Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she will take to ensure the equal availability and delivery of support for disabled children in all post codes.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department set out our mission for more children and young people to have their needs met effectively in mainstream education providers, reducing reliance on Education, Health and Care plans to access support.
We will improve mainstream education through setting standards for early and accurate identification of need, and timely access to support to meet those needs. The standards will include clarifying the types of support that should ordinarily be available in mainstream education providers, who are responsible for securing the support and from which budgets the support is obtained.
This will help families, practitioners and providers understand what support every child or young person should be receiving from early years through to further education, no matter where they live or what their needs are. By the end of 2025, the department will publish a significant proportion of the national standards.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which education institutions in Battersea have made at least one order from the free period products scheme.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since the launch of the Period Products scheme in January 2020, 97% of secondary schools and 92% of post 16 colleges in England now provide free period products to pupils.
The Department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information).
This data shows that of the 53 schools and colleges in Wandsworth who have ordered period products from January 2020 - July 2022, 15 of these were in Battersea. These are listed below:
Alderbrook Primary School
Allfarthing Primary School
Honeywell Junior School
Shaftesbury Park Primary School
Christ Church CofE Primary School
St George's CofE Primary School
St Mary's RC Voluntary Aided Primary School
St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Battersea
Saint John Bosco College
Westbridge Academy
Harris Academy Battersea
Belleville Wix Academy
Griffin Primary School
ARK John Archer Primary Academy
The Department will publish further management information in the future which will cover the school year from September 2022 until July 2023. All eligible organisations were contacted again in September 2022 to remind them of the scheme.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many education institutions in Battersea have made at least one order from the free period products scheme as of 27 February 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since the launch of the Period Products scheme in January 2020, 97% of secondary schools and 92% of post 16 colleges in England now provide free period products to pupils.
The Department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information).
This data shows that of the 53 schools and colleges in Wandsworth who have ordered period products from January 2020 - July 2022, 15 of these were in Battersea. These are listed below:
Alderbrook Primary School
Allfarthing Primary School
Honeywell Junior School
Shaftesbury Park Primary School
Christ Church CofE Primary School
St George's CofE Primary School
St Mary's RC Voluntary Aided Primary School
St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Battersea
Saint John Bosco College
Westbridge Academy
Harris Academy Battersea
Belleville Wix Academy
Griffin Primary School
ARK John Archer Primary Academy
The Department will publish further management information in the future which will cover the school year from September 2022 until July 2023. All eligible organisations were contacted again in September 2022 to remind them of the scheme.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the free period products for schools’ scheme.
Answered by Nick Gibb
No one should be held back from accessing education due to their period, which is why the Department launched the Period Products Scheme, providing pupils with period products when they need them. Since its launch in January 2020, 97% of secondary schools and 92% of post 16 colleges in England now provide free period products to pupils.
The Scheme already extends to all state funded primary schools with pupils in Years 5 and 6. Since its launch in January 2020, 68% of primary schools have ordered period products using the Scheme at least once.
The Department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information.
The Department is considering opportunities to publish further management information in the future, as well as the need for further research into the Scheme.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether has plans to extend free period products to primary schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
No one should be held back from accessing education due to their period, which is why the Department launched the Period Products Scheme, providing pupils with period products when they need them. Since its launch in January 2020, 97% of secondary schools and 92% of post 16 colleges in England now provide free period products to pupils.
The Scheme already extends to all state funded primary schools with pupils in Years 5 and 6. Since its launch in January 2020, 68% of primary schools have ordered period products using the Scheme at least once.
The Department publishes statistics regarding the Scheme’s operation, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/period-products-scheme-management-information.
The Department is considering opportunities to publish further management information in the future, as well as the need for further research into the Scheme.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford on safeguarding of Black, Asian and Ethnic minority students.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The safety and wellbeing of children is a priority for the Government. All schools and colleges have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. Schools and colleges must have regard to the statutory safeguarding guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE). The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department’s ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, updated in July 2022, states that every school should ensure pupils can be taught in a calm, safe and supportive environment. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101597/Behaviour_in_schools_guidance_sept_22.pdf. Schools should be clear which behaviours are permitted and prohibited, the values, attitudes, and beliefs they promote, and the social norms and routines that should be encouraged throughout the school community.
All headteachers should ensure the school’s approach to behaviour meets the national minimum expectation that all members of the school community create a positive, safe environment in which bullying, physical threats or abuse and intimidation are not tolerated. This includes prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying. The school behaviour policy needs to ensure that any incidents of bullying, discrimination, aggression and derogatory language are dealt with quickly and effectively.
Behaviour policies should also set out what the school will do in response to non-criminal poor behaviour and bullying that occurs off the school premises, and which is witnessed by a staff member or reported to the school, including the sanctions that will be imposed on pupils.
Where concerns regarding the safeguarding arrangements in an academy are identified, the Department will work closely with the relevant academy trust to ensure statutory requirements are being met.
A trust’s obligations for ensuring the welfare and health and safety of pupils attending an academy are set out in Part 3 of The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. Part 4 of the regulations sets out the requirements for ensuring the suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors. The regulations are available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/made.
The regulations set out several policies which trusts must ensure are in place and require the policies to be effectively implemented. Trusts are to have regard to guidance issued by the Department, specifically KCSIE and Working together to safeguard children.
Where serious weaknesses in trust governance or non-compliance are found, the Department can take formal intervention action against trusts through a Notice to Improve, as set out in the Academy Trust Handbook, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c8d0318fa8f57ce8c4621e/Academy_trust_handbook_2021.pdf.
