Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to (a) support the sustainability of the childcare sector and (b) facilitate access to affordable and high-quality early years providers.
Answered by Will Quince
Early years are a vital part of a child’s education, enabling them to develop the cognitive, social, and emotional skills that set them up for life.
To facilitate access to affordable and high-quality early years provision, we have spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past 3 years on the government’s early years entitlements. This financial year the department is investing £44 million for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers.
The department is also investing £180 million on education recovery in the early years, to support the youngest children’s learning and development.
With regard to sustainability, despite the reduction in the number of children in the age range for early years provision, the number of childcare places on Ofsted’s early years register has remained broadly stable since August 2015, at around 1.3 million places.
Ofsted also has regard to the early years foundation stage framework in carrying out its inspections and reporting on the quality and standards of early years provision and, overall, quality in this sector is very high with 96% of all childcare providers on Ofsted’s early years register judged either Good or Outstanding at their most recent inspection, the highest level ever.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make resources available to support the wide-scale roll-out of automated external defibrillators in schools across England.
Answered by Vicky Ford
All new and refurbished state funded schools are required to have at least one defibrillator installed on their premises. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, discussed this important issue in the House of Commons this week and said: ‘It was incredibly moving to speak to Mark King and listen to his tragic experience of losing his son, Oliver – he was joined by Jamie Carragher as well. It really does focus us on the need to do as much as possible to encourage schools to have defibrillators. That is why we will look at changing the regulations, which are underpinned by legislation, to ensure that all schools have defibrillators in the future and hopefully prevent such a tragedy visiting more families.’
Defibrillators 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, further education institutions and early years settings, including holiday and out-of-school providers.
The department wants as many schools as possible to have this equipment and we are exploring all available options to see what more we can do.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding through the Government's long-term education recovery plan; and what recent representations he has received from stakeholders in the education sector on the extent to which that Government funding will ensure educational recovery for children who have lost learning as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has invested £3 billion in education recovery to help tackle the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Pupils, students, parents and staff have all experienced major disruption, and we realise that continuous action is required to ensure a strong recovery in nurseries, schools and colleges.
The Department has also invested more than £400 million to provide laptops, tablets and internet access to ensure that children could be taught remotely when required. Alongside this, we have supported the Oak National Academy, helping schools to provide high quality online lessons.
Ministers and officials have engaged extensively in recent months with a wide range of stakeholders on the approach to education recovery. The Department looks forward to continuing to engage with the sector and stakeholders on all aspects of the education recovery package, to ensure its effective implementation.
This Government has committed to an ambitious, long-term education recovery plan and the next stage will include a review of time spent in school and college and the impact this could have on helping children and young people to catch up. The findings of the review will be set out in the coming months to inform the Spending Review.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his policy that schools are planned to be able to lift all covid-19 restrictions in September 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s goal continues to be supporting children and young people to attend face-to-face education, and to reverse the long-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their education, wellbeing and wider development. That is why the Government has prioritised education as it works through the steps of the roadmap to ease restrictions.
As the COVID-19 outbreak progresses, it remains important that the Government is able to respond to the evolving public health situation. Depending on COVID-19 measures in place at the time, and subject to Step 4 of the roadmap commencing on the revised date of 19 July, there may be a need for regional or local safety measures to help limit the spread of COVID-19, which could have an impact on education and childcare in the coming months. The road map is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021#roadmap.
Given the impact that restrictions on education can have on children and young people, any measures in schools should only ever be considered as a last resort, kept to the minimum number of schools or groups possible, and for the shortest amount of time possible. Any restrictions on attendance should only ever be considered as a last resort and should involve a ministerial decision.
Central Government may offer local areas of particular concern an enhanced response package to help limit increases in transmission. In enhanced response areas, Directors of Public Health may recommend some additional measures in any schools or nurseries.
These measures are detailed within the contingency framework for education and childcare, which describes how schools and nurseries should plan for spikes in infection in their local areas. This is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-restrictions-in-education-and-childcare-settings/contingency-framework-education-and-childcare-settings.
All schools and nurseries should have outbreak management plans outlining how they would operate if any of the measures described within the contingency framework were recommended in their setting or area, and this could include because their area is an enhanced response area.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the catch-up and recovery plan being developed by Sir Kevan Collins is planned to be published.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Sir Kevan Collins, the Education Recovery Commissioner, was not asked to publish a plan but rather to advise the Government on developing its plan. This has been published, through announcements of significant investments in education recovery in June 2021.
