Blog

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of (a) the school a pupil attends and (b) access to transport on participation in after-school sport.

    Nick Gibb

    Local authorities are responsible for making sure that local travel arrangements enable children to attend school. The responsibility covers transport from home to school at the start and finish of the school day. Local authorities can use their discretionary powers to provide transport to meet local needs. They should engage both with parents and schools in deciding what support can be expected from the local authority.

  • Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Holly Lynch – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Holly Lynch on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of fair access protocols on pupil referral units.

    Nick Gibb

    Fair access protocols exist to ensure that, outside the normal admissions round, unplaced children, especially the most vulnerable, are offered a place at a suitable school as quickly as possible and that no school is asked to take a disproportionate number of children with challenging behaviour or children excluded from other schools.

    Fair access protocols do not have a direct impact on pupil referral units.

    It is for local authorities, together with the schools in their area, to decide on which children should be eligible for consideration under their fair access protocol, which as a minimum must include children from pupil referral units who need to be integrated back into mainstream education.

  • Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Gareth Thomas – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Thomas on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the new grading system for GCSEs on students of Latin and Greek; and if she will make a statement.

    Nick Gibb

    This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have therefore asked its Chief Regulator, Glenys Stacey, to write directly to the Honourable Member. A copy of her reply will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  • Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Carol Monaghan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Carol Monaghan on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will estimate the change in that part of her Department’s budget which is allocated to free school meals that will result from discontinuation of universal infant free school meals; and whether such a change would trigger a consequential change in the payment to devolved administrations under the Barnett formula.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    Universal infant free school meals have been a great success, with over 1.3 million additional infants enjoying a nutritious, free meal at lunchtime and parents saving hundreds of pounds a year. The Chancellor made it clear at the spending review in the autumn that, in line with the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment, this policy will be protected for the duration of the Parliament. It costs around £600 million a year in England, with proportionate funding going to the devolved administrations under the Barnett formula.

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many vexatious complaints there have been against faith schools from secularist campaign groups in each of the last three years.

    Nick Gibb

    The information requested is held by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA). The OSA Annual Report contains data about the objections referred to the OSA and the outcome of those objections: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/parents-to-get-greater-say-in-the-school-admissions-process

    “

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policy on school admissions of the finding of the report, An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign in October 2015, on the use of supplementary information forms which assume that parents are of the opposite sex; and if she will take steps to ensure that such forms are not used by schools in future.

    Nick Gibb

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code (the code) and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements comply within two months of a determination. This includes requiring schools to amend their supplementary information forms when they do not comply with the code.

    We support the right of schools with a religious designation to prioritise children of their faith designation but the code requires that any measure of religious activity used for admission purposes must be as laid out by their faith body.

    The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions code which will both respond to concerns from parents and to the findings in the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. That package will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.

  • Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Sharon Hodgson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sharon Hodgson on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2016 to Question 25621, if her Department will publish that part of the small schools taskforce report which is not already in the public domain.

    Mr Sam Gyimah

    We do not have any plans to publish anything further beyond the toolkit for small schools which was made available to schools last year.

  • Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Jeff Smith – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jeff Smith on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policy on school admissions of the finding of the report, An Unholy Mess, published by the Fair Admissions Campaign in October 2015, relating to information made available on requirements for religious observance as part of the admissions process for certain religiously selective schools.

    Nick Gibb

    Admission authorities for all state-funded schools, including schools with a religious designation, are required to comply with the mandatory provisions of the School Admissions Code (the code) and other admissions law.

    Where an objection is made to the Schools Adjudicator, if the arrangements are found to be unfair or fail to comply with the code, the admission authority must make changes to ensure their arrangements comply within two months of a determination. This includes requiring schools to amend their supplementary information forms when they do not comply with the code.

    We support the right of schools with a religious designation to prioritise children of their faith designation but the code requires that any measure of religious activity used for admission purposes must be as laid out by their faith body.

    The Government will shortly consult on a package of changes to the School Admissions code which will both respond to concerns from parents and to the findings in the Chief Adjudicator’s Annual Report. That package will include measures to improve fairness and transparency.

  • Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Steve McCabe – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve McCabe on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire in assessing the wellbeing of children and young people when they enter the care system.

    Edward Timpson

    This Government is committed to supporting children in care and the unique challenges that they often face. That is why we’ve put in place a comprehensive package of support, including the introduction of the Pupil Premium Plus and compulsory Virtual School Heads to champion the attainment of children in care. We’ve also changed the rules so foster children can remain at home until 21 and have recognised long-term fostering as a placement in its own right, providing young people with greater stability as they prepare for independence and adult life.

    The Department collects Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scores for children looked-after for at least 12 months. The data returned by local authorities are based on questionnaires completed by the child’s main carer. SDQs should inform a looked-after child’s annual health assessment.

    In England, 72% of 5-16 year olds, looked after for at least 12 months, have had an SDQ score submitted. In Birmingham, 85% of these children have had an SDQ score submitted. These figures are correct as of 31 March 2015. More information can be found in the Department’s Statistical First Release Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England at 31 March 2015[1].

    The SDQ is an internationally validated screening tool that provides information about the behavioural and emotional health of children. It has been part of the Department’s statistical collection for looked-after children since 2008. Where the SDQ score from the main carer suggests there may be a problem, the statutory guidance Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children[2], which is issued jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health, makes clear that consideration should be given to further assessment.

    The Department recently supported the research undertaken by the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford on The Educational Progress of Looked-After Children in England: Linking Care and Education Data[3]. This research demonstrates that having a high SDQ score was strongly predictive of poor GCSE outcomes. We are discussing the implications of this research with local authority Virtual School Heads.

    [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2014-to-2015

    [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-the-health-and-wellbeing-of-looked-after-children–2

    [3] http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/EducationalProgressLookedAfterChildrenOverviewReport_Nov2015.pdf

    “

  • Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Mike Kane – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mike Kane on 2016-02-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what procedures schools are required to follow in order to withdraw from an academy trust.

    Edward Timpson

    Where there are concerns about the performance of an academy the Regional Schools Commissioner may decide that the support of a new academy trust is needed to bring about the necessary improvements. In these cases the Regional Schools Commissioner may be able to use the termination powers set out in the academy’s funding agreement to require the academy to move to a new trust without the agreement of the academy or the existing trust. The Education and Adoption Bill will give Regional Schools Commissioners stronger more consistent powers to do this with failing and coasting academies.

    Where the academy is performing well this is a matter for discussion and agreement between the academy, the trust and the relevant Regional Schools Commissioner.