Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with (a) university leaders and (b) other relevant stakeholders following the announcement by some universities that they plan to continue with lectures online in the Autumn term 2021; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
As autonomous institutions, it is for universities to determine their own provision, including their learning approach, taking account of any government guidance. We understand that a number of universities have announced plans on teaching in the next academic year: some will retain an element of blended learning. We know that the COVID-19 outbreak has enabled many providers to identify new and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, and students will continue to benefit from these alongside in person provision. We expect all universities to act in the interest of students and provide them with a full experience and in accordance with Office for Students guidance, which can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/guidance-for-providers-about-student-and-consumer-protection-during-the-pandemic/. Higher Education (HE) providers should communicate clearly to their students what they can expect from planned teaching and learning so that they are able to make informed choices.
We are working with universities to identify a number of scenarios we should consider in planning for the autumn term, taking account of the latest public health advice. We intend to update the HE guidance in due course to support the return of students for the new academic year.
As outlined in guidance, we expect providers to continue to organise provision in a way that minimises the risk of outbreaks at the start of the new term.
The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely. The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for English HE providers, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected.
I am confident that universities will continue to deliver high-quality provision, as they have done throughout the COVID-19 outbreak and continue to ensure risks are managed appropriately. Students will still be able to expect a rich, rounded experience from their HE provider.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SAGE Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group SPI-M-O: Consensus Statement on COVID-19, 21 April 2021, and the statement in para.19 highlighting the importance of maintaining mask wearing in schools in the coming months, for what reason he changed the Government guidance on 10 May to state that face coverings would be no longer required in schools and colleges from 17 May; if he will make it his policy to revise that guidance in line with the advice from the SAGE SPIMO subgroup; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
From 17 May, in line with Step 3 of the roadmap, face coverings are no longer recommended for pupils in classrooms or communal areas in schools. Face coverings are also no longer recommended for staff in classrooms. This is supported by Public Health England (PHE).
In all schools the Department continues to recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and visitors in situations outside of classrooms where social distancing is not possible.
When the policy was introduced, it was an appropriate additional safety measure while rates of infection were high in the community. Since then, the epidemiological position improved, and vaccine rates have increased, shifting the balance of risks. As the four tests for easing restrictions in Step 3 of the roadmap were met, it was an appropriate time to remove the recommendation for pupils to wear face coverings and staff in communal areas.
Our policy on face coverings and the system of controls is kept under review and is informed by the latest scientific and medical advice from PHE. Further information on the use and effectiveness of face coverings can be found at: https://phe.koha-ptfs.co.uk/cgi-bin/koha/opac-retrieve-file.pl?id=9adedb17d5622f9cd7e42febcadb19ad and https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/963639/DfE_Evidence_summary_COVID-19_-_children__young_people_and_education_settings.pdf.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Information Commissioner's Office has approved the Government's proposals for the collection and management of pupil data gathered through the Reception Baseline Assessment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has regularly consulted with the Information Commissioner’s Office when developing the data processing aspects of the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA). We are confident that we are taking the right approach with the RBA data.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic restrictions on families with children and young people who have SEND; what information he holds on the number and proportion of (a) children and young people with (i) SEND (ii) EHCPs who were not able to: (A)attend school, (B) access the internet and online learning opportunities, (C) access therapies and health treatments, D) access social care services and (b) families who have not able to access respite provision and support since the start of the pandemic; what plans he has to set out and implement a covid-19 recovery plan for disabled children and their families; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families is a priority for this government, and their educational, physical and mental wellbeing remains central to our cross-government response to the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why we kept schools open for vulnerable children, including those with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), during periods of national lockdown and why we continued to allow families to access respite services and other social care support throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. We have encouraged local authorities to consider flexible and pragmatic options to deliver social care support including using direct payments and carrying out activities virtually.
The department collects daily data on the attendance of pupils with EHCPs and publishes this on a weekly basis here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.
The latest data shows that 87% of pupils with EHCPs in state-funded schools were in attendance on 20 May.
We are clear that education settings should continue to work collaboratively with families so that pupils and students with SEND can successfully access remote education when necessary. The department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy, including specialist content for pupils with SEND. Since the start of the spring term 2021, over 94 million Oak National Academy lessons have been viewed, including over 21,000 specialist lessons.
We know how important access to therapy services are for disabled children which is why we make it clear in our guidance that specialists, therapists, clinicians and other support staff for pupils and students with SEND should provide interventions as usual. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.
