Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority presumption free schools have been established since central applications were closed last year, broken down by (a), primary, (b) secondary, (c) post-16, and (d) special schools.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of free schools that have been opened through the free school presumption process since July 2024 is as follows:
Primary | 23 |
Secondary | 0 |
All-through | 1 |
Post-16 | 0 |
Special | 8 |
Alternative provision | 1 |
For comparison, the number of presumption free schools that were established in the previous academic year (2023/24) was:
Primary | 12 |
Secondary | 0 |
All-through | 1 |
Post-16 | 0 |
Special | 1 |
Alternative provision | 0 |
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration has been given to addressing historic pension gaps for teachers who were removed from the Teachers’ Pension Scheme without explicit consent.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department actively reviews historic provisions to ensure that the Teachers’ Pension Scheme remains fair for all and, if necessary, take steps to rectify where discrimination has been identified. The Preston cases, which were rectified in the 1990s, and the Goodwin cases, which were rectified in 2021, are cases in point.
The department does not have plans to review any specific historic provisions at present.
Changes to the maternity participation rules were provided in legislation in 1994 and 1995 and widely consulted on. The scheme administrator, Teachers’ Pensions, continue to issue guidance to local authorities and employers to ensure compliance and to manage claims effectively.
Asked by: Andrew Lewin (Labour - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what whether she has considered screening all primary school age children for colour blindness.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Whilst the department does not have any current plans to introduce screening for all primary school age children for colour blindness, to support settings to identify need early, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices. They highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.
We also recently announced new government-backed research into SEN identification, which will be delivered by UK Research Innovation (UKRI) in partnership with the department. This will aim to develop and test trusted and effective approaches to help the early identification of children needing tailored educational support.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on gambling-like features in video games, including loot boxes and in-game spending, as part of online safety education.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) supports children and young people to manage risk and make informed decisions in relation to their mental wellbeing and online behaviour.
The updated RSHE statutory guidance is clear that children and young people should be taught the risks relating to online gaming, video game monetisation, scams, fraud and other financial harms, and that gaming can become addictive.
Curriculum content also includes the risks related to online gambling and gambling-like content within gaming, including the accumulation of debt.
The departments online safety guidance covers how to teach about all aspects of internet safety and includes content on gaming and gambling, and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.
As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools have flexibility over how they deliver important topics and use their autonomy and local community knowledge to do this.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review the potential impact of historic practices on women’s pension entitlements in the teaching profession.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department actively reviews historic provisions to ensure that the Teachers’ Pension Scheme remains fair for all and, if necessary, take steps to rectify where discrimination has been identified. The Preston cases, which were rectified in the 1990s, and the Goodwin cases, which were rectified in 2021, are cases in point.
The department does not have plans to review any specific historic provisions at present.
Changes to the maternity participation rules were provided in legislation in 1994 and 1995 and widely consulted on. The scheme administrator, Teachers’ Pensions, continue to issue guidance to local authorities and employers to ensure compliance and to manage claims effectively.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance was issued to local authorities in the 1990s on the inclusion of part-time teachers in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme following maternity leave.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department actively reviews historic provisions to ensure that the Teachers’ Pension Scheme remains fair for all and, if necessary, take steps to rectify where discrimination has been identified. The Preston cases, which were rectified in the 1990s, and the Goodwin cases, which were rectified in 2021, are cases in point.
The department does not have plans to review any specific historic provisions at present.
Changes to the maternity participation rules were provided in legislation in 1994 and 1995 and widely consulted on. The scheme administrator, Teachers’ Pensions, continue to issue guidance to local authorities and employers to ensure compliance and to manage claims effectively.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of access to state boarding school facilities for the children of armed forces personnel.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department maintains oversight of state boarding school policy, which is used to regulate standards in boarding provisions.
The Ministry of Defence oversees the Continuity of Education Allowance for eligible Service Personnel, which provides clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility does not interfere with a child’s education. This includes supporting parents with the option of using a state boarding school.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the long term sustainability of state boarding education.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department maintains oversight of state boarding school policy, which is used to regulate standards in boarding provisions.
The Ministry of Defence oversees the Continuity of Education Allowance for eligible Service Personnel, which provides clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility does not interfere with a child’s education. This includes supporting parents with the option of using a state boarding school.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what provision exists to ensure that training is provided to school staff on identifying and responding to severe allergic reactions.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Schools are required under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.
They must have regard to the statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, which sets expectations for training and emergency procedures. Governing bodies should ensure that staff receive suitable training to identify and respond to severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, and that policies and systems are effectively implemented. Ofsted assesses the effectiveness of these arrangements as part of school inspections.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the impact and effectiveness of state boarding education.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department maintains oversight of state boarding school policy, which is used to regulate standards in boarding provisions.
The Ministry of Defence oversees the Continuity of Education Allowance for eligible Service Personnel, which provides clearly defined financial support to ensure that the need for frequent mobility does not interfere with a child’s education. This includes supporting parents with the option of using a state boarding school.