Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she is making on implementing Article 31 of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to implement Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child so that it supports childrens' mental health.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government remains committed to giving due consideration to Articles set out in the UNCRC through new policy and legislation. Article 31 refers to the right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic, and other recreational activities. Play and relaxation are important for children’s mental wellbeing. As such, we believe that it is important for all children to have access to a wide range of such recreational activities.
The Children Act 1989 and associated guidance place duties on a range of organisations, including schools, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All schools should create a happy and supportive environment through a broad and balanced curriculum. They have a responsibility to ensure that all children have access to high-quality arts and cultural education. Pupils also have to study drama, as part of the English curriculum, and dance, as part of the PE curriculum.
Our guidance to schools on mental wellbeing, in particular the guidance on school-based counselling published in March, emphasises that support works best within a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes a healthy approach to play and relaxation, as set out in Article 31.
In addition the Government has:
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to prevent sexual exploitation of vulnerable people with special educational needs in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The government’s report ‘Tackling Child Sexual Exploitation’ sets out the steps that the government is taking to protect children from sexual exploitation, including children with learning difficulties and disabilities. For example, we are exploring how personal, social, health and economic education training and resources for schools might be tailored for staff and special schools, and have provided £4.85 million for services supporting child sexual abuse survivors, including vulnerable children with learning difficulties.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of studio schools on pupil attainment.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Studio schools have a part to play in our education reforms by harnessing the talents of students. They offer hands-on learning and work experience alongside their GCSEs and A levels, providing them with the vocational and “work ready” skills that employers demand.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the uptake of school theatre visits.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department for Education does not collect data on the uptake of school theatre visits. Teachers and head teachers are in the best position to use their professional judgement to decide how theatre visits and similar activities meet the needs of their pupils, and to plan lessons and use their budgets accordingly.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 shows that almost all children aged 5-15 (98.1%) had engaged with the arts in the preceding year. Figures are available in the DCMS Taking Part 2014/15 Annual Child Report published in July 2015 online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447730/Taking_Part_2014_15_Child_Report__Repaired_.pdf
The government recognises the importance of cultural education. That is why we are supporting Arts Council England’s Cultural Education Challenge, which calls for arts and cultural organisations together with the education sector to offer consistent cultural education to all children and young people.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide more funding for deaf people to procure the services of interpreters.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Local authorities have clear duties to support children with special educational needs (SEN). They are responsible for planning and delivering the necessary services for children within their area.
The Children and Families Act enables a joined-up approach to support children with sensory impairments, with clear information on the support that families can expect locally and the option of a personal budget for some parents and young people to give them control over the support they receive.
The Department for Education funds the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) to support local authorities to benchmark and improve the support available for children with sensory impairments. NatSIP is working with sensory support services across the country to support the SEN reforms. NatSIP helps local authorities and settings ensure that the right support is in place to improve the outcomes for deaf, blind and multi-sensory impaired children.
Asked by: Ben Howlett (Conservative - Bath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education in schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Government wants all young people to leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. High quality personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) teaching has a vital role to play in providing young people with a ‘curriculum for life’, equipping them with the skills and understanding they need to manage their lives and stay safe. Departmental advice on the teaching of PSHE is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-social-health-and-economic-education-pshe
To improve the quality of PSHE, we are developing a new, rigorous accreditation for schools which will enable them to demonstrate excellence in the quality of their PSHE teaching. The new quality mark will give parents more information about a school’s PSHE provision. We are also working with the PSHE Association to help quality assure teaching resources.