We do not collect data at a national level on the number or proportion of children and young people with SEND or EHCPs who can access the internet and online learning, therapies and health treatments or social care services.
The department will continue to assess the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and is committed to helping all pupils, including those with SEND, make up for lost learning. We have already committed £1.7 billion to education recovery and Sir Kevan Collins in his role as the Education Recovery Commissioner is further considering how schools and the system can more effectively target resources and support at pupils in greatest need. This includes prioritising the needs of those with SEND and EHCPs within our response.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the prioritisation for covid-19 vaccination of university students ahead of the 2021-22 academic year; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The department regularly reviews advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and Public Health England to ensure that our policies are guided by the most up-to-date scientific evidence.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the government on which vaccines the UK should use. The JCVI also provide advice on who should be offered the vaccines.
The JCVI have advised that the second phase of vaccine prioritisation should continue to be based on age. They advise that an age-based approach remains the most effective way of reducing death and hospitalisation from COVID-19 and of ensuring that more people are protected quickly.
Everyone in the top 9 priority cohorts (those aged 50 and over, those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and frontline health and social care workers) has now been offered a first dose of the vaccine. Our target remains to offer a vaccine to all adults aged 18 and over by 31 July.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish details of the review that took place over the Easter holidays to assess the evidence on whether the covid-19 advice on the wearing of face coverings in secondary schools can be eased.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is vital that all pupils can attend school to minimise the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their education, wellbeing, and wider development, which is why enabling face-to-face education for all pupils remains a national priority.
To support the return to full attendance on 8 March, the Department published updated guidance for schools, which included updated advice on face coverings. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
As the guidance outlines, where pupils in Year 7 and above are educated, we recommend that face coverings should be worn by staff and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.
Since 8 March and following an ongoing review of the available evidence and in line with public health advice, we also continue to recommend that face coverings should be worn in classrooms by staff and those in Year 7 and above unless social distancing can be maintained.
The best available scientific evidence is that, when used correctly, wearing a face covering may reduce the spread of COVID-19 droplets in certain circumstances, helping to protect others.
We have worked closely with Public Health England to consider a range of evidence, balancing both the health and educational considerations. This includes the latest public health advice, the most recent scientific evidence, as well as stakeholder intelligence gathered by the Department on the experiences of face covering use in classrooms.
The latest data on testing, outbreaks in schools and Office for National Statistics data on COVID-19 infections and population prevalence that was considered is information that is publicly available and can be found here:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/973176/Weekly_COVID-19_and_Influenza_Surveillance_Graphs_W12.pdf https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/covid19schoolsinfectionsurveyround2england/december2020
The decision to continue with this additional measure is a cautious approach that will help limit the risk of transmission. The Department will seek to remove face coverings at the first safe opportunity given the negative impact they may have on communication in the classroom.
It is expected that face coverings will no longer be required to be worn in classrooms, or by pupils in other communal areas, at step 3 of the roadmap, which will be no earlier than 17 May. At this point, the next stage of easements, including increased social contact indoors, will be confirmed following a review of the latest data on infection and vaccination rates.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2021 to Question 140273, on Postgraduate Education: Coronavirus, whether the Minister of State for Universities plans to make a financial support package of similar value available to PhD students who are not funded through UK Research and Innovation; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Providers have flexibility in how they distribute hardship funding to students, in a way that best prioritises those in greatest need. Support can include help for students facing additional costs arising from having to maintain accommodation in more than one location, assistance to help students access teaching remotely or help for students that have already applied for hardship funding previously but need additional support. The funding can be distributed to a wide population of students, including postgraduates (whether taught or research-based) and international students. In addition, we have provided £11 million of quality-related funding provided for universities to support their PhD community, including those not funded via UK Research and Innovation.
English students are also eligible for the doctoral degree loan and can access one loan up to the maximum amount that was available when they started their course.
There are no plans to create a financial support package specifically for PhD students who are not funded through UK Research and Innovation, other than the available funding mentioned above.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2021 to Question 158900, how data that is collected via Reception Baseline Assessments for four year olds will be used to measure whether children have caught up on expected learning during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The reception baseline assessment (RBA) will assess all children on entry to primary school to enable a new progress measure to be created at the end of Key Stage 2 that takes into account the progress made by pupils throughout their time in primary school.
