Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason his Department decided that functional skills qualifications should resume based on examination wherever possible while in line with covid-19 public health measures rather than coursework and/or teacher assessed grades as was decided for other qualifications and examinations that would have taken place in summer 2021.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January 2021, seeking the views of teachers, students, parents, schools and colleges. We set out our proposals on exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications, including for Functional Skills qualifications, and the alternative arrangements that would be used where exams do not take place. We also conducted an equality impact assessment as part of the consultation. The majority of respondents agreed that all efforts should be made to allow learners to take a Functional Skills assessment, in line with public health measures or remotely. Where the learner is ready, but assessments cannot take place in centres on public health grounds, teacher assessed grades are available.
As set out in the consultation, the size, structure, assessment, and teaching practices of Functional Skills differ from other qualifications. Many are taken on-demand and by a wide range of learners including 16-19 year olds, adults and apprentices, in a wide range of contexts. Learners will take assessments when they are ready. This approach was designed to give the maximum opportunity to progress in learning or employment, as it allows learners to engage with live exams now or results based on teacher assessment where these are necessary and appropriate.
We recognise the challenges suffered by many students who will feel apprehensive about taking assessments and we are incredibly grateful for the tremendous efforts that teachers have made to continue to provide high quality education throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Awarding organisations have long-established arrangements for mitigating the effect of issues such as those relating to mental health. This year, Ofqual has required awarding organisations to review those arrangements to ensure they are fit for purpose. Those students who are able to take assessments but are concerned about the impact of mental health affecting their performance should speak to their centres and awarding organisation to understand the special consideration process.
Additionally, remote invigilation has offered the opportunity to take assessments at home and some providers have reported that this has helped with anxiety. Together with Ofqual, we have supported the roll out of remote invigilation by awarding organisations to give more options to learners and centres for taking assessments. We have seen an increase in volumes of assessments taken via remote invigilation and also live assessments as settings have re-opened.
The department will monitor and review the impact of disruption to learning in vocational and technical qualifications (including Functional Skills qualifications) and General Qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels).
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support provided to pupils entitled to (a) benefits-related free school meals and (b) universal infant free school meals to ensure that they receive sufficient nutrition through those meals during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The continuing provision of free school meals to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government.
We have guidance in place allowing schools to decide the best approach for their pupils. School leaders know their communities best and have flexibility to select the most appropriate support for their pupils. This can be through lunch parcels, local vouchers or the national voucher scheme, which re-opened on Monday 18 January 2021. Our funding for schools to cover benefits-related free school meals equates to £15 per week per eligible child.
The pictures of food parcels circulating are not acceptable and not in line with guidance. On 13 January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State of Education, met the leading school food suppliers and caterers to insist on urgent action to make sure lunch parcels meet the standards we expect. I am grateful to those firms who are working hard with schools to provide nutritious, balanced lunches for children.
If a parent is concerned about the standards of their lunch parcel, they should speak directly with their school. If a parent cannot resolve their concern through their school, they can contact the department. The department will make contact with suppliers where concerns are escalated, to ensure they are following the good practice guidance we have set out. We will also alert the school to confirm appropriate contract management arrangements are in place, so that immediate improvements are made.
Schools and caterers have been provided with extensive guidance from the Department for Education and from the Local Authority Caterers Association on what each food parcel should include. They should follow our school food standards to ensure they are healthy, nutritious and sufficient – they should:
As was the case over Christmas, vulnerable children and families will continue to receive meals and other essentials over February half term via councils through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme launched last year. Local authorities understand which groups need support and are best placed to ensure appropriate holiday support is provided – which is why the funding will be distributed by them, rather than schools, who will continue providing meals disadvantaged children during term-time. Families who need support should speak to their local authority.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) criteria and (b) assessment process he has in place to ensure that food providers provide food parcels that are sufficient, nutritious and equal to the sum of £30 or above for eligible free school meal pupils who are at home during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The continuing provision of free school meals to children from out of work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government.
We have guidance in place allowing schools to decide the best approach for their pupils. School leaders know their communities best and have flexibility to select the most appropriate support for their pupils. This can be through lunch parcels, local vouchers or the national voucher scheme, which re-opened on Monday 18 January 2021. Our funding for schools to cover benefits-related free school meals equates to £15 per week per eligible child.
The pictures of food parcels circulating are not acceptable and not in line with guidance. On 13 January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State of Education, met the leading school food suppliers and caterers to insist on urgent action to make sure lunch parcels meet the standards we expect. I am grateful to those firms who are working hard with schools to provide nutritious, balanced lunches for children.
If a parent is concerned about the standards of their lunch parcel, they should speak directly with their school. If a parent cannot resolve their concern through their school, they can contact the department. The department will make contact with suppliers where concerns are escalated, to ensure they are following the good practice guidance we have set out. We will also alert the school to confirm appropriate contract management arrangements are in place, so that immediate improvements are made.
Schools and caterers have been provided with extensive guidance from the Department for Education and from the Local Authority Caterers Association on what each food parcel should include. They should follow our school food standards to ensure they are healthy, nutritious and sufficient – they should:
As was the case over Christmas, vulnerable children and families will continue to receive meals and other essentials over February half term via councils through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme launched last year. Local authorities understand which groups need support and are best placed to ensure appropriate holiday support is provided – which is why the funding will be distributed by them, rather than schools, who will continue providing meals disadvantaged children during term-time. Families who need support should speak to their local authority.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) proceeding with the January 2021 timetable for public vocational exams and assessments following the national lockdown announced on 4 January and (b) the disruption caused by the covid-19 outbreak in recent months on the health and safety of (i) students, (ii) staff and (iii) their families.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Students have worked hard and prepared for these exams and assessments, so it is right that schools and colleges have the option to run them. Some students need to complete a practical assessment to obtain a licence to practice and enter the workplace and it is right that they should have the opportunity to do so, so that they are not prevented from progressing onto the next stage of their lives.
Unlike GCSE and A level exams that were due to take place this summer, these students’ learning for their January exams has not yet been disrupted by the new public health measures we have announced to help limit the transmission of COVID-19.
The Department has provided advice to schools and colleges on extensive protective measures to make exams as safe as possible and that is why we are continuing to allow schools and colleges to deliver the January assessments, if they judge it right to do so. This advice is part of existing guidance on safely implementing the phased return to face-to-face education. Guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950735/January_2021_FE_operational_guidance_FINAL.pdf.
No student will be disadvantaged if they cannot take their exam or assessment, or if they decide they do not want to. We will develop our approach to ensure students receive a fair grade, in consultation with Ofqual, awarding organisations and the sector.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he make an assessment of the potential merits of cancelling the GCSE examinations due to take place in 2021 in response to Year 11 pupils potentially having been disadvantaged by the (a) mass disruption to pupils and teachers and (b) amount of school teaching time lost as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Exams are the best and fairest way of judging students’ performance, and it is our intention that next year’s GCSE exam series will go ahead.
The Department is working with Ofqual to engage with the sector to develop contingency plans in the event that disruption as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak affects students’ ability to sit exams. Following a period of engagement, more detail will be published later in the autumn.
We have announced a number of measures to help schools and pupils make up for lost teaching time caused by the disruption to education this year, including extra time to prepare for exams next summer, and a catch-up package worth £1 billion: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.