Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools her Department has contacted about complaints from parents relating to uniform policy costs since 10 May 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
At the time of writing, the Department has not contacted any schools about complaints relating to uniform policy costs since 10 May 2023.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to provide advice to (a) free schools and (b) the parents and guardians of children attending free schools on whether they are subject to the statutory guidance on cost of school uniforms.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department provides regular updates to schools, including free schools, to remind them of their statutory obligations to ensure the cost of school uniform is reasonable and secures best value for money for parents.
The Department has also provided information through the Education Hub to support parents and carers in understanding the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform and what it means for their school.
This information on the Education Hub can be found at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/09/01/back-to-school-week-school-uniform-what-you-need-to-know/.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has received any complaints from parents and carers in England since (a) 19 November 2021 and (b) 1 September 2022 on school compliance with the statutory guidance on Cost of school uniforms published on 19 November 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform came into effect in September 2022, the Department has not received any complaints about school compliance.
Before this point, any complaints received into the Department regarding the cost of school uniform were not formally recorded as complaints about compliance with the uniform guidance, as the statutory guidance was not yet in force.
The Department is aware of two cases before September 2022 where complaints referenced the uniform guidance. In both cases, the school in question was contacted and reminded of their upcoming statutory obligations to ensure the cost of uniform is affordable.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools her Department has contacted about complaints from parents relating to uniform policy costs since 19 November 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since the statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform came into effect in September 2022, the Department has not received any complaints about school compliance.
Before this point, any complaints received into the Department regarding the cost of school uniform were not formally recorded as complaints about compliance with the uniform guidance, as the statutory guidance was not yet in force.
The Department is aware of two cases before September 2022 where complaints referenced the uniform guidance. In both cases, the school in question was contacted and reminded of their upcoming statutory obligations to ensure the cost of uniform is affordable.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to inform schools and multi-academy trusts of the amount of investment they will receive through the Primary PE and Sport Premium in 2023-24.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is currently considering arrangements for the Primary PE and sport premium for the 2023/24 academic year and beyond, and will confirm the position as early as possible.
In line with current procedures, schools and multi-academy trusts will be informed of the amount they will be receiving when details of allocations are published.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish an updated School Sport and Activity Action Plan within the next 12 months.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government has committed to publish an update to the school sport and activity action plan this year to align with the new sport strategy being developed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The update will provide details on further action to help all pupils play a wide range of sport, both in PE and sport lessons, and through extra-curricular activity.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a regional breakdown of the disadvantage gap index published in the most recent provisional key stage 4 data release.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The disadvantage gap index is designed as a national level indicator, and no regional breakdowns are produced or published.
The provisional Key Stage 4 data release on 20 October 2022 contains regional level data for both disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils, and this covers a number of headline measures, including Attainment 8 and the percentage of pupils achieving grades 9-5 in English and mathematics. This data shows the disadvantage gap at a regional level, but with a different methodology from the gap index. This can be found within the ‘Key Stage 4 local authority characteristics data’ downloadable file on the Key Stage 4 performance page, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2021-22.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications of the disadvantage gap index at the most recent provisional key stage 4 data release; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Key Stage 4 results from 2022 have shown that the disadvantage gap index has widened for this year group compared to the 2020/21 academic year, from 3.79 to 3.84.
The Department is aware that disadvantaged children have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are committed to helping these pupils to recover and to close the attainment gap.
The Schools White Paper, published in March 2022, includes a vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they have the right support, in the right place, at the right time, founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.
Almost £5 billion has been announced for an ambitious, multi-year education recovery plan to support young people in catching up on missed education. Recovery programmes, such as the Recovery Premium, the National Tutoring Programme, and 16-19 Tuition Fund are especially focused on helping the most disadvantaged pupils and students.
Schools also continue to receive the Pupil Premium, worth over £2.6 billion this financial year (2022/23), to enable them to provide extra support and improve disadvantaged pupils’ academic and personal achievements.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to increase the number of full qualified teachers of the deaf as part of the planned national SEND and Alternative Provision implementation strategy.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I refer the hon. Member for Weaver Vale to the answer I gave on 24 October 2022 to Question 61085.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to publish a specialist SEND workforce strategy.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
I refer the hon. Member for Weaver Vale to the answer I gave on 24 October 2022 to Question 61085.