Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support the outreach work of the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2010, the Department for Education has provided over £14 million to support students and teachers from state-funded schools and colleges in England to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, through the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. The aim of these visits is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.
We are continuing to support the Holocaust Education Trust, ensuring more students have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and that they share the knowledge they have gained from their visit and lead projects to increase awareness of the Holocaust in their schools and local communities.
The Department also funds the University College London centre for Holocaust Education to provide continuing professional development for teachers. On 16 January 2018, the Government announced a partnership between the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education. These departments are providing £144,261 of joint funding for a new programme to support universities in tackling antisemitism on campus. The programme will be delivered by the Holocaust Educational Trust and will involve 200 students and university leaders from across the country visiting the former Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon their return, they will take part in a seminar, which will deal explicitly with campus issues and how to identify and tackle antisemitism.
Every year the Department for Education holds a Holocaust Memorial Day event. This year it will fall on 31 January 2018 and be hosted by The Holocaust Educational Trust. A Holocaust survivor will attend as guest speaker, with their testimony being the central focus of the event; and young ambassadors will share their reflections on their Department for Education funded ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ experience.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to support the Holocaust Educational Trust's Lessons From Auschwitz project.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2010, the Department for Education has provided over £14 million to support students and teachers from state-funded schools and colleges in England to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, through the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. The aim of these visits is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.
We are continuing to support the Holocaust Education Trust, ensuring more students have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and that they share the knowledge they have gained from their visit and lead projects to increase awareness of the Holocaust in their schools and local communities.
The Department also funds the University College London centre for Holocaust Education to provide continuing professional development for teachers. On 16 January 2018, the Government announced a partnership between the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education. These departments are providing £144,261 of joint funding for a new programme to support universities in tackling antisemitism on campus. The programme will be delivered by the Holocaust Educational Trust and will involve 200 students and university leaders from across the country visiting the former Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon their return, they will take part in a seminar, which will deal explicitly with campus issues and how to identify and tackle antisemitism.
Every year the Department for Education holds a Holocaust Memorial Day event. This year it will fall on 31 January 2018 and be hosted by The Holocaust Educational Trust. A Holocaust survivor will attend as guest speaker, with their testimony being the central focus of the event; and young ambassadors will share their reflections on their Department for Education funded ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ experience.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day 2018.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2010, the Department for Education has provided over £14 million to support students and teachers from state-funded schools and colleges in England to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, through the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. The aim of these visits is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.
We are continuing to support the Holocaust Education Trust, ensuring more students have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and that they share the knowledge they have gained from their visit and lead projects to increase awareness of the Holocaust in their schools and local communities.
The Department also funds the University College London centre for Holocaust Education to provide continuing professional development for teachers. On 16 January 2018, the Government announced a partnership between the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education. These departments are providing £144,261 of joint funding for a new programme to support universities in tackling antisemitism on campus. The programme will be delivered by the Holocaust Educational Trust and will involve 200 students and university leaders from across the country visiting the former Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon their return, they will take part in a seminar, which will deal explicitly with campus issues and how to identify and tackle antisemitism.
Every year the Department for Education holds a Holocaust Memorial Day event. This year it will fall on 31 January 2018 and be hosted by The Holocaust Educational Trust. A Holocaust survivor will attend as guest speaker, with their testimony being the central focus of the event; and young ambassadors will share their reflections on their Department for Education funded ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ experience.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to continue to support the Holocaust Educational Trust.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since 2010, the Department for Education has provided over £14 million to support students and teachers from state-funded schools and colleges in England to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, through the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. The aim of these visits is to increase knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust.
We are continuing to support the Holocaust Education Trust, ensuring more students have the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau and that they share the knowledge they have gained from their visit and lead projects to increase awareness of the Holocaust in their schools and local communities.
The Department also funds the University College London centre for Holocaust Education to provide continuing professional development for teachers. On 16 January 2018, the Government announced a partnership between the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Education. These departments are providing £144,261 of joint funding for a new programme to support universities in tackling antisemitism on campus. The programme will be delivered by the Holocaust Educational Trust and will involve 200 students and university leaders from across the country visiting the former Nazi concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Upon their return, they will take part in a seminar, which will deal explicitly with campus issues and how to identify and tackle antisemitism.
