Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that school work experience placements are accessible to students living with disabilities.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Work experience is an important aspect of the support pupils receive to follow rewarding learning and training pathways which lead to fulfilling careers.
The department works with The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to support secondary schools in providing pupils with multiple interactions with employers from year 7 to year 13 in line with Gatsby Benchmark 6 - Experiences of the Workplace. This 2023/24 financial year, the department has asked CEC to drive this agenda forward at pace to increase workplace opportunities, targeting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is in response to evidence that these pupils are less likely to access work experience opportunities than their peers.
The CEC Careers Hub network has been asked to use a proportion of their Hub Delivery Fund to stimulate meaningful employer-led activities to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people to engage in encounters of the workplace. Within the fund, there is a focus on alternative provision, SEND and Pupil Referral Units across all year groups. One funded activity, ‘Let’s Explore VR’ delivered fully immersive experiences to SEND pupils across the Liverpool City Region, who faced social barriers to accessing and engaging with workplace careers insights and traditional work experience. The activity provided unique and engaging insights into a variety of workplaces, careers and sectors using virtual reality to transport the students into the world of work.
The CEC’s training is designed to promote SEND inclusion. The CEC have developed SEND awareness training for their Enterprise Coordinators and Enterprise Advisers and provide SEND Careers training to Careers Leaders and special educational needs co-ordinators in schools, to support the development of careers plans and employer experiences appropriate to the needs of students with SEND. There are now 38 named SEND specific Enterprise Coordinators in place across 31 Careers Hubs. Enterprise Coordinators are trained professionals who work with a cluster of 20 schools and colleges to build careers plans and make connections to local and national employers. In addition, 300 Enterprise Coordinators have undertaken masterclass training to gain an understanding of how to support schools, colleges and special schools with young people with SEND.
Supported internships are a study programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and want to move into employment. They equip young people with the skills they need to secure and sustain employment through learning in the workplace.
The department is investing approximately £18 million until 2025 to build capacity in the supported internships programme and support more young people with EHC plans into employment.
In the 2023 Spring Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced up to £3 million to pilot extending supported internships to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities without an EHC plan by March 2025. The pilot is being rolled out in 12 local authorities.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 installing high-efficiency particulate absorbing filters in schools to tackle the risk of covid-19 infection.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department has considered the merits of high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filter use in schools, as well as recognising how good ventilation helps to create a healthy indoor environment for staff and students.
There is strong evidence from laboratory studies of the efficacy of HEPA filtration technology at removing airborne viruses and particulate matter from the air.
Departmental officials sit on the working group for a project looking at the implications and potential benefits of fitting primary schools with air cleaning technology: the Bradford classroom air cleaning technology (class-ACT) trial. This was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed through the UK Health Security Agency. The study is run from the Centre for Applied Education Research which is based at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK. The trial has concluded, and the academic leads intend to publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal in due course.
Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles which reduces the risk of respiratory illness, as well as improves pupils’ alertness and concentration. Between September 2021 and April 2023, the department delivered over 700,000 CO2 monitors to over 45,000 state-funded settings, including schools. This means that all eligible settings now have an assigned CO2 monitor for every teaching and childcare space to help them manage their ventilation.
For settings that identified spaces with sustained high CO2 readings (1500ppm or more) through their monitors, an application process was made available for department-funded air cleaning units (ACUs) that utilise HEPA technology. This policy was informed by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ Environmental Modelling Group which advises that ACUs have limited benefit in spaces that are already adequately ventilated and should only be considered where the ventilation is inadequate and cannot be easily improved. The department has subsequently delivered over 9,000 ACUs to over 1,300 settings between January 2022 and April 2023.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are in hybrid learning arrangements due to the presence of RAAC in their (a) school and (b) college building as of 5 December 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 6 December 2023, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.
As of 27 November 2023, there are 231 education settings with confirmed RAAC in some of their buildings. Thanks to the hard work of school and college leaders, 228 settings (99%) are providing full time face-to-face education for all pupils. Three settings have hybrid arrangements in place. This may involve some remote learning on some days as not all pupils can currently receive full-time face-to-face education. There are no education settings with confirmed RAAC where all pupils are in full-time remote learning.
The department will allocate whatever resources are necessary to support schools and colleges to manage and remove RAAC from their buildings. Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from our team of caseworkers who will support them as required. Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to implement mitigation plans. They will work with them to put in place a bespoke plan that supports face-to-face education for all pupils as soon as possible based on their circumstances. The department does not hold data on the number of hours worked by caseworkers virtually and on-site.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours the caseworkers assigned to schools affected by RAAC have worked; and how many of those were (a) virtual and (b) on site.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 6 December 2023, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.
As of 27 November 2023, there are 231 education settings with confirmed RAAC in some of their buildings. Thanks to the hard work of school and college leaders, 228 settings (99%) are providing full time face-to-face education for all pupils. Three settings have hybrid arrangements in place. This may involve some remote learning on some days as not all pupils can currently receive full-time face-to-face education. There are no education settings with confirmed RAAC where all pupils are in full-time remote learning.
