Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the revised School Food Standards; and what steps he is taking to consult (a) schools, (b) public health experts and (c) other stakeholders in the process.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, the department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. We are currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to help us understand the challenges around school food.
We intend to consult on these revisions and further details will be available in due course. We understand the importance of hearing from schools as part of this work and will ensure there are appropriate opportunities for their engagement.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how revised school food standards will align with (a) wider Government strategies on health and (b) the 10-Year Plan for Health.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and it is important that schools follow the latest nutritional guidance. We are working with experts on revising the School Food Standards, to ensure they support on strategies around health. The current School Food Standards already state one or more portions of vegetables as an accompaniment and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase the amount of health-related content in the national curriculum.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Health education has been compulsory in all state-funded schools in England since 2020, as part of statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE).
The RSHE curriculum, which is currently being reviewed, includes a wide range of health-related topics, including healthy eating, physical fitness, mental wellbeing and first aid, as well as the risks of smoking, drugs and alcohol.
Separately, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review will consider how RSHE fits into the wider curriculum.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support local authorities to reduce the waiting times for education, health and care plans to be processed.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.
The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.
The department publishes annual data from the SEN2 survey in relation to the processes associated with EHC plans, including the timeliness of assessments and, where agreed, the issuing of an EHC plan. The department also closely monitors the information from the annual SEN2 data release and uses it to inform discussions with local areas.
Local authorities identified as having issues with EHC plan timeliness are subject to additional monitoring by the department, who work with the specific local authority. Where there are concerns about the local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, the department can secure specialist SEND Adviser support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.
The department knows that local authorities have been impacted by increased demand for EHC plans and workforce capacity to meet this demand, so more efficient and effective service delivery, alongside communication with schools and families, is central to the recovery.
When inspections indicate that there are significant concerns with local authority performance, the department will intervene directly. This may mean issuing an improvement notice, statutory direction and/or appointing a commissioner, the deployment of which is considered on a case-by-case basis. We also provide support and challenge, for example from SEND Improvement Advisers and Sector-Led Improvement Partners to address the challenges local authorities face and improve services for children.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase the level of pay for non-academized sixth-form college teachers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE), including in sixth form colleges. The pay and conditions of FE staff remains the responsibility of individual colleges and providers, who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.
The department recognises the vital role that teachers in sixth form colleges, as well as in other FE colleges, play in developing the skills needed to drive our missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. The department is investing around £600 million to support FE across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas, including in sixth form colleges. The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas, and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through the Taking Teaching Further programme.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a budget on 30 October to be followed by a multi-year spending review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that support for SEN children is needs-led.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government has made it their mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The department’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the support they need, in the most appropriate setting. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
An important part of this work is strengthening the evidence base on what works to identify and support children with different types of needs. The department has recently commissioned a number of independent evidence reviews to shed further light on this.