Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
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 covid-19 testing and vaccinations for nursery staff.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Rapid, regular testing for people without symptoms of COVID-19 will be made available across the country from this week, with the eligibility of the community testing programme expanded to cover all 317 local authorities. Local authorities will be encouraged to target testing at critical workers such as early years staff during the national lockdown.
We are rolling out our asymptomatic testing programme to primary schools, who will receive testing kits for staff from week commencing 18 January 2020. This includes schools-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools. The asymptomatic testing programme will offer all primary school, schools-based nursery and maintained nursery school staff home Lateral Flow Device test kits for routine testing.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the Government on which vaccine(s) the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them.
JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.
Regarding the next phase of vaccine rollout, JCVI have asked that the Department of Health and Social Care consider occupational vaccination in collaboration with other government departments. The Department for Education will input into this cross-governmental exercise.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that university students receive the same quality of education whilst learning from home.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the resources to study remotely. This is more important than ever now, with the vast majority of students studying solely online. The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for higher education (HE) providers in England, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected, regardless of whether a provider is delivering its courses through face-to-face teaching, remote online learning, or a combination of both.
The OfS has published information on quality and standards for providers providing practical guidance on how best to ensure students continue to receive a high quality academic experience in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This sets out that providers should make all reasonable efforts to provide alternative teaching and support for students that is at least broadly equivalent to the provider’s usual arrangements. The OfS will keep this guidance under review to ensure it remains relevant to the developing circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The OfS is taking very seriously the potential impacts of the outbreak on teaching and learning and is regularly engaging with all registered providers. It is actively monitoring providers to ensure that they maintain the quality of their provision, that it is accessible for all, and that they have been clear in their communications with students about how arrangements for teaching and learning may change throughout the year. The OfS is also following up directly with providers where they receive notifications from students, parents or others raising concerns about the quality of teaching on offer and requiring providers to report to them when they are not able to deliver a course or award a qualification. If the OfS has concerns, it will investigate further.
The OfS is also monitoring the position across the sector for instance through polling of students' views. Where appropriate, and in response to issues raised through that monitoring, it will issue further advice to the sector.
Students have rights under consumer law that they may be able to rely on if they are dissatisfied with their provider’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In the first instance, students should speak to their provider to see if they can resolve their issue. We expect student complaints and appeals processes to be operated flexibly, accessibly, and sympathetically by providers to resolve any concerns. If a student at a provider in England or Wales is not satisfied with their provider’s final response, they should go to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, which has published guidance on this issue.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the adequacy of guidance provided to schools on the attendance of children of keyworkers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
During the period of national lockdown, schools should allow only vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers to attend. All other pupils should not attend and should learn remotely until February half term.
On 7 January, the Department published guidance that sets out what all schools will need to do during the national lockdown: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf. Guidance is also available on the children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.
Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required. Schools should speak to parents and carers to identify who needs to go to school. If parents and carers who are critical workers can work from home and look after their children at the same time then they should do so.
Every school will have a different number of children of critical workers who need to attend. It is important that on site provision is provided for these pupils, and there is no limit to numbers of these pupils who may attend, and schools should not limit attendance of these groups. This is because we are reducing overall social contact across areas and the country rather than individually by each institution.
The Department will continue to review the restrictions on schools and will ensure that children and young people return to face to face education as soon as possible.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that clear guidance is available to schools experiencing high demand for places for key worker children during the January 2021 covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Nick Gibb
During the period of national lockdown, schools should allow only vulnerable children and young people and the children of critical workers to attend. All other pupils should not attend and should learn remotely until February half term.
On 7 January, the Department published guidance that sets out what all schools will need to do during the national lockdown: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf. Guidance is also available on the children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision.
Children with at least one parent or carer who is a critical worker can go to school if required. Schools should speak to parents and carers to identify who needs to go to school. If parents and carers who are critical workers can work from home and look after their children at the same time then they should do so.
Every school will have a different number of children of critical workers who need to attend. It is important that on site provision is provided for these pupils, and there is no limit to numbers of these pupils who may attend, and schools should not limit attendance of these groups. This is because we are reducing overall social contact across areas and the country rather than individually by each institution.
The Department will continue to review the restrictions on schools and will ensure that children and young people return to face to face education as soon as possible.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire of 2 October 2020 on an incident suffered by a constituent's child at school, reference ZA53261.
Answered by Nick Gibb
I can confirm that a response has been sent to the letter dated 2 October, ref ZA53261, from the hon. Member for West Lancashire.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the risk to clinically extremely vulnerable parents of sending their children to school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Updated guidance on protecting clinically extremely vulnerable individuals, developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, was published on 26 November 2020. The advice outlined within this guidance states that children and young people whose parents or carers are clinically extremely vulnerable should still attend education and childcare. This remains the default position for all areas irrespective of local restriction tiers. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.
Education and childcare is vital to the wellbeing of children and young people. Time out of nursery, school and college is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development.
Schools, nurseries and colleges have implemented a range of protective measures recommended by the Public Health England-endorsed guidance published by the Department for Education which, when followed, creates an inherently safer environment for pupils, staff and families. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#res.
If parents or carers are anxious about their child attending education, we recommend that they discuss this with their school leaders to understand their concerns and provide reassurance regarding the protective measures that have been put in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at school, nursery or college.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of formally advising secondary schools in the UK to return to remote learning for the final week of term to help reduce the spread of covid-19 over the Christmas break.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It continues to be the Department’s aim that all pupils, in all year groups, remain in school full time. Returning to school full time has been vital for children’s education and for their wellbeing. Time out of school is detrimental for children’s cognitive and academic development, particularly for disadvantaged children. This impact can affect both current levels of learning and children’s future ability to learn.
As set out in the Government’s COVID-19 Winter Plan, nurseries, schools, and colleges should not change their Christmas holidays or close early this term. Parents should continue to send their children to school during term time. Head teachers, teachers and staff in schools and colleges have been doing an extraordinary job to remain open.
Schools have implemented a range of protective measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The risk to children themselves of becoming severely ill from COVID-19 is low, and there are negative health impacts from being out of school. Senior clinicians, including the Chief Medical Officers of all four nations, still advise that school is the very best place for children to be.
If parents have concerns about their child attending school because they consider they or members of their household may have particular risk factors, they should discuss these with their school.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when his Department plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Lancashire, dated 8 September 2020, ref MR/ZA53629, on a student of Runshaw College.
Answered by Nick Gibb
I can confirm that a response has been sent to the letter dated 8 September 2020, from the hon. Member for West Lancashire.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what reparations are available to a student who received incorrect A-level results as a result of a clerical error by Runshaw College which resulted in the student missing out on a university place and who is now being told they are unable to resit their second year of college.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Appeals against A and AS level and GCSE grades are being accepted from schools or colleges where they think the exam board did not apply its procedures properly and fairly or where the data used by the exam board to calculate results contained an error.
Ofqual has published summary guidance, agreed with school and college leaders, which makes clear what the process was for putting together centre assessment grades and the grounds of appeal which are available.
I understand the college has been in touch with the student to see if they wish to enter the autumn exam series. The Department has launched an Exam Support Service which will provide support for schools and colleges to run the autumn exams.
Asked by: Rosie Cooper (Labour - West Lancashire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Universities Minister in his Department plans to provide a date and time for the meeting with the hon. Member for West Lancashire to discuss Edge Hill University.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
I am due to meet the hon. Member for West Lancashire on 1 September 2020 and look forward to discussing the matter she raised with me in person.