Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local authorities are denying funding to parents of children with special educational needs who seek places at independent schools with appropriate provision for them.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The information requested is not held centrally.
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to assess whether children and young people have complex special educational needs requiring an education, health and care (EHC) plan. When drawing up an EHC plan, the child’s parents or (from age 16) the young person has a statutory right to request that a particular institution be named on the EHC plan. If the institution is one of those specified in Section 38(3) of the act, the local authority is under a qualified duty to name the institution, and the institution must admit the child or young person.
Independent special schools may choose to bring themselves in scope of this duty by asking to join the Secretary of State’s approved list (under Section 41 of the act). 155 independent special schools have chosen to do so.
A parent or young person may request a placement in an independent school that is not on the Section 41 list. The local authority is not under the same conditional duty to name the provider, but must have regard to the general principle in Section 9 of the Education Act 1996 that children should be educated in accordance with their parents’ wishes, so long as this is compatible with the provision of efficient instruction and training and does not mean unreasonable public expenditure. The local authority should be satisfied that the institution would admit the child or young person before naming it in a plan, since these providers are not subject to the duty to admit a child or young person even if named in an EHC plan. If a local authority names an independent school, independent special school or special post-16 institution in an EHC plan, then they must secure a place and fund any fees, including any boarding and lodging where relevant.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to allow British international schools to award qualified teacher status.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
There is currently no plan to allow British international schools to recommend individuals for qualified teacher status (QTS).
The regulations, which set out the various routes to QTS, require courses of initial teacher training (ITT) to be completed at an accredited institution in England. In addition, practical teaching experience for the purpose of ITT must be undertaken wholly or mainly in England.
There may be circumstances where part of the training could take place outside England. For example, trainees specialising in modern foreign languages may benefit from time in schools abroad, but this must be in partnership with an accredited provider in England, which would make the recommendation for QTS.
These requirements can be found in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to The Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to subject those independent schools that are outside the ambit of the Independent Schools Council to more stringent and frequent inspection in order to counter teaching of extremist views.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
Independent schools that are not under the membership of an association belonging to the Independent Schools Council are either inspected by Ofsted or the School Inspection Service. In either case, schools are inspected at least every three years against the Independent School Standards.
There are no plans at present to increase the frequency of inspection, although the department is able to commission inspections of independent schools where there are concerns that the standards may not be met. The standards were strengthened significantly in 2014 and 2015 to include more stringent requirements to prevent extremism, including the requirement that schools must actively promote the fundamental British values. A summary of these changes, entitled ‘Revised independent school standards’, is attached. It is important that all schools are inspected rigorously against these standards.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that funding is made available as quickly as possible for pupils accepted by independent schools approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The conditions of grant attached to the dedicated schools grant for local authorities requires authorities to treat those placed in maintained, non-maintained and independent provision on a fair and equivalent basis when making arrangements for the funding of young people with high needs. Under the conditions of grant, local authorities must also make payments of high needs funding in a timely fashion, on a basis agreed with the institution. Further information can be found in paragraph 12 of the DSG conditions of grant 2017-18, which is attached and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579306/DSG_Conditions_of_Grant_2017-18_-_Final_GH.pdf.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to extend eligibility for free school milk to all children in reception classes.
Answered by Lord Nash
We do not hold information centrally on how many children drink milk in schools. The government has no plans to extend eligibility for free school milk to all children in reception classes.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the percentage of children who currently drink milk in schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
We do not hold information centrally on how many children drink milk in schools. The government has no plans to extend eligibility for free school milk to all children in reception classes.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Nash on 25 January (HL Deb, cols 662–3), what guidance has been provided to primary and secondary schools to ensure compliance with the milk requirements of the standards for school food in England, published on 9 September 2016; and how schools are required to demonstrate that they have complied with those requirements.
Answered by Lord Nash
Departmental advice on the School Food Standards, which includes the requirements for milk, is attached and available on Gov.uk. A summary of the standards and a practical guide are available from the School Food Plan website.
Governing boards are legally responsible for meeting the School Food Standards.
From previous surveys of compliance against the previous standards, we are confident that almost all schools are following the new standards appropriately.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the scheme to provide vulnerable children with free places in state and independent boarding schools.
Answered by Lord Nash
As reported by the media, Buttle UK announced on Friday 3 February that they have had to cancel their research project, which was aiming to measure the educational and well-being outcomes of using boarding, due to lack of referrals from local authorities.
However, we continue to believe that boarding can have great benefits for the right children, and want to see more vulnerable and disadvantaged children able to take advantage of the high quality provision that boarding schools provide.
We will continue to work with the sector to encourage more local authorities to consider boarding as an alternative where it is right for the child.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they plan to announce the results of their consultation on the English Baccalaureate which closed in January.
Answered by Lord Nash
We will publish the Government response to the consultation on the implementation of the English Baccalaureate policy in due course.
Asked by: Lord Lexden (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether sales of school playing fields are increasing; and if so, whether they will take steps to curb such sales.
Answered by Lord Nash
Local authorities and schools must by law seek consent from the Secretary of State to dispose of playing field land. The department has a strong policy presumption against the disposal of school playing fields and only provides consent to dispose of playing field land if the criteria set out in the departmental guidance are met; which includes an expectation that proceeds from sales are reinvested in sports and education facilities. The department publishes a list of department decisions on applications for consent to dispose of school playing field land.
It would neither be practical or desirable to artificially curb the sale of school playing fields, when such disposals may represent the most effective use of public assets. Often changes are made to education provision, such as school closures or mergers, which mean it is no longer necessary to retain playing fields for school use. In such cases it is only right that local communities are able to benefit from space that otherwise would not be used. Converting surplus or unwanted assets to invest in school grounds has benefits that extend far beyond the school gates. No operating school has disposed of its entire playing field.
It is therefore right that schools should continue to determine what is suitable for their individual circumstances; subject to strong statutory protections including the Secretary of State’s consent and the application of rigorous criteria for what is best for pupils’ education and wider school and community life.