Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish guidance for schools on supporting trans pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department recognises that issues relating to sex and gender can be complex and sensitive for schools to navigate, which is why the Department is working with the Minister for Women and Equalities to develop guidance to support schools and colleges in relation to children who are questioning their gender.
It is vital that the guidance published gives clarity for schools and colleges, and reassurance for parents. The Department is taking the necessary time to ensure that it reflects the best possible advice before publishing the draft.
It is important that the Department is able to consider a wide range of views in order to get the guidance right. The Department has, therefore, committed to holding a public consultation on the draft guidance prior to publication.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any schools in Lichfield constituency have been identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.
The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide schools with funding to cover the full cost of (a) repairing and (b) replacing autoclave aerated concrete.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The safety of pupils and teachers is paramount. The Department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for keeping school buildings safe and in good working order, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings at 500 schools, prioritising poor condition and potential safety issues.
The Department have asked all responsible bodies, such as Local Authorities, academy trusts and voluntary aided school bodies, to inform the Department of the possible presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings and how they are managing it. The Department continues to urge all responsible bodies to contact us immediately if they have any serious concerns about their school buildings.
The Department is commissioning assessments of cases of suspected RAAC to confirm whether it is present and ensure appropriate and rapid action is taken to address any immediate risk, based on the advice of structural engineers. This can include funding support for capital works to remove any immediate risk and, where absolutely necessary, the provision of temporary buildings.
Longer term remediation of RAAC is supported by annual capital funding provided to the sector and the Department’s rebuilding programme. The Department provides additional support on a case by case basis where there is a serious safety issue with a school building that cannot be managed independently by Local Authorities, academy trusts, and voluntary aided school bodies.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with teacher and school leader unions on teachers pay.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government and the education trade unions, the ASCL, NAHT, NASUWT and NEU, took part in a period of intensive talks between 17 March and 23 March 2023, with over 200 hours of Ministers’ and officials’ time spent on these talks, after which an in principle offer was made by the Government. This offer comprised a package of pay and non-pay related measures. Unfortunately, the four trade unions rejected this fair and funded offer.
Following the unions’ rejection of the Government’s March pay offer, teacher pay for next year will go through an independent pay review process as usual. The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) makes recommendations on the pay of teachers in England and reports to the Secretary of State for Education and the Prime Minister.
As part of the normal process, the STRB has now submitted its recommendations to the Government on teacher pay for 2023/24. The Department will be considering the recommendations and will publish its response in the usual way.
The Department will continue to engage regularly with teaching and leadership unions on policy developments as usual.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the article in the Jewish Chronicle article entitled Children chant massacre-Jews song at North London school, published 24 November, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her Department’s policies of the events reported in that article.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All registered independent schools must, as a condition of registration, meet the Independent School Standards (ISS). The ISS include, among other things, an obligation to provide teaching that does not undermine the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and provide personal, social, health and economic education which encourages respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010.
The Government takes allegations seriously and, where appropriate, will investigate further. The school in question was inspected in October 2022. The Department awaits the publication of the final report of that inspection, confirming whether those standards were met. The Department will consider this report carefully before deciding what regulatory steps are appropriate, in line with the published policy.