Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide a list of (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) academy and (d) free schools whose pupils are being provided with food packages by Chartwells.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The continuing provision of free school meals to children from out-of-work families or those on low incomes is of the utmost importance to this government.
School catering contracts are agreed locally, and the department does not hold a contract with Chartwells UK or any other food company to provide free school meals or lunch parcels to children. We have guidance in place allowing schools to decide the best approach for their pupils. This can be through lunch parcels, locally arranged vouchers or the national voucher scheme.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the importance of early intervention financial education at a primary school level; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is important that pupils are well prepared to manage their money, make sound financial decisions, and know where to seek further information, if required. In 2014, for the first time, financial literacy was made statutory within the National Curriculum as part of the citizenship curriculum for 11 to 16 year olds.
The Department has introduced a rigorous Mathematics curriculum, which provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to make important financial decisions. The Department has also published statutory programmes of study for Mathematics and citizenship that outline what pupils should learn about financial education from Key Stages One to Four.
In the primary Mathematics curriculum, there is a strong emphasis on the arithmetical knowledge that pupils should have. This knowledge is vital, as a strong understanding of numeracy will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money. There is also some specific content about financial education, including calculations with money.
The Department does not monitor or assess the resources that schools use and we trust schools to use their professional judgement and understanding of their pupils to develop the right teaching approach for their particular school, drawing on the expertise of subject associations. The Department will continue to work closely with the Money and Pensions Service and other stakeholders such as Her Majesty’s Treasury, to consider what can be learned from other sector initiatives and whether there is scope to provide further support for the teaching of financial education in schools.
Schools are doing their best to ensure pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects so that they can maintain their choices for further study and employment. The Department’s latest guidance on teaching during the COVID-19 outbreak is set out here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops were (a) requested by and (b) provided to schools in Leicester East during the coronavirus pandemic.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has invested over £195 million to support remote education and access to online social care, delivering over 220,000 laptops and tablets during the summer term for disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have access to a digital device.
The Department has published data about the delivery of laptops and tablets, in the summer term. The data includes delivery data for Leicester local authorities and trusts and can be viewed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf.
We are now supplementing this support by making available 340,000 additional laptops and tablets in the event of face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. Since September over 100,000 of these have already been delivered to schools. More information is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929064/Ad-hoc_stats_note_shipped_data_231020_FINAL.pdf.
This represents an injection of over half a million laptops and tablets by the end of the year.
Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, trusts or local authorities who can lend these to children and young people who need them most and if they experience disruption to face-to-face education due to COVID-19.
Asked by: Claudia Webbe (Independent - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans have been made to expand the 30 hours free childcare scheme to include children under the age of three with parents who are key workers.
Answered by Vicky Ford
This government is committed to making childcare more affordable and accessible. That is why the government offers a package of free childcare entitlements: 15 hours of free childcare a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds; universal 15 hours for all 3- and 4-year-olds; and an additional 15 hours (30 hours free childcare) for eligible working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds.
We introduced 30 hours free childcare for working families in September 2017. Many parents want to return to work and 30 hours free childcare supports them to do so. Responses to the Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents show that in 2019, parents who applied for the 30 hours did so to maintain (39%) or increase (21%) their working hours. We are clear that the 30 hours offer aims to support eligible working families with the cost of childcare, and to support parents back into work, or to work more hours should they wish to, saving parents up to £5,000 per year in total if they use the full 30 hours. The 2019 Parents Survey backs this, with 78% of parents reporting improved family finances whilst using 30 hours.
There is a wide range of support available for parents with childcare costs outside of the free early education entitlements, including for parents of children under the age of 3. With Tax-Free Childcare, for every £8 parents pay their provider via an online account, the government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year (up to £500 every 3 months), for children under 12. Eligible families can also get help with up to 85% of their childcare costs through Universal Credit, subject to a monthly limit.