Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow 16 year olds to work more than two hours on a Sunday.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
The Government aims to allow children to take up opportunities for suitable part-time work, whilst ensuring that proportionate safeguards are in place so that their education, health, and wellbeing are not jeopardised.
The Department wants to ensure that the correct balance between enabling children to benefit from employment opportunities and protecting educational attainment is achieved. Based on the evidence we have, the current limits on hours achieve this. The Department will continue to keep this under review.
Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many participants on Skills Bootcamps have attended job interviews; and of those participants, how many and what proportion have been offered a job following an interview.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
We have now published the outcome data from wave 1 of the Skills Bootcamps, delivered between September 2020 and 31 March 2021. This outcome data shows that Skills Bootcamps are supporting individuals to access new opportunities and are helping them progress in their careers.
Between September 2020 and March 2021, over 2000 participants completed a Skills Bootcamp, of which at least 54% of individuals achieved a positive outcome as a result. A positive outcome is defined as a new full or part time job or apprenticeship, a new role, or increased responsibilities with their current employer. For the self-employed, a positive outcome is defined as access to new opportunities.
In addition to these recorded outcomes, published research for wave 1 of the Skills Bootcamps highlights that three quarters of learners felt the training met or was meeting their needs, and 79% were satisfied with their course overall.
A guaranteed interview is a key part of the Skills Bootcamps offer in wave 2 and for all future delivery. Detailed data about attended job interviews is not available as part of outcomes data from wave 1 of the Skills Bootcamps. However, the department is currently commissioning impact evaluations for waves 2 and 3 of the Skills Bootcamps, which will provide further evidence and learning to inform future delivery. We are working with providers in wave 2 of the programme to ensure they provide consistent and accurate data.
Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the PE and Sport Premium for the 2021-22 academic year will be announced.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is aware of the importance of giving schools as much notice as possible of future funding. We will confirm arrangements for the primary physical education and sport premium for the 2021/22 academic year as soon as possible.
Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops, iPads and other IT and broadband support has been given to schools and other education providers during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services, including making 1.3 million laptops and tablets available for disadvantaged children and young people. The Government is providing this significant injection of laptops and tablets on top of an estimated 2.9 million already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
To date, over 1.2 million laptops and tablets have been delivered to schools, academy trusts, local authorities and further education colleges. We are making further deliveries on an ongoing basis, and any school that has not yet ordered their allocation of devices can still do so.
Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, academy trusts, local authorities or further education colleges who can lend these to the children and young people who need them most, during the current COVID-19 restrictions.
We have also partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help over 30,000 disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering over 70,000 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home.
We are grateful to Asda mobile, BT Mobile, EE, giffgaff, iD Mobile, IQ Mobile, Lebara, Lycamobile, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone for supporting the mobile data offer.
Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve educational and developmental outcomes for children with SEND.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Our ambition is for every child, no matter what challenge they face, to have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life. Supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access high quality teaching and specialist professional care is a priority for this government.
The cross-government SEND Review is looking at ways to improve the SEND system, including better outcomes for children and young people with SEND, with help offered early in genuine partnership with families. Our ambition is to publish proposals for public consultation in the spring.
We have announced a major investment in special needs education, including an additional £730 million into high needs in the 2021-22 financial year, coming on top of the additional £780 million in the 2020-21 financial year, which means high needs budgets will have grown by over £1.5 billion, nearly a quarter, in just 2 years. We are also investing £300 million capital funding in the 2021-22 financial year for new places for children and young people with SEND, a significant single-year increase in our capital investment in new high needs places.
We are also supporting local SEND services. On 10 February 2021, we announced over £42 million of funding for projects to support children and young people with SEND in financial year 2021-22. This investment will ensure that specialist organisations around the country can continue their work to help strengthen local area performance, support families and provide practical support to schools and colleges. Crucially, it will strengthen participation of parents and young people in the SEND system, ensuring they have a voice in designing policies and services and have access to high quality information, advice and support. It includes £27.3 million specifically to support families on low incomes raising children with disabilities or serious illnesses.
Finally, we recognise that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a particular impact on children and young people. We are committed to helping all pupils, including those with SEND, make up learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The government has announced £1.7 billion to give education settings support to help pupils get back on track, including additional funding, tutoring, early language support and summer schools. Sir Kevan Collins has also been appointed as the Education Recovery Commissioner and is considering how schools and the system can more effectively target resources and support at pupils in greatest need.
Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support maintained nursery schools.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Maintained nursery schools (MNSs) are an important part of the early years sector and provide valuable services, especially in disadvantaged areas.
Early years providers, including MNSs, have continued to receive early education entitlements funding during the COVID-19 outbreak. We have also re-confirmed around £60 million, nationally, in supplementary funding for MNSs for the financial year 2021-22.
Like private nurseries, MNSs typically rely on private income for a significant proportion of their income, unlike most state-funded schools. Therefore, we have ensured that access to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is also available to MNSs, in line with published guidance. On 3 March 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that the CJRS will be extended until the end of September 2021. As long as staff meet the other criteria for the scheme, schools and early years providers are able to furlough their staff if they have experienced a drop in either their income from parents or government. MNSs were also able to access free school meals vouchers via Edenred.
This government remains committed to the long-term funding of maintained nursery schools, and any reform to the way they are funded will be accompanied by appropriate funding protections.