Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with special educational needs in (a) Hampshire, (b) Southampton and (c) the UK are only able to attend school for part-days as a result of not having appropriate SEND support in place.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The information requested is not held centrally.
We have invested heavily in improvements to support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including the announcement last month of more than £700 million in additional funding for high needs in 2020-2021. This is an increase of 11% on the 2019-2020 budget.
As a result of reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, we have seen the introduction of published local offers for each local area; new Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for those with more complex needs; new statutory protections for 16-25 year olds in further education; and the setting up of Ofsted and Care Quality Commission SEND inspections to hold local areas to account and drive up standards.
Our SEND review, which was announced 6 September, will consider the quality of SEND provision 5 years on from the launch of Children and Families Act. This includes the extent to which schools, colleges and local authorities are providing the best possible support for children and young people with SEND, with or without an EHC plan.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with special educational needs in (a) Hampshire, (b) Southampton and (c) the UK are unable to attend school as a result of not having an education, health and care plan in place.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The information requested is not held centrally.
We have invested heavily in improvements to support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including the announcement last month of more than £700 million in additional funding for high needs in 2020-2021. This is an increase of 11% on the 2019-2020 budget.
As a result of reforms introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014, we have seen the introduction of published local offers for each local area; new Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans for those with more complex needs; new statutory protections for 16-25 year olds in further education; and the setting up of Ofsted and Care Quality Commission SEND inspections to hold local areas to account and drive up standards.
Our SEND review, which was announced 6 September, will consider the quality of SEND provision 5 years on from the launch of Children and Families Act. This includes the extent to which schools, colleges and local authorities are providing the best possible support for children and young people with SEND, with or without an EHC plan.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make it compulsory for primary schools to teach (a) the correct names for genitalia, (b) that genitals are private to the child and (c) where children should seek help if they are abused.
Answered by Edward Timpson
In key stage 1 (ages 5 to 7), pupils are taught about the main external body parts and teachers are able to teach pupils as is appropriate for their needs. At key stage 2 (ages seven to 11), pupils learn about changes to the human body as it grows from birth to old age. Puberty and body parts are important parts of this.
All schools must have regard to the Department’s “Keeping Children Safe in Education” statutory guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This guidance requires governing bodies and proprietors to consider how children may be taught about safeguarding, including online, through teaching and learning opportunities, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum. This may include covering relevant issues through Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and through Sex and Relationships Education. The Department is in the process of consulting on changing the requirement from the need to “consider how children may be taught” to “ensure children are taught”.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to make sex and relationship training mandatory for all the teachers.
Answered by Edward Timpson
This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.
Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.
Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.
The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education and sex and relationship education in schools that Ofsted inspectors have assessed as requiring improvement in the teaching of those subjects.
Answered by Edward Timpson
This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.
Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.
Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.
The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of how (a) academies, (b) primary schools and (c) other schools have implemented the Sex and Relationship Education Guidance published in 2000.
Answered by Edward Timpson
This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.
Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.
Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.
The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to update the Sex and Relationship Education Guidance that was published in 2000.
Answered by Edward Timpson
This Government believes that all children should have the opportunity to receive a high quality and appropriate sex and relationship education (SRE). SRE is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age-appropriate way. The Government also expects academies and free schools to deliver SRE as part of their provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.
Any state-funded school teaching SRE must have regard to the Secretary of State’s SRE guidance (2000). The Department does not collect data about the number of schools that follow the guidance. The Department has received requests about updating the existing SRE guidance which we will carefully consider.
Ofsted does not inspect individual curriculum subjects. However, aspects of Personal Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education and SRE will inform its judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. Inspectors must also consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. Schools have responsibility for acting upon the inspection reports they receive and any weaknesses will be considered when the school is next inspected.
Initial Teacher Training is currently determined by the Teachers’ Standards, which all trainee teachers must be able to demonstrate by the end of their training. The Standards set out the key principles of good subject pedagogy and the importance of subject knowledge development across the curriculum. Schools and headteachers are best placed to determine which staff learning activities will be most beneficial for their schools and we expect them to lead the personal development of their teachers to improve the quality of all round teaching.
The Department supports schools’ efforts to improve PSHE teaching, by drawing schools’ attention to a range of high quality PSHE education teaching resources, including quality resources, lesson plans, a programme of study, factsheets and case studies. These resources are kite-marked by the PSHE Association to ensure that schools can trust the materials they use and improve their teaching.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with headteachers on (a) expanding childcare and (b) developing a right for parents to request that schools provide childcare.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Schools are an important provider of high quality early education and childcare, and the government has already improved the regulatory framework and supported schools to help them deliver more places for children. We are actively working with schools and others to identify and share good practice and learning across the system so that more schools can offer flexible, full-day nursery provision either themselves or in partnership with others. This work will feed directly into the Early Implementation pilots of the 30 hours entitlement in 2016.
As a part of this, officials have had a number of discussions with unions, including the National Association of Headteachers about the 30 hours entitlement, and have met them on the new parental right to request before school, after school and holiday childcare for school-aged children. We continue to work closely with unions and other representative bodies to assess how both of these policies will work in practice, and intend to work collaboratively with them on implementation. A full economic impact assessment and new burdens assessment will be carried out in due course.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to (a) evaluate the piloting of 30 hours free childcare from September 2016 and (b) publish the outcome of such an evaluation.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
We have had 1793 expressions of interest for the pilots of the 30 hours of free childcare for working families. These will commence in September 2016. Innovative childcare providers are being asked to come forward as the first to deliver the offer. We plan to build a strong evaluation strand into the work of the early implementers focusing primarily on qualitative evaluation and capturing and sharing lessons learned and good practice.
Asked by: Caroline Nokes (Conservative - Romsey and Southampton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the provisions of the Childcare Bill on the number of nurseries within schools.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
Schools are an important provider of high quality early education and childcare, and the government has already improved the regulatory framework and supported schools to help them deliver more places for children. We are actively working with schools and others to identify and share good practice and learning across the system so that more schools can offer flexible, full-day nursery provision either themselves or in partnership with others. This work will feed directly into the Early Implementation pilots of the 30 hours entitlement in 2016.
As a part of this, officials have had a number of discussions with unions, including the National Association of Headteachers about the 30 hours entitlement, and have met them on the new parental right to request before school, after school and holiday childcare for school-aged children. We continue to work closely with unions and other representative bodies to assess how both of these policies will work in practice, and intend to work collaboratively with them on implementation. A full economic impact assessment and new burdens assessment will be carried out in due course.