Data from the RBA is intended to be used solely for analysis concerned with the primary accountability progress measure and will not be used to measure whether children have caught up on education lost during the COVID-19 outbreak. The new progress measure will, however, recognise more clearly schools doing well with a challenging intake, including those who have been more affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Following the RBA, teachers will receive a series of short, narrative statements on how each child performed, which will assist them in understanding where pupils are starting from and can be used to inform teaching alongside other in-school assessments.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, from which date all university students will be able to return to campus and resume in-person teaching; what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the provision of home covid-19 testing for university students using the type of testing system that is used by secondary school pupils; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.
The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.
We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Disabled Children's Partnership’s report, The Longest Lockdown, published in February 2021, if she will make it her policy to work with Cabinet colleagues to implement a cross-departmental covid-19 catch-up plan for disabled children and their families to implement the recommendations from that report to deliver (a) a therapies catch-up plan to address where children have regressed or plateaued in their development, (b) respite for families of disabled children suffering from exhaustion, (c) flexibility to extend or allow repeat funding for disabled young people in further education and (d) additional support for disabled children and young people at key transition points; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families is a priority for this government, and their educational, physical and mental wellbeing remains central to our cross-government response to the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why education settings have remained open for those children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan throughout.
Regarding therapies, our guidance is clear that where children and young people with an EHC plan are in receipt of health provision, settings should be working collaboratively with their local authority, clinical commissioning group and health providers to agree appropriate support in view of the latest and current local public health guidance. Therapists and other professionals may continue to visit education settings to provide therapies and support, where this is reasonably necessary. However, we recognise that the COVID-19 outbreak has been particularly challenging for these families and children and young people with SEND will need targeted support as part of the recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Regarding wider education recovery, Sir Kevan Collins has been appointed as the Education Recovery Commissioner. He is considering how schools and the system can more effectively target resources and support at pupils in greatest need.
Already, the government has announced specific targeted support for children and young people with SEND, which includes a new one-off Recovery Premium for state primary and secondary schools, building on the £650 million catch-up premium for the 2020/21 academic year, which will be provided to schools to use as they see best to support disadvantaged students. This can include, for example, speech and language therapies or pastoral support for mental wellbeing. This funding can also be used to lay on additional clubs or activities or for other evidence-based approaches for supporting the most disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND. The Recovery Premium will be allocated to schools based on the same methodology as the pupil premium, including an additional weighting to specialist settings, recognising the significantly higher per pupil costs they face.
The National Tutoring Programme has been expanded, which will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged pupils, helping to accelerate their progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers. In addition, 16-19 tuition fund providers are asked to have regard to the needs of students with SEND when prioritising students that would benefit most from small group tuition.
Furthermore, the proposals to support early language and literacy catch up will benefit all children including those with SEND. The Reception Year Nuffield Early Language Intervention catch-up programme is suitable for many children with SEND. It is not designed as specialist provision to replace Speech and Language Therapy interventions, but can supplement these.
£200 million will also be available to all secondary schools, including specialist settings, to deliver face-to-face summer schools. Schools will be able to target provision based on pupils’ needs, such as those at key transition points. The size and shape of the summer schools will be decided by school leaders who know best what a most effective summer school will look like for their pupils, allowing them to tailor support for pupils with SEND.
Regarding respite support, we also recognise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on families raising disabled children. We continue to encourage local authorities to prioritise respite support for disabled children, and to consider flexible and pragmatic options to deliver that support including using Direct Payments. The government provided £4.6 billion of funding to support councils through the COVID-19 outbreak, including to deliver services to support vulnerable children.
In addition, we have expanded the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children since 2018. From 2021, the programme will cover the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays at a cost of up to £220 million. It will be available to children in every local authority in England, building on previous programmes and we are working to ensure that the programme is fully inclusive and accessible for children with SEND.
Regarding flexibility around transition support and additional funding for those in Further Education, arrangements under an EHC plan can continue up to age 25 for those young people who need to take longer to complete their education or training. Local authorities will need to make a judgement, in consultation with parents and the young person, about whether or not agreed outcomes have been met, and the young person has been prepared and enabled to make a successful transition to adulthood. However, in every case the local authority needs to consider whether it is in the best interests of an individual to stay in education.
We have recently agreed that those young people with an EHC plan on a supported internship (a work-focused study programme for those with complex needs) who were not able to meet the core aim of their internship in the 2020-21 academic year may continue their internship into the 2021-22 academic year. It is not envisaged that all supported interns will need to extend their internship for a full year. Providers should determine the length of time that a learner will require based on the needs of the individual, and in agreement with the local authority, noting that the legislative and funding arrangements for EHC plans do not allow for a plan to be extended beyond the age of 25.