The department will allocate whatever resources are necessary to support schools and colleges to manage and remove RAAC from their buildings. Every school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from our team of caseworkers who will support them as required. Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to implement mitigation plans. They will work with them to put in place a bespoke plan that supports face-to-face education for all pupils as soon as possible based on their circumstances. The department does not hold data on the number of hours worked by caseworkers virtually and on-site.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to assess the safety of (a) university and (b) other higher education buildings.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The higher education (HE) sector is independent from Government and it is therefore for individual providers to determine and address any estate issues. The Government has liaised with a number of HE sector representative groups to communicate with HE providers about the relevant guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of secondary schools which have no (a) English (b) maths (c) history and (d) religious education teachers who originally qualified to teach that subject.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline. It is the Teachers’ Standards that specify the subject knowledge required for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). All trainee teachers must meet these by the time they complete their training.
The latest data from November 2021, as published in the School Workforce Census, states that of 2,915 state-funded secondary schools in England: three did not employ a teacher with a post-A level qualification in English, 19 in mathematics, 15 in history and 155 in religious education.
These figures relate only to schools where the subjects were taught. In addition, figures only include schools that supplied both curriculum and teacher qualification data. Subject taught information is based on a typical week of teaching, as determined by the school.
Information on subjects taught and teachers’ post A level qualifications is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Religious Education on addressing racial or religious prejudice in schools; and whether she has had recent discussions on improving standards of Religious Education teaching with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government recognises the importance of providing good quality religious education (RE) for pupils. RE remains a compulsory subject for all state-funded schools in England, including academies, for all pupils up to the age of 18.
The Government’s policy is to allow RE curricula to be designed at a local level, whether that is through a locally agreed syllabus or by individual schools and academy trusts developing their own curricula. The Department does not quality assure, approve, endorse or promote locally agreed syllabuses for RE or any associated resources and materials. The Department has therefore made no formal assessment of the potential impact of RE on addressing racial or religious prejudice in schools.
Whilst RE seeks to educate young people on the importance of tolerance and acceptance of those of all faiths and beliefs, it is not the only subject within a school’s curriculum that does so. For example, all schools have a duty to promote fundamental British values, which includes mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Developing and deepening pupils’ understanding of these values is part of the Ofsted inspection framework, alongside expectations that schools develop responsible citizens and promote an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all pupils, irrespective of their characteristics.
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum has a strong focus on equality, respect and the harmful impact of stereotyping, as well as the importance of valuing difference. Guidance can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health.
Schools should address any intolerant, racist or discriminatory views expressed by pupils through their wider anti bullying and safeguarding policies. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. The policy should set out the behaviour expected of pupils, the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour and recognition for good behaviour. This should be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents. The Department’s advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities, is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.
The Department publishes information, guidance and support for teachers and school leaders on how to challenge radical views, including racist and discriminatory beliefs, on the ‘Educate Against Hate’ website. These resources include the Respectful School Communities toolkit, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole school approach which promotes respect and discipline. This can help to combat bullying, harassment and prejudice of any kind, including hate based bullying. The toolkit is available at: www.educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders .
The Department is also providing over £3 million of funding between August 2021 and March 2024 to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. The Department has deliberately focused this grant programme on preventing and tackling bullying of pupils with protected characteristics. This includes projects targeting the bullying of particular vulnerable groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.
The Department is not aware of any discussions with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on improving standards of RE teaching.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to provide Sharia-approved student finance for Muslim students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
I refer the hon. Member for Luton North to the answer given on 24 March 2023 to Question 167263.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE qualification in the Romanian language.
Answered by Robin Walker
Deciding which languages are offered at GCSE is the responsibility of awarding organisations.
The government is committed to increasing the number of pupils studying languages to GCSE level and beyond, including languages that are commonly spoken in Britain. It is for this reason that teaching of languages is in the national curriculum from age 7 to 14, and why GCSEs in languages are included as part of the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.
However, it is up to schools to decide which languages are taught as part of their curriculum, both at primary and secondary school, and the government does not specify which languages should be taught. When deciding which languages to offer, schools are likely to consider the needs of their local community.
Awarding organisations can offer a GCSE in any modern language, and this decision would be informed by matters such as the level of demand from schools, the proportion of the population in the UK speaking the language, and the availability of examiners. Thus, there is no reason in principle why a GCSE in Romanian could not be introduced, and the government would support any awarding organisation wishing to do so.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle anti-Sikh bullying in schools.
Answered by Robin Walker
The government has sent a clear message that bullying should never be tolerated, and the department is committed to supporting schools to tackle it.
The department is providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of groups who share protected characteristics, including race and faith and belief, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.
All schools should set clear, reasonable and proportionate expectations of pupil behaviour in line with the department’s guidance on behaviour and discipline in schools. It is for individual schools to develop their own best practice for managing behaviour in their school.
We are also making sure that all children in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of mandatory relationships, sex and health education. This includes content on the different types of bullying, the impact it has, the responsibility of bystanders, and how to get help.
The department continues to publish information, guidance and support for teachers and school leaders on how to challenge radical views, including racist and discriminatory beliefs, on Educate Against Hate. We also provide advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities. This advice makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs.