Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish updated Relationships and Sex Education guidance.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Twickenham to the answer of 6 February 2025 to Question 28134.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including misogyny and violence against women and girls in Relationships and Sex Education guidance.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade. Education has a crucial role to play in tackling harmful behaviour and helping children and young people to develop empathy, boundaries and respect for difference.
Through compulsory relationships education, all pupils should already learn how to form positive and respectful relationships and develop an understanding of the concepts and laws around sexual harassment and sexual violence. The existing Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance emphasises that schools should be alive to issues such as everyday sexism, misogyny, homophobia and gender stereotypes, and take positive action to build a culture where these are not tolerated. It states that any occurrences should be identified and tackled. The guidance is clear that schools should provide pupils with the knowledge they need to recognise and report abuse, including emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum for primary and secondary pupils, and as part of this review we are looking at how to ensure that relationships education effectively equips pupils to form healthy and respectful relationships. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering relevant evidence to determine what curriculum changes might be needed to complement our wider actions to tackle misogyny and VAWG.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) nurseries, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools and (d) 16-18 colleges identified as containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete and listed on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (i) were scheduled to be and (ii) were (A) complete and (B) in progress by 1 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to improving the condition of the school and college estate through the department’s annual funding for the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) and by fixing the problem of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). The government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the SRP. All schools and colleges confirmed to have RAAC are providing full-time, face-to-face education for all pupils and have suitable mitigations in place.
For schools and colleges receiving grants to permanently remove RAAC, it is for responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on support from the department as needed. The department is encouraging responsible bodies to plan their projects for completion as soon as realistically possible, although settings will need sufficient time in school holidays for works to take place. The department is continuing to support responsible bodies as they take this forward.
All schools in the SRP are prioritised for delivery according to the condition of their buildings, their readiness to proceed and the efficiency of delivery. This includes schools who will have RAAC permanently removed through the SRP. The department also takes into account the suitability and longevity of any temporary accommodation schools may have in place. Expected delivery timeframes have been communicated to all responsible bodies and specific start dates are communicated at least a month in advance of the project entering delivery. Once a school enters delivery, a project team carries out a feasibility study which determines the scope of the works. All schools with confirmed RAAC in SRP are progressing as planned.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) nurseries, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools and (d) 16-18 colleges identified as containing asbestos and listed on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (i) were scheduled to be and (ii) were (A) complete and (B) in progress by 1 March 2025.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has committed £1.4 billion to continue the current School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) in 2025/26, reconfirming our commitment to rebuild or refurbish 518 schools and sixth-form colleges across England, prioritising delivery based on need.
Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Responsible bodies are duty holders for asbestos management within school buildings and must follow requirements and standards set by the HSE. The department expects all local authorities, governing bodies, academy trusts and colleges to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively and in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. The department follows the advice of the HSE that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place, otherwise they should be removed.
Just under half of schools in the SRP have started various stages of project delivery. Of those that have not yet commenced, the department plans to increase the number of school rebuilding projects starting delivery activity in the next financial year to 100.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, when she will lay regulations on ‘relevant accommodation’ provisions for children deprived of their liberty.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Children who need to be deprived of their liberty for their own safety are some of the most vulnerable in our society and we must do all that we can to keep them safe and help them to achieve and thrive. Better models of care are needed to ensure that these children’s needs can be met.
We have commissioned independent research to review emerging provision and will conduct testing in 2025/26 to understand the models of care which provide the best outcomes for these children. We will use these learnings to inform the regulatory requirements for relevant accommodation, to ensure provision meets the needs of this vulnerable cohort of children. As such, we are continuing to consider when we expect to lay the regulations required for this measure to take effect.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of the AQA report entitled Towards new assessments for Numeracy, Literacy and Digital Fluency, published in October 2023.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.
The review will be driven by evidence as it seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, and considers the key knowledge and skills, including digital, needed for future life.
It will also seek to deliver an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person, with the right balance of assessment methods whilst maintaining the important role of examinations.
The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final report with recommendations will be published this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make to assessment and qualifications in light of these recommendations.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the total number of special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) in all schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
There were 20,346 special educational needs co-ordinators employed by state-funded schools in England in November 2023, which is the latest data available.
Information on the school workforce is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to implement a staff retention strategy in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.
This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. That is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.
The department has made good early progress towards this key pledge. We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25. Alongside teacher pay, we have made £233 million available for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, which is an increase of £37 million from the 2024/25 cycle, to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 and scholarships of up to £31,000 in some shortage subjects. The department has also expanded its schoolteacher recruitment campaign, ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ and the further education teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Share your Skills’.
A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. There are four schools in the Twickenham constituency where teachers are eligible for targeted retention incentives.
We want to ensure teaching is an attractive profession to a wide range of people, including parents. This is why the department is enabling schools to offer greater flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home, as well as making key resources to support wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers.
The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time. Charles Dickens Primary School is the flexible working ambassador school providing local, tailored peer support for Twickenham schools.
The department has established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which play a significant role in delivering initial teacher training and development. Wandle Teaching School Hub supports teacher training and development across Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.
No notices of reduced or ended funding have been issued regarding teacher recruitment or retention schemes since 30 October 2024.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the retention of teachers when they become parents.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.
This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. That is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.
The department has made good early progress towards this key pledge. We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25. Alongside teacher pay, we have made £233 million available for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, which is an increase of £37 million from the 2024/25 cycle, to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 and scholarships of up to £31,000 in some shortage subjects. The department has also expanded its schoolteacher recruitment campaign, ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ and the further education teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Share your Skills’.
A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. There are four schools in the Twickenham constituency where teachers are eligible for targeted retention incentives.
We want to ensure teaching is an attractive profession to a wide range of people, including parents. This is why the department is enabling schools to offer greater flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home, as well as making key resources to support wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers.
The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time. Charles Dickens Primary School is the flexible working ambassador school providing local, tailored peer support for Twickenham schools.
The department has established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which play a significant role in delivering initial teacher training and development. Wandle Teaching School Hub supports teacher training and development across Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.
No notices of reduced or ended funding have been issued regarding teacher recruitment or retention schemes since 30 October 2024.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention in Twickenham constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.
This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. That is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.
The department has made good early progress towards this key pledge. We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25. Alongside teacher pay, we have made £233 million available for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, which is an increase of £37 million from the 2024/25 cycle, to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 and scholarships of up to £31,000 in some shortage subjects. The department has also expanded its schoolteacher recruitment campaign, ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ and the further education teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Share your Skills’.
A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. There are four schools in the Twickenham constituency where teachers are eligible for targeted retention incentives.
We want to ensure teaching is an attractive profession to a wide range of people, including parents. This is why the department is enabling schools to offer greater flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home, as well as making key resources to support wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers.
The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time. Charles Dickens Primary School is the flexible working ambassador school providing local, tailored peer support for Twickenham schools.
The department has established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which play a significant role in delivering initial teacher training and development. Wandle Teaching School Hub supports teacher training and development across Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.
No notices of reduced or ended funding have been issued regarding teacher recruitment or retention schemes since 30 October 2024.