Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children who have been absent from school as a result of illness from covid-19 are not penalised in applications to further education institutions that have a fixed attendance requirement for enrolment.

We recognise that extended restrictions on attendance at school and colleges have had an impact on children and young people’s learning, but decisions about admissions by further education (FE) institutions are a matter for providers themselves and are not specified by the government.

The department does, however, expect FE providers to be mindful of the impact of COVID-19 when considering any entry requirements for young people entering FE.