The recent violent incident in the vicinity of Thomas Knyvett College was abhorrent. The Department has been in regular contact with the CEO of the Howard Partnership Trust. This is an ongoing police investigation, and the Trust is following their advice.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department can take to reprimand schools where safeguarding processes for students have been inadequate.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The safety and wellbeing of children is a priority for the Government. All schools and colleges have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. Schools and colleges must have regard to the statutory safeguarding guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE). The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department’s ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, updated in July 2022, states that every school should ensure pupils can be taught in a calm, safe and supportive environment. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101597/Behaviour_in_schools_guidance_sept_22.pdf. Schools should be clear which behaviours are permitted and prohibited, the values, attitudes, and beliefs they promote, and the social norms and routines that should be encouraged throughout the school community.
All headteachers should ensure the school’s approach to behaviour meets the national minimum expectation that all members of the school community create a positive, safe environment in which bullying, physical threats or abuse and intimidation are not tolerated. This includes prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying. The school behaviour policy needs to ensure that any incidents of bullying, discrimination, aggression and derogatory language are dealt with quickly and effectively.
Behaviour policies should also set out what the school will do in response to non-criminal poor behaviour and bullying that occurs off the school premises, and which is witnessed by a staff member or reported to the school, including the sanctions that will be imposed on pupils.
Where concerns regarding the safeguarding arrangements in an academy are identified, the Department will work closely with the relevant academy trust to ensure statutory requirements are being met.
A trust’s obligations for ensuring the welfare and health and safety of pupils attending an academy are set out in Part 3 of The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. Part 4 of the regulations sets out the requirements for ensuring the suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors. The regulations are available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/made.
The regulations set out several policies which trusts must ensure are in place and require the policies to be effectively implemented. Trusts are to have regard to guidance issued by the Department, specifically KCSIE and Working together to safeguard children.
Where serious weaknesses in trust governance or non-compliance are found, the Department can take formal intervention action against trusts through a Notice to Improve, as set out in the Academy Trust Handbook, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c8d0318fa8f57ce8c4621e/Academy_trust_handbook_2021.pdf.
The recent violent incident in the vicinity of Thomas Knyvett College was abhorrent. The Department has been in regular contact with the CEO of the Howard Partnership Trust. This is an ongoing police investigation, and the Trust is following their advice.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to put in place safeguarding practices for Black, Asian and ethnic minority students at risk of racist abuse.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The safety and wellbeing of children is a priority for the Government. All schools and colleges have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils. Schools and colleges must have regard to the statutory safeguarding guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE). The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The Department’s ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, updated in July 2022, states that every school should ensure pupils can be taught in a calm, safe and supportive environment. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101597/Behaviour_in_schools_guidance_sept_22.pdf. Schools should be clear which behaviours are permitted and prohibited, the values, attitudes, and beliefs they promote, and the social norms and routines that should be encouraged throughout the school community.
All headteachers should ensure the school’s approach to behaviour meets the national minimum expectation that all members of the school community create a positive, safe environment in which bullying, physical threats or abuse and intimidation are not tolerated. This includes prejudice-based and discriminatory bullying. The school behaviour policy needs to ensure that any incidents of bullying, discrimination, aggression and derogatory language are dealt with quickly and effectively.
Behaviour policies should also set out what the school will do in response to non-criminal poor behaviour and bullying that occurs off the school premises, and which is witnessed by a staff member or reported to the school, including the sanctions that will be imposed on pupils.
Where concerns regarding the safeguarding arrangements in an academy are identified, the Department will work closely with the relevant academy trust to ensure statutory requirements are being met.
A trust’s obligations for ensuring the welfare and health and safety of pupils attending an academy are set out in Part 3 of The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014. Part 4 of the regulations sets out the requirements for ensuring the suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors. The regulations are available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3283/made.
The regulations set out several policies which trusts must ensure are in place and require the policies to be effectively implemented. Trusts are to have regard to guidance issued by the Department, specifically KCSIE and Working together to safeguard children.
Where serious weaknesses in trust governance or non-compliance are found, the Department can take formal intervention action against trusts through a Notice to Improve, as set out in the Academy Trust Handbook, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60c8d0318fa8f57ce8c4621e/Academy_trust_handbook_2021.pdf.
The recent violent incident in the vicinity of Thomas Knyvett College was abhorrent. The Department has been in regular contact with the CEO of the Howard Partnership Trust. This is an ongoing police investigation, and the Trust is following their advice.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to end the handcuffing and restraint of children in the care system by private secure transportation providers except when there is a considerable risk of the child harming themselves or others.
Answered by Will Quince
The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and supporting statutory guidance clearly sets out the law regarding the use of restraint where children are placed in children’s homes. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-homes-regulations-including-quality-standards-guide.
Homes are required to record any incidents of restraint under Regulation 35. There is also a requirement under Regulation 40 for the Registered Person to inform Ofsted of any incident in relation to a child that they consider to be serious.
The Registered Person and the local authority overall have a responsibility to ensure that children are kept safe, and their welfare is promoted. If transportation is arranged by the local authority who has responsibility for the child, then the care of the child would fall to them.
In 2019, the government published guidance on reducing the need for restraint for those responsible for providing education, health, and social care to children and young people under 18 years of age with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions and mental health difficulties in these settings. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/812435/reducing-the-need-for-restraint-and-restrictive-intervention.pdf.
Where local authorities have contract arrangements with transport services, restraint should only be used in very limited circumstances, in accordance with this guidance on the use of restraint and must always be necessary and proportionate.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school-age children in (a) Wandsworth and (b) Battersea are not in full time education.
Answered by Robin Walker
The department does not hold figures for school-age pupils who are not attending education full-time.