Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between government support for dance students on the Music and Dance Scheme and (1) the success of UK-trained dance students in international dance competitions, and (2) the continuing prominence of UK-trained dancers on the international stage.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department regularly reviews information from Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) providers about the post-MDS activities of their students in relation to education and employment.
Providers do not share information with the department relating to MDS alumni involved in international dance competitions or their prominence on the international stage.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing screening tests to identify early difficulties with numeracy; and whether those tests could take place at the same time and in a similar format to the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, which helps educators identify problems with literacy.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering key stages 1 to 5, is ongoing and ministers will consider its recommendations, including any on primary assessment.
In addition to the duty on schools to carry out statutory national curriculum assessments, schools also administer their own classroom assessments. The department provides optional end of key stage 1 tests and teacher assessment frameworks for English and mathematics to support schools in this work.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the terms of reference for the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group will be announced on the Department for Education webpages; and whether there will be expert representation of all Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, in particular dyscalculia, in both the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group and in the Expert Advisory Group on Inclusion.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The terms of reference for both the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group and Expert Advisory Group have now been published on GOV.UK along with the associated membership lists. These terms of reference are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/neurodivergence-task-and-finish-group and https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/send-inclusion-in-education-expert-group.
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish group consists of academics, scientists, clinicians, sector charities and education experts. The members of the Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion have a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialist knowledge and expertise. They are all well-established and trusted voices within the SEND and wider education sector.
In both cases, we have kept the group’s membership small to allow them to be focused, but we expect both groups and the department’s new Strategic Advisor for SEND, Dame Christine Lenehan, to collaborate with other sector experts and stakeholders in order to enrich the input into the groups and ensure appropriate coverage of all neurodivergent conditions, including dyscalculia. Together, the groups aim to inform and challenge the governments thinking on how to best improve mainstream education for all children and young people with special educational needs.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of dyscalculia; and how many school-age children receive a formal diagnosis of dyscalculia each year.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
The department collects information on the special educational needs (SEN) of pupils in schools and the SEN of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Both of these data collections use the following categories:
Dyscalculia cannot be identified separately in the collected data.
Information on the SEN of pupils is published in the department’s ‘Special educational needs in England’ publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.
Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities is published in the department’s ‘Education, health and care plans’ publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the awareness of dyscalculia (1) in schools, and (2) among the educational workforce; and how (a) primary school teachers, (b) specialist maths teachers, and (c) special needs teachers and co-ordinators, are supported in working with dyscalculic pupils.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyscalculia, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department does not have an official definition of dyscalculia.
Schools (and further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and 16-19 academies) are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the SEND code of practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils.
High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. To support all teachers, we are implementing high-quality teacher training reforms, which begins with Initial Teacher Training and continues into early career teaching and through to middle and senior leadership. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with dyscalculia.
All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the department introduced a new mandatory leadership level national professional qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.
The department also funds the Maths Hubs programme, a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools, including those with SEND. The programme covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach which is consistent with accepted practice on how children with dyscalculia can be effectively taught. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small, manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils.
To further support the needs of pupils and students with SEND, the department has funded the Universal SEND Services programme, backed by almost £12 million. The programme brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for schools and the further education workforce so that the needs of children and young people with SEND are met earlier and more effectively.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have an official definition of developmental dyscalculia; and whether that definition is publicly available on the Department for Education website.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyscalculia, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department does not have an official definition of dyscalculia.
Schools (and further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and 16-19 academies) are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the SEND code of practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils.
High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. To support all teachers, we are implementing high-quality teacher training reforms, which begins with Initial Teacher Training and continues into early career teaching and through to middle and senior leadership. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with dyscalculia.
All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the department introduced a new mandatory leadership level national professional qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.
The department also funds the Maths Hubs programme, a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools, including those with SEND. The programme covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach which is consistent with accepted practice on how children with dyscalculia can be effectively taught. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small, manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils.
To further support the needs of pupils and students with SEND, the department has funded the Universal SEND Services programme, backed by almost £12 million. The programme brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for schools and the further education workforce so that the needs of children and young people with SEND are met earlier and more effectively.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their strategy for the early identification of pupils with dyscalculia.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyscalculia, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department does not have an official definition of dyscalculia.
Schools (and further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and 16-19 academies) are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the SEND code of practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils.
High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. To support all teachers, we are implementing high-quality teacher training reforms, which begins with Initial Teacher Training and continues into early career teaching and through to middle and senior leadership. These reforms are designed to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with dyscalculia.
All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the department introduced a new mandatory leadership level national professional qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.
The department also funds the Maths Hubs programme, a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools, including those with SEND. The programme covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach which is consistent with accepted practice on how children with dyscalculia can be effectively taught. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small, manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils.
To further support the needs of pupils and students with SEND, the department has funded the Universal SEND Services programme, backed by almost £12 million. The programme brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for schools and the further education workforce so that the needs of children and young people with SEND are met earlier and more effectively.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the creative industries, arts, and heritage sectors will be represented in Government, and how the interests of these sectors will be protected.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are in the early stages of the new Government and Ministers are considering the full range of policy options to support the creative industries, arts and heritage sectors to thrive and meet our manifesto commitments. These sectors play a central part in providing good jobs and wages in every part of our country and will be a key part of delivering on the government’s missions. They are a key driver of economic growth, they help shape our national identity and they bring enjoyment and fulfilment to many millions every week. They are a key sector and we are conscious that we cannot help them thrive without engaging directly with them at every stage of developing our economic and industrial strategy.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 June (HL8432), whether their current policy is to allow the private sale of COVID-19 vaccines through (1) pharmacies, or (2) other healthcare providers.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
As mentioned in my letter on 1 June, the private provision of COVID-19 vaccination is not a decision for the Government.
Vaccines that have been licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for use in the United Kingdom can be prescribed by a physician, either in the National Health Service or privately. However, as yet, the pharmaceutical companies producing COVID-19 vaccines have not made these treatments commercially available to the private health care sector in the UK either through pharmacies or other healthcare providers.
Asked by: Baroness Bull (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to (1) the remarks by Lord Markham on 25 April (HL Deb col 1092), and (2) the letter from Lord Markham to all members on 1 June, when their position on the private purchase of COVID-19 vaccinations changed from that given in the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 January (113401) when she stated that "the Government currently has no plans to allow private purchase of COVID-19 vaccines"; and (a) when, and (b) by what means, this information was made publicly available.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
On 25 January 2023, the Government published Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice that the primary course COVID-19 vaccination should move, over the course of 2023, towards a more targeted offer during vaccination campaigns to protect those persons at higher risk of severe COVID-19. As the JCVI updates its clinical advice, the Government has and will continue to review its policy position, working with manufacturers, clinicians and other appropriate stakeholders. There is currently no private provision of COVID-19 vaccination in the UK and the Government has no plans to provide information regarding the private purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. We continue to develop options for the future supply of COVID-19 vaccines. We would expect private healthcare providers, including pharmacies, to inform the public if, and when, the option to purchase a COVID-19 vaccination becomes available in the United Kingdom.