Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the announcement on 3 January 2019 that life-saving skills and first-aid education will be compulsory in all schools from 2020, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of installing defibrillators in all schools.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
There is no legal requirement for schools to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED), but the government encourages them to do so as part of their first aid equipment.
School-age children are at a relatively low risk of cardiac arrest but to ensure that any risk, no matter how small, is minimised, AEDs are currently available for schools and other education providers in the UK to purchase through the NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges, FE institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school providers).
The government has produced guidance for schools on buying, installing and using an AED, which can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will add stem cell donation to the statutory guidance relating to Health Education for secondary school pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The national curriculum includes substantial content which could be used by teachers as an opportunity to inform pupils about organ, stem cell and blood donation. Pupils are taught about the function of the heart, blood vessels and blood as part of Key Stage 2 science, and about stem cells as part of the Key Stage 4 science. The national curriculum is compulsory in state maintained schools, and is often used as a benchmark by academies.
In addition, the Government is proposing to introduce compulsory Health Education, alongside Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education, and is currently consulting on draft regulations and draft statutory guidance on the subjects. Under the topic of physical health and fitness, the draft guidance sets out that pupils should know the facts about wider issues such as organ and blood donation.
The consultation on the guidance closes on 7 November.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to amend the School Admissions Code to ensure that summer born children can (a) be admitted to reception at the age of five if on request of their parents and (b) remain with that cohort as they progress through (i) primary and (ii) secondary school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is committed to amending the School Admissions Code so that summer born children can be admitted to a reception class at the age of five when their parents believe it to be in their best interests, and can remain with the cohort with which they are admitted as they progress through their education.
The Department is giving careful consideration to how changes might be made in a way that avoids unintended consequences elsewhere in the system. Any changes to the Admissions Code will require a full statutory process, including consultation and parliamentary scrutiny. The Department will consider the appropriate time for consulting on these changes in the context of competing pressures on the parliamentary timetable.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will integrate information on the need for stem cell donation among (a) BAME communities and (b) others into the formal curriculum.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Pupils are taught about stem cells as part of the new Key Stage 4 science curriculum, GCSE combined science and GCSE biology. The national curriculum is compulsory in maintained schools and can be used as a benchmark by academies and free schools. The new national curriculum focuses on the essential knowledge in each subject, which allows teachers to take greater control over the wider curriculum in schools. Content includes the function of stem cells and the potential benefits and risks associated with the use of stem cells in medicine. Teachers are free to use this as an opportunity to discuss stem cell donation with pupils.
In April 2018, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced that the Government would make no further changes to the national curriculum and to existing GCSEs for the rest of this Parliament. This announcement was made to promote stability for schools and teachers.
In order to continue providing lifesaving support for those who need stem cell transplants and find the best possible matches, the Department for Health and Social Care supports Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood and Transplant to continue to grow both their cord blood banks and their bone marrow donor registers. In particular, they aim to increase the numbers of BAME donors and cord blood units on the register that are available for patients from BAME backgrounds that are in need of a stem cell transplant.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all schools are following statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with medical conditions and published statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
The guidance is clear that schools, local authorities, health professionals, commissioners and other support services should work together to ensure that children with medical conditions receive a full education.
Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework requires inspectors, in making judgements upon schools, to pay particular attention to the outcomes of different groups of pupils, including those with medical needs. Ofsted included guidance to inspectors on this matter in its March 2017 school inspection update, available at:
This guidance reminds inspectors that as part of looking at how a school is supporting the welfare and teaching and learning of pupils with medical conditions the school’s policy on supporting students with medical conditions and its implementation.
Excluding children with medical conditions from participating in extra-curricular activities is unacceptable practice and we expect all children to be included in school life, whatever their needs. It is up to the governing bodies to ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils with medical conditions. Where parents have concerns over the support their child is receiving we encourage them to raise the matter with the school. If they feel that the school is not meeting its obligations, they have recourse to make a complaint through the school’s complaint process.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take against schools which contravene statutory guidance and exclude pupils with medical conditions from participating in extra-curricular activities.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with medical conditions and published statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
The guidance is clear that schools, local authorities, health professionals, commissioners and other support services should work together to ensure that children with medical conditions receive a full education.
Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework requires inspectors, in making judgements upon schools, to pay particular attention to the outcomes of different groups of pupils, including those with medical needs. Ofsted included guidance to inspectors on this matter in its March 2017 school inspection update, available at:
This guidance reminds inspectors that as part of looking at how a school is supporting the welfare and teaching and learning of pupils with medical conditions the school’s policy on supporting students with medical conditions and its implementation.
Excluding children with medical conditions from participating in extra-curricular activities is unacceptable practice and we expect all children to be included in school life, whatever their needs. It is up to the governing bodies to ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils with medical conditions. Where parents have concerns over the support their child is receiving we encourage them to raise the matter with the school. If they feel that the school is not meeting its obligations, they have recourse to make a complaint through the school’s complaint process.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to support more pathways from education into employment for young people.
Answered by Anne Milton
We are developing 15 prestigious technical routes that will set a clear pathway through apprenticeships and new flagship T level programmes to skilled employment for young people.
High quality apprenticeships offer an excellent means of progression for many young people leaving education, giving them the skills valued by employers.
T levels are classroom based, level 3 study programmes and will provide a distinctive and rigorous technical alternative to A levels. A substantial, high-quality industry placement will be an essential part of each T level giving students the chance to put into practice the technical skills they have learned in the classroom.
Training and qualifications within the technical education routes are being designed and developed by employers - so that students can be confident they are getting the skills that employers need.
The reformed technical routes will ensure we unlock all the talents of young people across the country, no matter where they come from, and support them into strong, rewarding jobs and careers.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils in Witham constituency (a) attained and (b) exceeded the minimum standard for reading at (i) key stage 1 and (ii) key stage 2 in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The Department has published some statistics for Key Stage 2 attainment for individual parliamentary constituencies since 2011/2[1]. Please be aware that the headline measures used across the years have changed and that comparison between years is not advised.
The Department does not publish constituency level attainment data for Key Stage 1.
[1] For 2011/12 – 2013/14 the information is located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2014-revised - open the ‘parliamentary constituency tables’, you can change year in the top right. This table provides the percentage achieving level 4 or above in each subject.
For 2014/15, the information is located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-2015-revised - open the ‘additional tables’ and then tab ‘Table B3’. This table provides the percentage achieving level 4 or above in each subject.
For 2015/16, the information is located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2016-revised - open the ‘additional tables’ and then tab ‘Table A5’. This table provides the percentage achieving the epected standard in each subject.
For 2016/17 the information is located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculum-assessments-key-stage-2-2017-revised - open the ‘additional tables’ and then tab ‘Table A5’, this table provides the progress score of pupils in each subject, in line with the updated headline measures for key stage 2 attainment.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to raise standards of literacy at schools in Essex.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Being able to read is vital for children’s future success. Thanks to the Government reforms and the hard work of teachers across the country, 154,000 more six year olds are on track to become fluent readers, and international evidence has shown that our nine year olds have achieved their highest ever scores in reading. In 2017, 82% of children in Essex passed the phonics screening check, slightly above the national average. Schools in Essex are benefitting from funding to support school improvement in reading outcomes for boys in primary and secondary schools, and to improve the teaching of phonics in primary schools.
The Department wants to build on these successes by supporting teachers to further raise standards for all children. We have announced that we will set up a new Centre of Excellence for Literacy Teaching and a national network of 35 English Hubs across the country. The exact locations of hubs will be decided in due course.