Covid-19: Pupil Referral Units

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Thursday 22nd April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, it is precisely for those reasons that we must consider AP in the context of the SEND review and work out why some conditions are not being spotted early enough. For instance, it seems that in an all-through setting—we now have some all-through schools—spotting it in early years or reception is vital to the educational progress of those young people. As I have outlined, we need to look at why so many young people with these needs are ending up in alternative provision and with late diagnosis of conditions.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

Family Policy

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 19th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, decisions are made on an issue-by-issue basis. As I outlined in terms of care leavers, the dual chairmanship of that is clear. It is important there is also a degree of flexibility so that, as issues arise, a responsible Government are able to work across departments. For instance, the Home Office, DCMS and the Department for Education have been meeting in regard to safeguarding in schools. I have a meeting with the Home Office on violence against women and girls this afternoon.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We therefore go on to the second Oral Question.

Initial Teacher Training Market Review

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 14th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

Ofsted will be reintroducing its inspections following the introduction of a new framework for initial teacher training, which is the main quality mark for people considering initial teacher training. School-centred initial teacher training is now a vibrant part of the market. Teachers are trained by multi-academy trusts and others, and we are in an age where it is much easier to find out about the reputation of the institution, people’s experiences of it and other peer-to-peer comparisons through LinkedIn and other platforms.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the third Oral Question.

Women in Elected Office

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 8th March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the Government recognise that having a diverse group of elected representatives in our country is important, but the political parties have a key role to play here to ensure that candidates who are selected are able to deal with the particular barriers that they face. There has been a particular emphasis on a fund called EnAble, which was announced to allow disabled people to stand. So institutions need to look at their working practices, as the other place has done over the last 10 years or so.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed and it brings Question Time to an end.

Covid-19: Care System

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 8th March 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, for young people in children’s homes and similar accommodation, keeping in touch with a social worker is important, but they are expected to attend school, because that continuity of relationship is very important. I am pleased to say the holiday activities funds, which are important to that cohort of children and young people, will be available in every local authority area now.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the third Oral Question.

Education: Supply Teachers

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 22nd February 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con) [V]]

My Lords, the guidance to schools helps them in this time of fluctuating staff absences to address their workforce issues. In particular, it draws attention to the use of supply teachers. Many resources are available, including teacher resources on the Oak National Academy, the remote platform with video lessons for all teaching staff. We are encouraging school leaders to make use of agency staff as and when they are needed to ensure the appropriate level of workforce in their schools.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the second Oral Question.

Schools: Online Teaching

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Thursday 11th February 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the students the noble Baroness outlines would be eligible to be classified as vulnerable children. We applaud the local and national campaigns, particularly those around refurbishing laptops. Obviously, the Government wanted to purchase new devices and did so in a very disrupted supply chain last year, and we are a huge customer for that sector. We applaud the Daily Mail campaign whereby businesses are giving refurbished laptops. Indeed, they are using the same distribution portal as our scheme so that schools can get access to those as well, which I hope deals with the red tape outlined by the noble Baroness.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

Covid-19: Early Years Sector

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 20th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, there will be much evaluation of the strategies used by various statutory agencies during the pandemic. The Secretary of State has written to directors of children’s services in local authorities to highlight particularly the group that are most vulnerable: babies. They are a key group that we have asked the See, Hear, Respond initiative to focus on. One of the important differences between this lockdown and the first is that we are enabling birth registrations to take place, which, of course, are a key function to make us aware of a child’s birth and therefore be able to follow up if there are any issues.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I call the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Llandudno.

Carbon Emissions

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 9th November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for raising awareness of this. Some 75% of the workforce that maintains these offshore wind farms is indeed from the UK. We are confident that the institutes of technology, which will be the main deliverers of level 4 and level 5 qualifications, will aid us in this respect. We have seen the flexible use of the apprenticeship system; you can now do an apprenticeship in dual fuel smart meter installation. It is this kind of new job we want to train people to do.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

Free School Meals

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 27th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

Many noble Lords of all parties and none can recall circumstances in which their own needs, whether that be housing or food, were not met through the circumstances of their family. There are indeed—it is not a postcode lottery—1.4 million children in England who are entitled to free school meals, saving their families over £400 a year. Additionally, particularly through the soft drinks levy, the Government have been funding breakfast clubs in nearly 2,500 schools to provide children with healthy food.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, perhaps I may say gently that I realise that passions on this subject run high, but could Members please keep their supplementaries reasonably short?