The Department will continue to focus on education recovery to make sure that no child is left behind with their education, with over £3 billion committed for catch-up so far. As part of this, the Department recently announced an additional £1 billion for tutoring and £400 million for training to support great teaching, which were both key areas Sir Kevan recommended we pursue.
This comes on top of a £650 million universal catch-up premium for schools, £200 million for face-to-face summer schools this summer, a £302 million recovery premium which will go to schools in the coming year, £18 million to support language development in the early years from next year, and £550 million to fund small group tuition. The recovery premium alone will mean that the average primary school will receive around £6,000 extra funding, and the average secondary school around £22,000 extra funding to further support pupils to catch up.
Education recovery requires a long-term approach. The next step will be a review of the evidence on extending the school day to make sure that any investment here delivers the best education for children.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to take steps in response to the recommendations of the National Secular Society's report entitled Religiosity inspections: the case against faith-based reviews of state schools, including repeal of section 48 of the Education Act 2005.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 places a duty on the governing body of maintained schools that are designated as having a religious character, to arrange for the inspection of any denominational education and collective worship. This requirement applies to maintained faith schools and academies (via the funding agreement). In arranging the inspection, the school must consult with the appropriate religious body, specified in regulations. This approach brings a consistency of approach and oversight to the inspections.
The Government greatly values the contribution that faith schools make to the education sector by providing high quality school places and choice for parents. Section 48 inspections provide assurance in relation to the religious education and collective worship provided in these schools. There are no plans to change the current arrangements for the inspection of designated faith schools.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that young people receive teaching on the climate crisis.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is important that young people are taught about climate change. For this reason, climate change and related topics such as sustainability are included throughout both the science and geography curricula and GCSEs. In primary science and geography, pupils are given a firm foundation for the further study of the environment in secondary school. For example, in primary science, pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. They are taught about animals’ habitats, including that changes to the environment may pose dangers to living things. In primary geography, pupils are taught about seasonal and daily weather patterns, climate zones and human geography, including land use, economic activity, and the distribution of natural resources.
In secondary science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in GCSE science where pupils consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change. In secondary geography, pupils look at how human and physical processes interact to influence and change landscapes, environments and the climate. As part of GCSE geography, pupils look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards.
In 2017, the Department introduced a new environmental science A level. This will enable students to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled. Schools and teachers can go beyond the topics set out in the National Curriculum, or do more in-depth teaching of these topic areas, if they so wish.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which member of the Cabinet has responsibility for representing the needs of babies and young children.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Members of the Cabinet have responsibility for representing the needs of babies and young children within their individual department remits. For example, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has responsibility for Childcare and Early Education and children’s social care.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support children who have fallen behind in school as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government recognises that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and are committed to helping pupils make up education lost due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
To address this challenge, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, committed to working with parents, teachers, and education providers to develop a long-term plan to help education settings to support pupils make up their education over the course of this Parliament.
In June 2020 we announced a £1 billion catch-up package including a National Tutoring Programme and a Catch-up Premium for this academic year. In February 2021 we committed to further funding of £700 million to fund summer schools, expansion of our tutoring programmes and a Recovery Premium for next academic year. Funding will support pupils across early years settings, schools, and providers of 16 to 19 education.
The Department has appointed Sir Kevan Collins as Education Recovery Commissioner to advise on the development of the long-term recovery plan. Sir Kevan will engage with parents, pupils, and teachers in the development of this broader approach and review how evidence-based interventions can be used to address the impact the COVID-19 outbreak has had on education. We will share further details in due course.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in delivering their statutory duty to lead the transition to sixth form process for 16- and 17-year olds in their area.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The department takes seriously its duty to support students during transition years and to assist them with progression to further education or training. We continue to support local authorities and monitor participation figures, with 94.4% of 16 and 17 year olds receiving an offer in education and training in 2020. Under the September Guarantee, all 16 and 17 year olds are entitled to an offer of a suitable place in education or training regardless of qualifications gained, and the government plans to invest over £7 billion during 2020/21, to ensure there is a place in education or training, including apprenticeships, for every 16 to 19 year old.