Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to issue additional guidance on the student travel window to students who are also classed as key workers.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government is committed to ensuring that students who wish to return home for the winter break are able to do so. It is essential that measures are put in place to ensure this can happen as safely as possible for students, staff and the communities that they return to.
On 11 November, the department published guidance for providers on plans for the end of the autumn term. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reopening-buildings-and-campuses/student-movement-and-plans-for-the-end-of-autumn-2020-term.
As outlined in the guidance, published on 11 November, many healthcare students who are on placements are considered essential workers and such placements can continue until the end of term. We will shortly be issuing further detailed guidance on how the end of term guidance applies to all students on placements, including courses where placements can continue.
The Office for Students, the regulator of higher education in England, also issued a FAQ for students on going home for the end of term, available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/coronavirus-end-of-term. This will also be updated shortly, to address questions that students may have about their placements.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have received teaching bursaries since March 2018.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The published data shows that in the 2018/19 academic year, 10,685 trainees on postgraduate initial teacher training courses were eligible for a bursary.
Data for the 2019-20 academic year will be published in summer 2021.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of changes in the level of retention of newly qualified teachers since March 2018.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department publishes the retention rates of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) annually in the School workforce in England statistical release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Of the teachers who qualified in 2018, 85.4% are still in service one year after qualification. This retention rate is slightly higher than the previous year when the one year retention rate was 85.1%.
Improving early career teacher retention is one of our priorities. This is why the Department launched the Early Career Framework (ECF) alongside our landmark Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy last year. The ECF will transform the support offered to NQTs by extending the induction period to two years, and will include funding 5% of time away from the classroom for teachers in the second year of teaching so that they can focus on their development. Funding for mentor training and time for them to support their inductees in the second year of induction, as well as training and development resources will also be provided. Early roll out in Bradford, Doncaster, Greater Manchester and the North East began this month and, in response to the disruption to teacher training due to COVID-19, has been expanded by making the high quality training materials available nationally a year early. Full national roll out will take place from September 2021.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to home-schooled children during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department will do whatever it can to make sure no child – whatever their background or location – falls behind as a result of COVID-19.
That is why we have provided a comprehensive package of support for remote education, including guidance for parents and carers: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supporting-your-childrens-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19, which covers how they can help their children to learn at home. This support, and the resources set out below, will also be useful to parents and carers of home-schooled children.
We have published an updated list of high quality online educational resources: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources which have been assessed with the support of some of the country’s leading educational subject experts to help pupils to learn at home. The list includes resources in six priority areas including maths, English, science, PE, mental wellbeing and SEND, from Early Years to Key Stage 5, and which are currently available for free.
The Department has also worked with the BBC on its comprehensive new education package, available on TV, via the red button and iPlayer, and online at BBC Bitesize. Bitesize Daily TV shows were watched by over 2 million households on iPlayer in the first two weeks of transmission.
Our latest guidance on education and childcare during coronavirus is available here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/education-and-childcare
These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the support we provide under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to schools and teachers on dealing with children refusing to abide by two metre social distancing requirements.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is important for schools to be calm and disciplined environments, where everyone follows the rules. As outlined in the guidance published on 11 May, schools should update their behaviour policy to reflect the guidance on protective measures, including any new rules and routines. It should also include appropriate consequences (such as sanctions and rewards), so that teachers can ensure pupils understand the rules and can enforce them rigorously. The disciplinary powers that schools currently have, including exclusion, remain in place. Teachers will be aware that current circumstances may affect the emotional wellbeing of some pupils in ways that affect behaviour, and schools will need to ensure a proportionate response to situations that may arise. The guidance published on 11 May is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools.
Some children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, may need extra support to ensure new norms and routines around protective measures and personal hygiene are clearly understood.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support schools in helping (a) pupils in (i) reception and (ii) year 1 and (b) other younger pupils to socially distance when their school reopens during the covid-19 outbreak
Answered by Nick Gibb
On 28 May, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed that the Government’s five tests were met and we could move forward with easing the lockdown measures which have been in place across England. Based on all the evidence, we have been able to begin our cautious and phased approach to asking schools and nurseries to open for more children. This means that from 1 June, primary schools have begun to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside the priority groups they have been caring for since the end of March.
We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to school we are taking this into account and asking schools to implement a hierarchy of controls to reduce any risk of transmission. These include minimising contact and mixing by keeping children in small consistent groups. Full guidance on implementing protective measures is available at:
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to allow parents who are in the covid-19 at risk groups to decide whether their children return to school, when schools reopen.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Schools will remain closed until further notice, except for children of critical workers and vulnerable children.
Schools will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates it is safe to do so. We will keep our guidance to the sector about school attendance up to date as the situation develops.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that exam boards provide timely guidance to students on requirements for coursework once the covid-19 outbreak is over.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2020 to Question 21389 on Universities: Industrial Disputes, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of the provisions of the Higher Education (Higher Amount) (England) Regulations 2010 on industrial disputes in universities.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The 2010 Higher Amount Regulations prescribed the higher amounts of tuition fees for new students from 1 September 2012 up to and including the 2016/17 academic year. These regulations were superseded in the 2017/18 academic year.
As stated in the answer to Question 21389, Government has made no specific assessment of the potential effect of the Higher Education (Higher Amount) (England) Regulations 2010 on the current disputes. It would not be proportionate to do so at this time.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have had their 30 hours free childcare funding suspended as a result of technical issues using the Government gateway system in 2020.
Answered by Vicky Ford
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) do not hold the data requested nor can it be derived from data that the Department for Education (DfE) holds. HMRC can provide information on Government Gateway outages and downtime, however we cannot link them to parents failing to get a 30 hours code. Government Gateway issues can occur at any time, but they are usually short lived. Customers are advised to try again later. If parents continue to have problems, they can call the Childcare Service Helpline and we can help them.
The grace period enables parents to retain their childcare place for a short period if they become ineligible for 30 hours. Parents who fall out of eligibility in the first half of a term are able to retain their childcare place until the end of that term; parents who fall out of eligibility in the second half of a term are able to retain their childcare place until the end of the following term. Their ‘grace period end date’ is the last date on which they should receive their 30 hours place after falling out of eligibility and is generated by the DfE’s Eligibility Checking System. Childcare providers and local authorities can see this date when they check a code.