Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential effects of the Standard Assessment Tests on 10 May on children’s mental health and well being.
Answered by Nick Gibb
End of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum assessments, also known as Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), are an essential part of ensuring that all pupils master the basics of reading, writing and maths as set out in the National Curriculum and to prepare them for secondary school.
Although it is important that schools encourage pupils to do their best, this should not be at the expense of pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. Research conducted by the UCL Institute of Education and published in 2021 found that there was ‘little evidence to changes in [pupil] wellbeing around the time of Key Stage 2 tests, or that pupils in England become happier – either in general or regarding school – once these tests are over’.
The Department is committed to ensuring schools and colleges are safe, calm, and supportive educational environments which promote and support mental wellbeing.
The Department’s senior mental health lead training available to all state schools and colleges by 2025 supports this commitment. More than 10,000 schools and colleges have received senior mental health lead training grants so far, which includes more than 6 in 10 state funded secondary schools, and a further £10 million provided this year means up to two thirds of state schools and colleges can benefit by April 2023.
This is in addition to record funding for pupils’ mental health support through the NHS long term plan, and the £79 million increase announced in 2021, meaning more than 2.4 million pupils now have access in schools and colleges to a mental health support team. The number of teams will increase from 287 to over 500 by 2024. The Department has also recently brought together all its sources of advice for schools and colleges into a single site on GOV.UK, which includes signposting to external sources of mental health and wellbeing support for teachers, school staff and school leaders. The resources are available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-schools-and-colleges.
Neither the Department nor the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), who are responsible for the development of the tests, have any current plans for a formal review of the SATs papers for 2023. STA will continue to engage with schools, unions, and other stakeholders to understand their views on the papers this year, and with regard to all aspects of primary assessment.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the (a) strengths and (b) weaknesses of the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In line with standard procedures, the Department conducted relevant and proportionate impact assessments during the development of the draft guidance.
The Department will continue to assess the impact of the cost of school uniform guidance through continued engagement with key stakeholders, including through correspondence received by the Department from parents, head teachers and uniform suppliers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an impact assessment of the statutory guidance entitled Cost of school uniforms, published in November 2021.
Answered by Nick Gibb
In line with standard procedures, the Department conducted relevant and proportionate impact assessments during the development of the draft guidance.
The Department will continue to assess the impact of the cost of school uniform guidance through continued engagement with key stakeholders, including through correspondence received by the Department from parents, head teachers and uniform suppliers.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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 (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
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.