Covid-19: Catch-up Premium

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 26th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, part of the catch-up fund is £650 million that is going directly via schools, with an increased allocation, of course, to AP and to special schools. That assists in the delivery of education, and it is up to schools that we trust the most to be able to deliver that. As I say, it is a tribute to teachers and school leaders that approximately 89% of students are back in school.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Gender Recognition Act 2004

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 19th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the department has put out comprehensive resources for health education in primary schools and health and sex education at secondary schools, has resourced teachers, and had a commitment in the manifesto in relation to avoiding bullying. We hope that as a result of this consultation, both sides can live in peace with one another and disagree properly without undue recourse to the courts.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Covid-19: School Students Learning From Home

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 5th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Lord will be aware that next year’s exams were the subject of a consultation by Ofqual; we will have an announcement on that shortly. On support for remote education, which includes online and offline, last week we opened a new central hub on remote education to assist teachers. Some 2,800 schools have accessed the new teacher resource on the Oak National Academy, which the department funded. Many schools—I pay tribute to them on World Teachers’ Day—are doing a great job on standing up remote education as soon as they can.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, this is an important subject, but I ask Members to please keep their supplementaries short. I call the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty.

[The Earl of Clancarty (CB)]

My Lords, although the share of households with internet access in the UK is now at 93%, we hear too many stories of real concern about sharing devices and lack of computers, even with connectivity. Under what precise conditions are the Government currently supplying computers to the neediest? Should they not now pledge a dedicated school computer for every child, particularly considering that any child or whole class may at a moment’s notice have to switch to online learning?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the 220,000 devices delivered last term were all delivered at speed. At points, we were delivering thousands of laptops within 24 hours. The expectation is that this term, when schools and local authorities put in their order, they will receive the devices within 48 hours. I will reply by way of a letter to the noble Lord’s more precise questions.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I call the noble Lord, Lord Storey. Is there no Lord Storey? I call the noble Lord, Lord Pickles.

[Lord Pickles (Con) [V]]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the last 10 years have seen an increase in social mobility and that Covid-19 isolations threaten our progress? To be without digital connection puts a pupil at great disadvantage. However, I was forcefully reminded by a recent meeting with students that, even with good digital connections, technology is not a cure-all. There is no substitute for classroom teaching and face-to-face tuition. Does this not reinforce the necessity of keeping schools open to offer the best choice in life for pupils?

Schools: Spending per Pupil

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 23rd September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, the noble Baroness may be aware that, before the pandemic, the Government had consulted on precisely that issue of whether to have a register for the local authority of those who are home educated. There will be in the coming months, when it is appropriate, a response to that consultation. At the moment, the teams on the ground are in contact with local authorities, and we have made it clear to local authorities that we want as much data as possible on trends in home education. We are advising local authorities to make clear to any parents thinking of opting for home education, although it is their right, the responsibility and obligation that this is. Delivering home education is very different from supervising at home the curriculum delivered by schools, and we recognise the safeguarding issues for many children if they are electively home educated but are then not actually being educated.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked.

Education: A-level Results

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 23rd September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

My Lords, we are grateful to the many staff behind the scenes in the admissions departments of universities who have managed to achieve the statistic I outlined previously. My colleague Minister Donelan is working with the higher education task force, which works closely with the universities. There are discussions around capacity of places for next year and particular concern about any delay in exams. Ofqual has been consulting on this to make sure that discussions are ongoing in the other section of the system, which is the admissions process.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Examinations: A-level and GCSE

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 15th September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge (Con)]

When Ofqual consulted on these matters, it considered whether to introduce not just choice of topic but choice at question level; its opinion was actually that that would disadvantage weaker students—so, it has been considered. Of course teaching has now begun, and so it is not an option at present.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Schools: Arts Teaching

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 22nd July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

I assure the noble Lord that the national plan introduced in 2011 will be refreshed. Unfortunately, due to Covid, that and the development of the model curriculum for key stage 1 to 3 had to be put on hold. As someone who has recently taken up a musical instrument, I can only agree that practice is important. In our guidance issued at the beginning of the month, we have given flexibility to the curriculum that will enable not just core content in maths but core skills in music teaching.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

Baroness Bakewell. No? I call the noble Lord, Lord Storey.