Every year the Department for Education holds a Holocaust Memorial Day event. This year it will fall on 31 January 2018 and be hosted by The Holocaust Educational Trust. A Holocaust survivor will attend as guest speaker, with their testimony being the central focus of the event; and young ambassadors will share their reflections on their Department for Education funded ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ experience.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to preserve the teaching of Design and Technology within school curriculums.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Design and Technology (D&T) is compulsory in the national curriculum in England at key stages 1 to 3. By introducing a new, more rigorous D&T curriculum in 2014 and reforming the subject’s GCSE and A level qualifications, we have taken important steps to make D&T a more attractive subject to study, paving the way for young people to progress into careers in a vast range of engineering and design fields.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of Design and Technology teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We continue to support Design and Technology (D&T) teacher recruitment through bursaries of up to £12,000 and marketing campaigns featuring D&T. Subject knowledge enhancement courses are available for those candidates who need to refresh or boost their knowledge of D&T prior to commencing teacher training. The Department for Education provides a specific webpage through the ‘Get into Teaching’ website for potential D&T trainee teachers:
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/teach-design-and-technology
In addition, officials hold regular discussions with the Design and Technology Association.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce compulsory paediatric first aid training for all nursery staff.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Paediatric first aid training is, and will remain, a statutory requirement for all providers regulated in England under the Childcare Act 2006. The requirements for early years providers, including nurseries are set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). [1] Following the commitments I made in the debate on paediatric first aid, I am reviewing the requirements in EYFS and drafting new guidance on this matter.
[1] www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidelines to local authorities on implementing the Children and Families Act 2014 which relate to funding arrangements for children with special educational needs.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The ‘Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0-25’, which provides statutory guidance on Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014, includes references to the funding arrangements for children with special educational needs (SEN).
More detailed guidance on the funding arrangements for children with SEN is issued by the education funding agency from time to time. Recent operational guidance was published in July 2014 and last updated in December 2014: ‘Schools Revenue Funding 2015-2016: Operational Guidance Version 4’. [1]
[1] www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/390387/Schools_revenue_funding_2015_to_2016_operational_guide_Dec_2104.pdf
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce legislative proposals to make it compulsory that supply teachers have access to pension rights on an equal basis to other teachers.
Answered by David Laws
The Teachers’ Pensions Regulations currently provide for supply teachers to participate in the Teacher’s Pension Scheme (TPS) where they are employed by a scheme employer. In the main, these are local authorities (LAs), academies and further education colleges. This includes supply teachers who are recruited by a supply agency but then employed directly, under a contract of employment, by the scheme employer.
However, where supply teachers are self-employed or remain employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a contract for services, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS as there is no organisation to undertake the employer role, including remitting contributions to the scheme.
The Department for Education does not plan to review these arrangements, and considers that it is for employers and teachers to determine how supply teachers are employed, which can in turn enable access to the TPS under the current arrangements.
The provision of pension benefits for teachers is a devolved matter and therefore the legislative provisions for teachers in England and Wales will not necessarily reflect the provisions for teachers in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve levels of child literacy in low-income families; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to eliminating illiteracy and wants all children to read fluently and with good comprehension. The new English curriculum places a renewed focus on the requirement for pupils to learn to read through systematic synthetic phonics, as evidence shows this is the most effective approach to early reading.
To boost the quality of phonics teaching, we have provided £23.7 million in match funding to over 14,000 primary schools, enabling them to buy systematic synthetic phonics products and training. We have also introduced a phonics screening check. The first three years of the check have enabled teachers to identify nearly 568,000 six-year-olds who needed extra support.
For pupils who do not reach the expected level in reading by the end of primary school, we have introduced the Year 7 Catch-up Premium. This funding – £500 per pupil – enables secondary schools to deliver additional support for those pupils that most need it.
The Government has also committed £8.8 billion of pupil premium funding for schools in England for the period between 2011-12 and 2015-16. The pupil premium gives schools the extra resources they need to close the attainment gap between those from poorer and wealthier backgrounds, including in reading outcomes.
The 2014 Key Stage Two results show that our reforms are already having an effect: a record proportion of children (89%) reached the expected standard of reading (up three percentage points from last year). Attainment in reading has increased for disadvantaged pupils from 73% in 2011 to 82% in 2014, an increase of nine percentage points, while the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed by 5 percentage points. Attainment in writing has also increased for disadvantaged pupils from 70% in 2012 when teacher assessment was introduced to 76% in 2014, an increase of six percentage points, while the gap has narrowed by 3 percentage points over the same period.