Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
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 public health risks of students sitting vocational examinations in-person in January.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, meets regularly with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England to discuss all aspects of the safe running of education, including exams, during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision to restrict face to face attendance does not suggest that schools, colleges and other educational and childcare settings have become significantly less safe places for learners. Instead, limiting attendance is about supporting the reduction of the overall number of social contacts in our communities.
Schools and colleges have already implemented extensive protective measures, informed by Public Health England advice, to make vocational and technical exams as safe as possible. Public health guidance to support exams from January 2021 has also been published, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/responsibility-for-autumn-gcse-as-and-a-level-exam-series/public-health-arrangements-for-autumn-exams. This guidance sets out arrangements all types of exam centre should implement when delivering exams to enable them to progress in a way which significantly reduces the risk of COVID-19.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of cancelling examinations for students on vocational training courses and awarding centre-assessed grades in 2020.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Ofqual published analysis of the grades awarded for a number of vocational and technical qualifications (VTQ) in the 2020 spring and summer exam series. It suggests that the profile of outcomes was not unduly influenced by the 2020 awarding process; however, there was a notable increase in the number of top grades being awarded for certain types of qualifications.
The practical assessments contained within many vocational qualifications allows a student to display the necessary skills, aptitude and competence required to enter the workplace. Skills based assessments such as these may not easily be replaced by alternative awarding arrangements and this could potentially delay a student’s readiness for the workplace. We are confident that vocational assessments can go ahead safely with the extensive protective measures already implemented by schools and colleges and we believe it is only right that students are given this opportunity so that they can achieve their ambitions.
We will continue to work with Ofqual, awarding organisations and other stakeholders to discuss the next steps and provide more detail on the way forward for VTQ exams and assessments for February onwards, including ensuring students have a way to progress with as little disruption as possible.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) support and (b) advice his Department is providing to clinically extremely vulnerable students who are due to sit vocational examinations in January 2021.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The Department for Health and Social Care and Public Health England have published guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19. Alongside this, the Department has also published guidance for schools and further education providers on the phased return to face-to-face education: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools, and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-education-fe-providers-return-in-january-2021/further-education-fe-providers-return-in-january-2021.
If a student is unable to attend their assessment because they are shielding, they will not be penalised. We are working with Ofqual to ensure that students unable to take their January assessments are treated fairly in comparison with their peers.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason it is his Department's policy that vocational examinations will go ahead in January 2021.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
We understand that these are difficult times but students have worked hard and prepared for theses exams and assessments so it is right that schools and colleges are given the option to run them, if they judge that is the right decision. Unlike GCSE and A levels exams that were due to take place this summer, these students’ learning has not yet been disrupted by the new public health measures we have announced to help limit the transmission of COVID-19.
It is important to note that these qualifications are very different from GCSEs and A levels. For some students, they also need to complete a practical assessment to enter into the workplace and it is right that they should have the opportunity to do so, so they are not prevented from progressing onto the next stage of their lives.
No student will be disadvantaged if they are unable take their exam or assessment and there will be no penalty for non-attendance. The department will continue to work with Ofqual to ensure that students who are not able to take assessments in January are treated fairly in comparison with their peers taking similar assessments at other times.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that clinically vulnerable learners are able to continue to access English for Speakers of Other Languages provision during the 2020-21 academic year during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The government recognises that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. This is why we want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. We remain committed to the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.
We understand the challenges faced by further education providers due to the implications of the COVID-19 disruption and the issues that remote learning has for some learners. We want to get all further education learners, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students, back into education settings as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers. From Autumn 2020, all learners will return to a full high-quality education programme delivered by their college or post-16 learning provider. We have also introduced a change to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Adult Education Budget (AEB) Funding Rules for 2020-21 academic year, to enable providers to use their Learner Support funds to purchase IT devices for learners (aged 19+) and to help them meet learners’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training.
We fund adults through the £1.34 billion AEB for a range of courses and qualifications, including ESOL, so adults can secure the English language skills they need. Following the devolution of approximately half of the AEB, seven Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), and the Greater London Authority (GLA), are now responsible for determining adult English language (and other) provision in their areas. Eligible adults resident in non-devolved areas of England are funded through the ESFA AEB and can access fully-funded ESOL if they are unemployed, looking for work and in receipt of certain benefits, or if they are employed and in receipt of a low-wage. All other ESFA AEB-eligible learners are co-funded with the Government contributing 50% of the course cost. ESFA allocations for 2020-21 have been confirmed, and payments will be made in line with the national profile, which has been confirmed in the ESFA AEB Funding and Performance Management Rules for 2020-21. We are looking carefully at further education funding, including ESOL, in preparation for the forthcoming Spending Review. Further information on the AEB funding rules for 2020-21 is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2020-to-2021.