[Lord Storey (LD) [V]]

In a reply to my Written Question on arts subjects in schools, the Minister said that all

“maintained schools are required to teach the full National Curriculum, including art and design, and music”

and creative subjects, while, as she knows, academies do not have to do this. Why is this? If she is keen to have a broad and balanced curriculum that provides opportunities for creative subjects for all pupils, surely this needs to be changed.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Berridge]

My Lords, unfortunately I do not have a timeframe for when the national plan will be refreshed. Although the noble Lord is correct that there is mention in the guidance about not singing or playing wind or brass in larger groups, there is a hierarchy of controls to enable those activities to take place in smaller groups, such as doing it outside, making sure that shared instruments are disinfected, et cetera. When the £1.57 billion to support the arts sector was announced, scientific research was also commissioned from Imperial College London and other institutions so that we could understand more about the risks of these activities.

[The Lord Speaker]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Employment: Young People

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 20th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

My Lords, the Government recently announced a £1 billion catch-up package, £650 million of which will go directly to schools. The formula for that funding was announced today. The noble Lord will also be aware of the £350 million for the national tutoring programme. It is of course essential that there are skilled professionals in schools. One of the three prongs of the Careers & Enterprise Company strategy is to train up career leaders—1,300 training bursaries have been given, with a further 650 bursaries, as we recognise that this is a particular area of expertise. We expect that some of the £32 million that was announced for the National Careers Service will also go on training and upskilling careers advisers.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Schools: Online Support for Pupils

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Thursday 18th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge [V]]

My Lords, throughout this pandemic the Government have made it clear that we would be guided by the scientific evidence. The evidence we have at the moment means that there is the two-metre social distancing rule, but I must pay tribute to the teachers who are working hard out there. They have carried on running their schools throughout this pandemic and are now opening them up to reception and years 1 and 6, along with face-to-face time with years 10 and 12. Education is happening but, of course, along with all noble Lords, we want to see all children back at school in September.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed and that concludes the Hybrid Proceedings on Oral Questions. I thank all colleagues for their contributions.

Covid-19: Pre-school Sector

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Monday 8th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness that this is a great investment. At the end of last year, we announced an increase in the hourly rate that the sector receives. I am pleased to say that 96% of these providers are “good” and “outstanding”, up from 74% a few years ago, and that the quality of provision in areas of disadvantage is improving.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Covid-19: Educational Gaps

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Thursday 4th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

My Lords, the Government give £2.4 billion a year at the moment in the pupil premium. As the noble Lord will be aware, there was the announcement of an additional £14.4 billion to schools over the next three years, which will begin to feed its way into the system. He is correct: we are aware of the need for catch-up and for targeted support, including over the summer, but there is no intention at the moment for schools to be open throughout the summer.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, I regret that the time allowed for that Question has elapsed. We now come to the second Oral Question.

Schools: Relationships and Sex Education

Debate between Baroness Berridge and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 12th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Berridge]

My Lords, as relationships education in primary schools does not usually include sex education, there is no right to withdraw your children from that provision. However, at secondary school, when sex education is part of the content, parents have the right to withdraw their child from that education up until three terms before the child is 16, and the school is required to outline that right to parents. The balance is struck by allowing this only until three terms before the child is 16. Obviously, at that stage, when approaching the age of legal consent for sexual relationships, it is appropriate to provide some sex education if the child wishes to have it. The balance is between supporting parents’ rights and giving children their own right to request sex education as they develop.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, I regret to say that the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We move on to the fourth Oral Question.