Written Question
Wednesday 7th September 2016
Asked by:
Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to restrict the amount spent by local authorities on legal support and advice in special educational needs and disability tribunals.
Answered by Edward Timpson
It is up to local authorities to decide how best to spend their Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) budgets, based on an analysis of local need. The reforms in the Children and Families Act 2014 were designed to make the SEND system less adversarial for parents and young people, as well as for local authorities. The process of Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment and plan development is designed to be collaborative, meaning that most disagreements should be resolved early on. Where disagreements persist, we have introduced a requirement to consider mediation, which has often proved effective in reducing the need to make an appeal to the SEND Tribunal. For example, in 2015, 75% of disagreements over EHC plans for which mediation sessions were held did not result in a Tribunal appeal in that year.
The SEND Tribunal aims to be facilitative and accessible, so that it should not be necessary for either parents or local authorities to employ legal support when making or defending an appeal. No additional weight is given to evidence because it is presented by a lawyer and many parents and local authorities successfully pursue their case without legal representation.
The Department is currently conducting a Review of Disagreement Resolution Arrangements, as required by the 2014 Act, which will report to Parliament by 31st March 2017. The Review is looking at how the system of disagreement resolution is working for children, young people and their families, which includes enquiring about the costs incurred by both families and local authorities.
Written Question
Wednesday 7th September 2016
Asked by:
Tania Mathias (Conservative - Twickenham)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase awareness of the problems caused by illegal drugs in schools among (a) pupils and (b) parents.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Effective drug education is essential in supporting prevention, and in addressing the problem of drug misuse. Education plays an important role in helping to ensure that young people have the information they need to make informed, healthy decisions and to keep themselves safe.
Drug education is part of national curriculum science at key stage 2 and key stage 3. Provision in this area can be built on through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.
High quality PSHE can also play a vital role in developing the skills and attributes young people need to identify and manage risk and to stay safe. We believe that teachers are best placed to understand the needs of their pupils and our approach is for schools to develop their own local PSHE programme to reflect the needs of their pupils, drawing on the resources and evidence provided by experts.
We want to ensure that all schools are drawing on the best evidence available to deliver their PSHE. In March 2015, the Department published a ‘Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: a review of impact and best practice’, which included the best evidence on what works in drugs education. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pshe-education-a-review-of-impact-and-effective-practice.
It is good practice for schools to involve parents when developing their PSHE policy and schools are encouraged to publish their curriculum online. There are also useful resources available to support parents in increasing their knowledge about the risks that pupils face, including those problems caused by illegal drugs.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 May 2016
“Educational Excellence Everywhere”: Academies
"Following on from that, I thank my right hon. Friend for listening to the arguments for not compelling academisation, but because parent governors are so vital to the excellence of schools—I have worked with some brilliant parent governors—how will my right hon. Friend ensure that parental input continues? That is …..."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: “Educational Excellence Everywhere”: Academies
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 30 Nov 2015
Oral Answers to Questions
"T8. Constituencies such as mine have an increasing need for school places and for new schools, but a lack of suitable sites for new schools. Will the Minister visit Twickenham with me to see what more the Government can do to help local authorities find suitable sites for schools in …..."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"Does my hon. Friend agree that we do not want people to be inspired voluntarily to do CPR when they do not have the skills at the time that they want to have them?..."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"Will my hon. Friend consider instead having a link so that someone cannot get a driving licence unless they have CPR training?..."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"Has my hon. Friend told the schools about the British Heart Foundation kit that is available free to schools that would teach CPR in 30 minutes? I believe it is a quality product...."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"Has my hon. Friend any evidence at all that people who have done some first aid are put off doing other first aid courses?..."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"One of our colleagues mentioned that the CPR skills she learnt as a brownie were good enough for her to pass, as an adult 20 years later, the St John Ambulance certification...."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 20 Nov 2015
Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill
"Does my hon. Friend agree, however, that while regular updates are the gold standard, someone who has had even one session of CPR can help as a good Samaritan at some point in their life? It is not ideal to have practised only once, but it will do no damage...."Tania Mathias - View Speech
View all Tania Mathias (Con - Twickenham) contributions to the debate on: Compulsory Emergency First Aid Education (State-funded Secondary Schools) Bill