
The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.
Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.
The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.
Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the educational attainment of Black pupils compared to pupils of other ethnic origins in STEM subjects in (a) Key Stage 1, (b) Key Stage 2, (c) Key Stage 3 and (d) Key stage 4.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes data on the results of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 assessments, including in Mathematics and science, broken down by ethnicity, in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 statistics publications, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-1 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-key-stage-2#national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2. Key Stage 3 assessments are no longer carried out. With regard to Key Stage 4, the Department does not publish statistics at this level which show the attainment in science, technology, engineering or Mathematics (STEM) subjects versus all others by ethnicity.
Data is routinely published on the achievement of STEM A level subjects broken down by ethnicity and other student characteristics in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-attainment-at-19-years#a-levels-and-other-16-to-18-results.
The Department commissioned research by Renaissance Learning and the Education Policy Institute to understand pupils' progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year. The research uses assessments from Renaissance Learning which some schools use as part of their usual formative assessment schedule. The research estimates education lost by predicting what pupils would have scored in a normal year using their historic results and compare that against their actual scores.
The Department has looked at the results by Black pupils and pupils belonging to other ethnic groups, but there is not a consistent picture of which ethnic groups have been worse affected across phases, subjects, and time periods in the study. Small sample sizes make it difficult to draw statistically significant conclusions about differences in impact between ethnic groups based on this study.
The Department has invested over £3 billion since June 2020 to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and early years. This will have a material impact in addressing lost education and closing gaps that have emerged. As part of this, we have announced significant investment in reforms which the evidence shows have the biggest impact on pupils' progress: small group tuition and high quality teaching. For example, effective tutoring has been shown to boost catch up education by much as 3 to 5 months at a time.
The Department has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out later in the year to inform the Spending Review.
Ensuring that anyone, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to pursue a career in a STEM occupation is a key priority for this Government. The Department has made substantial spending commitments on Mathematics, digital, and technical education to encourage more students into STEM, from primary school to higher education. The demand for STEM skills is growing and improving take up of STEM subjects is vital for the UK’s future economic needs and to drive up productivity.
The Department is proud to have rolled out programmes such as the Advanced Maths Support Programme, Stimulating Physics Network, Enthuse bursaries, Teaching for Mastery and Isaac Physics. Together, these programmes will increase STEM support and uptake across all key stages, enhancing the next generation’s mathematical and scientific skills on which the STEM sector is underpinned.
Furthermore, programmes such as STEM Ambassadors, where volunteers who are employed in STEM industries engage directly with young people, help broaden pupils’ understanding of careers in science and engineering and how they can apply their individual skills and interests to different opportunities.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of Black undergraduate students studying STEM subjects who progress on to postgraduate studies.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after graduating from higher education in the graduate outcomes survey. More information is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.
The percentage of undergraduate leavers in the 2017/18 academic year who progressed to postgraduate study in the 15 months[1] after graduation have been provided in the table for each ethnic group.
Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study1 by ethnicity
Leavers in the academic year 2017/18
English Higher Education Providers
Ethnicity | Undergraduate leavers from science subjects who progressed to postgraduate study 2 3 | Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study | Base count of undergraduate leavers 4 |
(%) | (%) | ||
White | 12.4% | 11.4% | 135,075 |
Black | 11.0% | 11.1% | 14,405 |
Asian | 12.4% | 11.5% | 22,090 |
Mixed | 13.9% | 12.1% | 7,210 |
Other | 15.2% | 14.0% | 2,575 |
Ethnicity not known | 10.9% | 11.9% | 1,615 |
Total | 12.4% | 11.5% | 182,975 |
Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data
Notes:
1 Percentages refer to undergraduate leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.
2 Subject percentages are calculated using full-person-equivalents. Where a student was studying more than one subject, they have been apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.
3 Science subjects have been identified using the HESA methodology, principal subject categories A to K of the JACS3 subject classifications framework are categorised as Science subjects. These can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-principal.
4 Base counts are the number of UK domiciled undergraduate leavers who responded to the GO survey, and can also be found in Figure 5 of HESA’s Open Data: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb257/figure-5.
[1] Includes leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the percentage of Black undergraduate students who progress on to postgraduate studies.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after graduating from higher education in the graduate outcomes survey. More information is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.
The percentage of undergraduate leavers in the 2017/18 academic year who progressed to postgraduate study in the 15 months[1] after graduation have been provided in the table for each ethnic group.
Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study1 by ethnicity
Leavers in the academic year 2017/18
English Higher Education Providers
Ethnicity | Undergraduate leavers from science subjects who progressed to postgraduate study 2 3 | Undergraduate leavers who progressed to postgraduate study | Base count of undergraduate leavers 4 |
(%) | (%) | ||
White | 12.4% | 11.4% | 135,075 |
Black | 11.0% | 11.1% | 14,405 |
Asian | 12.4% | 11.5% | 22,090 |
Mixed | 13.9% | 12.1% | 7,210 |
Other | 15.2% | 14.0% | 2,575 |
Ethnicity not known | 10.9% | 11.9% | 1,615 |
Total | 12.4% | 11.5% | 182,975 |
Source: Department for Education analysis of the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey data
Notes:
1 Percentages refer to undergraduate leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.
2 Subject percentages are calculated using full-person-equivalents. Where a student was studying more than one subject, they have been apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.
3 Science subjects have been identified using the HESA methodology, principal subject categories A to K of the JACS3 subject classifications framework are categorised as Science subjects. These can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-principal.
4 Base counts are the number of UK domiciled undergraduate leavers who responded to the GO survey, and can also be found in Figure 5 of HESA’s Open Data: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb257/figure-5.
[1] Includes leavers participating in postgraduate study during the 15-month census week for the survey, or during the interim period since graduating.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to limit the (a) spread of covid-19 variants in schools and (b) disruptions caused by covid-19 variants in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education has worked closely with Public Health England (PHE) to develop and refresh the system of controls, which include cleaning hands thoroughly more often than usual, minimising contact between individuals, and keeping occupied spaces well ventilated to reduce the risk of transmission in schools. Robust testing regimes and the system of controls, when implemented in line with schools’ own workplace risk assessment, create an inherently safer environment for children and staff where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced. The way to control the COVID-19 outbreak is the same, even with the current new variants. The system of controls is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance#system-of-controls.
The system of controls is kept under review and is based on the latest scientific and medical advice, including the context of prevalence, new variants, and progress of the vaccination programme. The Department will continue to develop comprehensive guidance and to understand the impact and effectiveness of these measures on staff, pupils, students, and parents.
In areas where there is a high prevalence of the Delta variant, the Department is increasing the availability of testing for staff, pupils, and families and working with Directors of Public Health to reduce local transmission. The reintroduction of face coverings for pupils, students, or staff may be advised for a temporary period in response to particular localised outbreaks. Further information on responding to individual or regional outbreaks can be found in the contingency framework for education and childcare: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings.
The Department recognises that extended school restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and we are committed to helping pupils make up education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In June 2021 £1.4 billion was announced to support education recovery for children aged 2 to 19 in schools, colleges, and nurseries. This money will provide an additional £1 billion for tutoring, which will provide up to 100 million hours of tuition for 5 to 19-year-olds by 2024, targeting disadvantaged children and key subjects such as Mathematics and English. This is in addition to the £1.7 billion already committed, bringing total investment announced for education recovery over the past year to over £3 billion.
The Department is also making available an extra £400 million to help to provide 500,000 teacher training opportunities across the country, alongside professional development for early years practitioners.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of restraint on the (a) mental and (b) physical health of children in care, particularly during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The department is clear that restraint that deliberately inflicts pain cannot be proportionate and should never be used on children in children’s homes. The Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 state under regulation 20(1) that the only purposes for which restraint can be used in a children's home are to prevent injury to any person (including the child who is being restrained) or to prevent serious damage to the property of any person. In addition, restraint may be used on a child in a secure children's home for the purpose of preventing a child from absconding from the home.
Regulation 35(1) of the Children’s Home (England) Regulations 2015 requires each home to prepare and implement a behaviour management policy. This policy should describe the home’s approach to promoting positive behaviour and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in the home.
Ofsted regularly inspect all children’s homes in England to ensure they are complying with their legal duties, which include detailing incidents of restraint. We have recently contacted all children’s homes in England to remind them of their responsibilities regarding restraint. Together with Ofsted, we will act swiftly against anyone breaching these rules.