Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of section 23 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on small businesses that provide school uniforms.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
School uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, however, too many schools require high numbers of branded uniform items which creates cost pressures for too many families. This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education (PE) kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase non-branded items of uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.
The department has considered the impact on small businesses, including by talking to partners in the sector, and recognises that it is likely that this measure will reduce demand for branded items offered by small businesses.
We know that these businesses have a valuable place in the uniform sector, bringing benefits such as providing year-round guaranteed supply, a diversity of sizes and specialist advice to schools and parents. For these reasons, we expect many parents will continue to buy non-branded uniform from such businesses. Specialist suppliers will still be able to offer optional branded items alongside generic options.
School uniforms should be designed to make children smarter not families poorer. Our data suggests that where parents can buy items from a range of suppliers the average cost of uniform is significantly lower.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of section 23 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on schools' ability to participate in team sports.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
School uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, however, too many schools require high numbers of branded uniform items which creates a significant cost burden for families. This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education (PE) kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.
The department expects schools to ensure that all pupils can participate in all aspects of school life, including PE and sport. No pupil should be discouraged from participating in any aspect of school life, such as team sports or interschool competitions, because of the cost of additional uniform requirements. This limit allows school leaders to prioritise branding the uniform and PE kit items which best reflect the needs of their school, whilst reducing costs for parents.
Our statutory guidance on the ‘Cost of School Uniform’ already requires schools to avoid being overly specific in their kit requirements for different sports and keep the number of items, particularly the number of branded items, to a minimum. Research also tells us that the more choice that girls in particular have over what to wear for PE, the more comfortable they are and the greater the likelihood of their long term participation in sport. The research is available at the following link: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/43602/documents/216689/default/.
Schools will still be free to loan out specific competition kit where appropriate, however, the cost of PE and sports kit should never be a barrier to participation in PE and sport, and that is why this measure is needed.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) fast-tracking higher-level teaching assistants to become teachers and (b) introducing teaching apprenticeships.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Teaching assistants (TAs) play a vital role in children’s education. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possible life chances.
The ‘use of teaching assistants in schools’ departmental survey from 2023 found that 23% of TAs with a higher level teaching assistant (HLTA) qualification were ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ interested in undertaking training to become a teacher.
TAs who are interested in gaining qualified teacher status (QTS) can do so through a range of existing routes.
TAs can gain QTS through both fee-funded and salaried Initial Teacher Training (ITT). Salaried routes allow TAs to continue to earn an income and may provide the opportunity to remain employed by their current school.
Salaried ITT includes School Direct (salaried) routes and the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA) for TAs with an undergraduate degree, and the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA) for those without an undergraduate degree.
Teaching apprenticeships already exist and expand opportunities for people to become excellent teachers and allow successful candidates to earn and learn whilst obtaining QTS. In spring 2024, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education approved the new TDA standard. Candidate recruitment to the TDA began in autumn 2024 and training will commence in autumn 2025. The PGTA will continue to be available in the 2025/26 academic year.
Some TAs with an undergraduate degree and significant teaching experience may be eligible for the assessment only route to QTS. This route allows experienced teachers to gain QTS without undertaking additional training. To be eligible, currently, candidates must be able to demonstrate that they meet the Teachers' Standards without further training and have evidence of teaching experience (i) in at least two schools (ii) for at least two years.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance her Department has issued on whether students who have extended their visas under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme are eligible for home fees status for university fees in England.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department laid the Education (Student Support) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 on 22 May which ensures that students who have been granted leave under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme will qualify for student support in England and home fee status from the 2024/25 academic year, without requiring them to meet the normal three year ordinary residence requirement. This is in line with those granted leave under the other Ukraine schemes.
The Student Loans Company will make the necessary amendments to guidance in time for when the scheme opens.