Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that all pupils receive their entitlement to religious education after schools are reopened as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
State-funded schools in England have a duty to teach religious education to all pupils aged 5 to 18 years. While academies, free schools and most maintained schools designated as having a religious character may design and follow their own curriculum, all other state schools must follow their area’s locally agreed syllabus for religious education. Unless stipulated in a locally agreed syllabus, pupils do not have to be taught an accredited Religious Studies qualification. However, where pupils do not choose it as an examination subject, the requirement to teach religious education still applies.
The Department’s guidance on full opening of schools sets the expectation that schools teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects from the start of the autumn, but that they use their existing curriculum flexibilities within subjects to create time to cover the most important missed content. Religious education is explicitly stated as one of the subjects that should be taught. The guidance was published on 2 July and can be found at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools
The Department’s guidance on religious education is already available for both maintained schools and for academies and free schools. The guidance for maintained schools is at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-non-statutory-guidance-2010 ; and the guidance for academies and free schools at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools/religious-education-re-and-collective-worship-in-academies-and-free-schools . No additional guidance on this subject is therefore needed.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure gender balance on school governing bodies.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is the responsibility of governing boards, members (in academy trusts) and religious authorities (in schools designated with a religious character) to appoint governors and trustees. The Department is clear in the Governance Handbook that boards, when appointing new governors or trustees, should focus on the skills, experience, characteristics and diversity the board needs to be effective and to provide a sufficient range of perspectives to enable robust decision making.
Governing boards are responsible for compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and for ensuring that schools and trusts comply with all applicable aspects of discrimination law and this includes compliance with the public sector equality duty.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has issued new guidance to schools and multi-academy trusts on the (a) design and (b) layout of (i) building, (ii) rebuilding and (iii) refurbishment projects as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government has not issued such guidance to schools and multi-academy trusts as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, to help nurseries and schools to plan, prepare and adapt existing spaces for the return of more children, the Department published a range of detailed guidance on how to implement protective measures. The guidance can be found at the following GOV.UK link:
This includes the main protective measures guidance, which can be found directly here:
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to Ofsted on monitoring school's performance in teaching relationships and sex education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
From September 2020, the Department is making Relationships Education compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.
There is a strong emphasis within the new Ofsted inspection arrangements on schools ensuring that pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum, including the new requirements around the new compulsory subjects, and a new judgement on pupils’ personal development, which is particularly relevant to these areas.
Ofsted’s school inspection handbook contains a specific section on RSE which sets out the requirements on schools. If a school is failing to meet its obligations, inspectors will consider this when reaching the judgement on pupils’ personal development.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) schools and (b) local authorities in the event of protests against relationships and sex education.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are equipped to deliver the new subjects of relationships education at primary level, relationships and sex education at secondary level and health education for all schools. This includes ensuring schools and parents engage in effective dialogue. Protests outside schools can be disruptive to children’s education. We encourage parents to talk to their child’s school in a calm and constructive way if they have concerns.
The Department has worked with the National Association of Headteachers and the National Governance Association to produce guidance for primary schools on effective engagement with parents on relationships education. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy.
To help local authorities support schools that are managing concerns from parents, including where this has reached the level of disruption to schools, we have worked with the Local Government Association and Birmingham City Council to produce advice. This can be found here:
The Department has also supported Birmingham City Council in their injunction proceedings to prevent disruptive protests outside Anderton Park primary school.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the timetable is for the conclusion of the final stage of contract negotiations on the formation of the South West Institute of Technology.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The South West Institute of Technology (IoT) will be one of 12 new IoT’s backed by £170 million of government capital funding. Following the IoT competition, the department’s officials are working closely with the South West IoT to ensure that the key aspects of their proposal are converted into legally binding commitments, and that all outstanding issues are resolved. This is an important final step in the process and the department is keen to conclude it as soon as is practicable.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department provides to teach oral hygiene in primary schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Early Years Foundation Stage framework sets out what children should demonstrate by the end of reception, in terms of personal hygiene through the Heath and Self-Care early learning goal. In addition, Early Years Educator qualifications cover the promotion of the health, safety and welfare of children.
The Department does not provide any dedicated funding to teach oral hygiene. The primary science curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to be taught about oral hygiene. In Year 2, pupils are taught about the importance of hygiene in general, and in Year 4 they are taught about teeth and their functions. This can include finding out about what damages teeth and how to look after them. The primary science curriculum is compulsory in all local authority maintained schools and academies can use it as a benchmark to teach science.
In addition, the Government is proposing to introduce compulsory Health Education and is currently consulting on draft regulations and associated guidance about this. Under the topic of health and prevention, the draft guidance sets out that pupils should know about dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene, including visits to the dentist. The consultation is also seeking views on the support schools might need for the teaching of Health Education. The consultation closes on 7 November 2018.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding his Department provides to teach oral hygiene in primary schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Early Years Foundation Stage framework sets out what children should demonstrate by the end of reception, in terms of personal hygiene through the Heath and Self-Care early learning goal. In addition, Early Years Educator qualifications cover the promotion of the health, safety and welfare of children.
The Department does not provide any dedicated funding to teach oral hygiene. The primary science curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to be taught about oral hygiene. In Year 2, pupils are taught about the importance of hygiene in general, and in Year 4 they are taught about teeth and their functions. This can include finding out about what damages teeth and how to look after them. The primary science curriculum is compulsory in all local authority maintained schools and academies can use it as a benchmark to teach science.
In addition, the Government is proposing to introduce compulsory Health Education and is currently consulting on draft regulations and associated guidance about this. Under the topic of health and prevention, the draft guidance sets out that pupils should know about dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene, including visits to the dentist. The consultation is also seeking views on the support schools might need for the teaching of Health Education. The consultation closes on 7 November 2018.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to make ensure that the training for the proposed Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health in schools includes information on the link between speech, language and communication needs and mental health, and how to recognise and respond appropriately to speech, language and communication needs.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The role of the Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health in schools will be to take a strategic overview of a school or college’s approach to children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Department is currently working towards a procurement of training for Designated Senior Leads, to be provided from the 2019/20 academic year. This will set out the broad areas that the training should cover to enable leads to put in place whole school approaches that incorporate the promotion of good mental wellbeing and resilience amongst pupils and staff. Where a school puts a lead in place, their role should complement existing statutory roles, including the SEN coordinator to ensure that all pupils get the right support to meet their needs.
To increase support, the Government is also funding new Mental Health Support Teams working in or near schools. The teams will include a new trained workforce which can provide treatment and support help reduce mental health problems worsening or developing in the first place. These new teams will be tested in ‘trailblazer’ areas from January 2019.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to fund a national programme of roadshows on how to teach language for Reception and Key Stage 1 teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has announced a national network of 32 English hubs which will support schools across the country to develop excellent practice in early language and reading. The Department also runs a programme of phonics roadshows. Schools across the country are supported to provide excellent phonics and early language teaching, as well as to spread good practice. The Department is spending up to £100,000 on a series of up to 24 phonics roadshows across the country between now and March 2019. A new set of early learning goals are being piloted as part of our Early Years Foundation Stage Profile reforms. This includes a greater focus on language and vocabulary development, which is vital in ensuring all children leave reception, ready to thrive at school and beyond.