Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Bright Tribe academy trust on procurement practice.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The department has assessed the procurement arrangements at Bright Tribe trust as part of a financial management and assurance review by the EFA. The review highlighted that the trust procurement practices had not followed a recognised open market tendering procurement exercise and that the majority of the trusts services had been outsourced to companies connected to its sponsor. The company provided at cost statements for these services and the external auditors did not raise any issues with at cost. The Trust has introduced a new procurement model which is currently under review by the EFA.
The NAO contacted the EFA in February 2016 regarding related party transactions at Bright Tribe. The NAO have been kept updated on the EFA review of the Bright Tribe case.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children living in the Copeland constituency have been eligible to receive free school meals in each of the last six years.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Data for the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school in England are available in the underlying data in each of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical releases.[1]
The number and proportion of pupils attending schools in Copeland who were known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in each of the last six years is given in the table below.
Year | Number of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals | Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals |
2010 | 1,423 | 12.1 |
2011 | 1,420 | 12.0 |
2012 | 1,362 | 11.8 |
2013 | 1,395 | 12.3 |
2014 | 1,354 | 12.1 |
2015 | 1,253 | 11.1 |
Source: School Census
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers - click on the relevant year and then ‘underlying data.’ The data is contained in files with ‘Schools_Pupils’ in the title.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of how many schools in (a) rural and (b) non-rural areas will be unable to provide free school meals to qualifying children as a result of the discontinuation of the universal infant free meals small school support grant.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
To help small schools with the transition to universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), we have paid them an extra £32.5m over two years, on top of general spending on the policy which amounts to around £600m a year. In the recent Spending Review we also protected funding for UIFSM at £2.30 a meal. We are not aware of any school that is unable to meet its statutory obligations to provide free school meals either to its infants or to older children in receipt of qualifying benefits.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve awareness of cerebral palsy among pupils and staff working in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.
The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.
The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.
This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.
Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.
To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provisions exist to ensure that children with cerebral palsy have access to appropriate specialist education facilities.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.
The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.
The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.
This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.
Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.
To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of regional variations in the level of education provision for children with cerebral palsy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.
The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.
The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.
This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.
Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.
To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of the SEND code of practice on educational provision for children with cerebral palsy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.
The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.
The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.
This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.
Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.
To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve awareness of cerebral palsy among people working in children's services.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The reforms introduced in September 2014 will ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, including those with cerebral palsy, have improved access to the support they need.
Local authorities are responsible for meeting the educational needs of all children with SEND within their local area. They must co-ordinate education, health and care provision for individual children and ensure that young people and parents are involved in discussions about their individual support and about local provision more generally. Statutory Local Offers published by each local authority must set out what support is available for all children and young people with SEND in their area, including those with more complex needs.
The reforms detailed in the SEND Code of Practice were drawn up in consultation with a wide range of interested parties, many of whom represented the interests of children and young people with specific impairments. They are intended to improve outcomes for every child or young person with SEND by placing them at the heart of a system designed to respond to their individual needs and aspirations.
The Department has not assessed the impact of the SEND Code of Practice, or regional variations in provision, on the basis of any specific impairment but is monitoring implementation closely.
This monitoring includes inputs from annual data collection; termly surveys of local authorities and Parent Carer Forums; and feedback from specialist SEND Advisers and funded voluntary sector organisations. From May 2016, this monitoring will be enhanced by a new joint Ofsted/CQC inspection framework for SEND, which is currently the subject of a national consultation.
Schools are required by the Children and Families Act 2014 to identify the SEN of the pupils they support and to use their best endeavours to make sure that they get the support they need. Teachers are expected to be able to adapt their teaching to the needs of all pupils, and to have an understanding of the factors that can inhibit learning and how to overcome them.
To support the school workforce, the Department has funded almost 11,000 SEN Coordinators to attain Masters-level national awards between 2009 and 2014, at a cost of almost £33 million; is funding SEND conferences for school leaders and supporting the development of a ‘SEND gateway’ for education professionals, which offers a wide range of online training and information.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage more people to train as teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
We believe that all pupils,regardless of birth or background, should have access to high-quality teachers. That is why we are committed to attracting top graduates and career-changers into teaching, and supporting schools to recruit and retain good teachers. Since 2010, we have introduced a series of initiatives to increase recruitment and raise standards of teachers and teaching. We have increased scholarships and training bursaries in priority subjects, which are now worth up to £30,000; we have expanded Teach First and given graduates the chance to earn a salary while they train; our pay reforms have given schools greater flexibility to decide how much they pay teachers and how quickly pay progresses, so there is now more opportunity for good teachers to progress more rapidly.
Whilst ensuring that we recruit sufficient numbers of new trainee teachers, we are also committed to supporting schools to retain good teachers. That is why we have made significant policy interventions in areas such as improving pupil behaviour and tackling unnecessary workload for teachers.