We do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL, so colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally. We want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. While we are keen to support the learners who are most in need, we also believe that those who decide to settle in the UK have a responsibility to invest their own time and resources into learning English.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to increase funding for the provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages as a result of the increased costs of introducing remote and hybrid learning for that subject.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The government recognises that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. This is why we want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. We remain committed to the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.
We understand the challenges faced by further education providers due to the implications of the COVID-19 disruption and the issues that remote learning has for some learners. We want to get all further education learners, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students, back into education settings as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers. From Autumn 2020, all learners will return to a full high-quality education programme delivered by their college or post-16 learning provider. We have also introduced a change to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Adult Education Budget (AEB) Funding Rules for 2020-21 academic year, to enable providers to use their Learner Support funds to purchase IT devices for learners (aged 19+) and to help them meet learners’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training.
We fund adults through the £1.34 billion AEB for a range of courses and qualifications, including ESOL, so adults can secure the English language skills they need. Following the devolution of approximately half of the AEB, seven Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), and the Greater London Authority (GLA), are now responsible for determining adult English language (and other) provision in their areas. Eligible adults resident in non-devolved areas of England are funded through the ESFA AEB and can access fully-funded ESOL if they are unemployed, looking for work and in receipt of certain benefits, or if they are employed and in receipt of a low-wage. All other ESFA AEB-eligible learners are co-funded with the Government contributing 50% of the course cost. ESFA allocations for 2020-21 have been confirmed, and payments will be made in line with the national profile, which has been confirmed in the ESFA AEB Funding and Performance Management Rules for 2020-21. We are looking carefully at further education funding, including ESOL, in preparation for the forthcoming Spending Review. Further information on the AEB funding rules for 2020-21 is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2020-to-2021.
We do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL, so colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally. We want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. While we are keen to support the learners who are most in need, we also believe that those who decide to settle in the UK have a responsibility to invest their own time and resources into learning English.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing funding per learner at entry level for the provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The government recognises that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. This is why we want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. We remain committed to the manifesto commitment to boost English language teaching to empower existing migrants and help promote integration into society.
We understand the challenges faced by further education providers due to the implications of the COVID-19 disruption and the issues that remote learning has for some learners. We want to get all further education learners, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students, back into education settings as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers and teachers. From Autumn 2020, all learners will return to a full high-quality education programme delivered by their college or post-16 learning provider. We have also introduced a change to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Adult Education Budget (AEB) Funding Rules for 2020-21 academic year, to enable providers to use their Learner Support funds to purchase IT devices for learners (aged 19+) and to help them meet learners’ IT connectivity costs, where these costs are a barrier to accessing or continuing in their training.
We fund adults through the £1.34 billion AEB for a range of courses and qualifications, including ESOL, so adults can secure the English language skills they need. Following the devolution of approximately half of the AEB, seven Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), and the Greater London Authority (GLA), are now responsible for determining adult English language (and other) provision in their areas. Eligible adults resident in non-devolved areas of England are funded through the ESFA AEB and can access fully-funded ESOL if they are unemployed, looking for work and in receipt of certain benefits, or if they are employed and in receipt of a low-wage. All other ESFA AEB-eligible learners are co-funded with the Government contributing 50% of the course cost. ESFA allocations for 2020-21 have been confirmed, and payments will be made in line with the national profile, which has been confirmed in the ESFA AEB Funding and Performance Management Rules for 2020-21. We are looking carefully at further education funding, including ESOL, in preparation for the forthcoming Spending Review. Further information on the AEB funding rules for 2020-21 is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2020-to-2021.
We do not ring-fence a particular amount of the ESFA AEB budget for ESOL, so colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB allocation to meet the needs of their communities. They are responsible for planning, with local partners, which ESOL courses can be delivered locally. We want to support all adults in England to secure the English language skills they need. While we are keen to support the learners who are most in need, we also believe that those who decide to settle in the UK have a responsibility to invest their own time and resources into learning English.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding he plans to make available to (a) schools and (b) further education providers to support the mental health needs of young people returning to classrooms in September 2020.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Getting children and young people back into education, with settings devoting time to supporting wellbeing, will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. All pupils and students will return to a full high-quality education programme in September, so they have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential.
Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up package, including a £650 million pupil premium shared across schools over the 2020-21 academic year, will support education settings to put the right catch-up support, including pastoral support, in place.
The catch-up premium is in addition to core funding through which schools already support young people. This year we are also providing £780 million additional high needs funding across England for children with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities. We are providing a further £730 million in 2021-22, which will bring the total high needs budget to over £8 billion.
From September, when pupils and students will return to schools and colleges, the government is investing £8 million in the new Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Schools and colleges may also need to access support from specialist services. NHS mental health services remain open and all NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. In addition to this, the government has provided over £9 million to mental health charities to ensure they can continue to support people experiencing mental health challenges throughout the outbreak.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) further education providers on the provision of in-house counselling to support the mental health needs of young people following the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Getting children and young people back into education, with settings devoting time to supporting wellbeing, will play a fundamental part in supporting children and young people’s mental health. The return to school will allow social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. The department has now published detailed plans?for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.
We have been working hard to ensure that all pupils and learners will return to a full high-quality education programme in September. Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up premium, with £650 million shared across schools over the 2020-21 academic year, will support education settings to put the right catch-up and pastoral support in place. More information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.
As pupils return to school, staff need to be equipped to understand that some children and young people may be experiencing feelings such as anxiety, stress or low mood as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, and that these are normal responses to an abnormal situation. Our Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools Advice includes information about what to look for in terms of underlying mental health issues, linked to the graduated response and the support that might be suitable. More information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.
From September, the government is investing £8 million to launch the new Wellbeing for Education Return training programme, which will provide schools and colleges all over England with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is additional to ?longer term work to improve support, including?the?new?mental health support teams that we are rolling out?across the country,?linked to schools and colleges. More information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8m-programme-to-boost-pupil-and-teacher-wellbeing.
This support will help schools to decide what provision to make for their pupils. Many schools already provide access to some counselling support. The government has produced guidance on how to put in place effective school-based counselling which schools can use where they decide further counselling support is appropriate for their pupils. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.
Outside of school, access to mental health support has been more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open. Leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government also announced that a further £4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities, including the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK.
All NHS mental health trusts have been asked to ensure that there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, which is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.
Asked by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children Society’s report entitled The Good Childhood Report 2020, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies on promoting the wellbeing of children.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Good Childhood Report highlights a wide range of issues across children and young people’s lives which affect their wellbeing. The department has engaged with the Children’s Society and other sector organisations in recent months to discuss how we can continue to build support in different areas to improve their wellbeing.
The report particularly highlights issues with peer relationships and appearance as being relevant to children and young people in England. These are among the topics that are covered in relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) which we are introducing in schools for the first time from this September, to ensure all pupils are taught about these aspects of their lives. The department is committed to supporting all schools in their preparations to deliver RSHE, and is providing an extensive range of training materials to support high quality teaching to all pupils, including a module on mental health and wellbeing, that we made available in July, to help schools focus on those issues as pupils return to school.
The government has been supporting this with a significant focus on wellbeing and mental health support linked to schools and colleges to help them to promote good wellbeing. This includes our programme, jointly with NHS England, to provide mental health support teams linked to groups of schools and colleges which is rolling out across the country. Our commitment is to make available training to schools by 2025 to support them to put in place senior mental health leads. We know that around 80% of schools and colleges already have a dedicated staff lead in place. The training will support new and existing leads to put in place effective whole school approaches to mental health. This is in addition to longer term support to schools on tackling bullying, where we are providing £750,000, this year, to 3 organisations to help address different factors. We are also funding a large-scale programme of randomised control trials of different approaches to promoting wellbeing in schools to find out what works.
We have also placed a particular focus on wellbeing support for children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak and as they return to school and college. We have highlighted wellbeing in all our guidance, providing access to a range of materials and training.
This includes 2 webinars delivered by the department in July, in collaboration with Public Health England and NHS England, to support teachers and local partnerships to further support children and young people’s mental health as they return to school. These reached thousands of teachers and other education staff.
To further support the return in September, the government is investing £8 million in the Wellbeing for Education Return training and advice programme, which will provide schools and colleges ,all over England, with the knowledge and practical skills they need to support teachers, students and parents, to help improve how they respond to the emotional impact of the
COVID-19 outbreak. More information can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/8m-programme-to-boost-pupil-and-teacher-wellbeing.