Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) carbon dioxide monitors and (b) air cleaning units have been delivered to schools in Stockport constituency in 2022.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Over the last year, backed by £25 million in Government funding, the Department has provided 386,699 CO2 monitors to state funded schools and colleges, including early years and further education institutions.
In January 2022, the Government committed to fulfil all eligible applications for air cleaning units to state funded schools and colleges for poorly ventilated teaching spaces where quick fixes to improve ventilation were not possible. All eligible applications received have been fulfilled, with 8,026 air cleaning units distributed.
During 2022, the Department has provided 121 CO2 monitors and 36 air cleaning units to schools and colleges in the Stockport constituency. The bulk of the CO2 monitors were rolled out in 2021.
The Department does not monitor ventilation or the provision of air cleaning units in independent schools and colleges. The law says that all employers, including all education and childcare establishments, must make sure there is an adequate supply of fresh air (ventilation) in enclosed areas of the workplace. This has not changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will undertake a review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals in the context of the cost of living crisis.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments to provide support. The Department will continue to keep free school meal (FSM) eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the Government believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.
The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of school children are now provided with FSM.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of rising inflation, whether specific additional support has been provided to (a) Lark Hill, (b) Hollywood and (c) Freshfield maintained nursery schools.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
I refer the hon. Member for Stockport to the answer given on 26 October 2022 to question 68604. This referred to all maintained nursery schools in the constituency, including Lark Hill, Hollywood and Freshfield.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has provided recent additional support to maintained nursery schools in Stockport constituency in the context of rising inflation.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The department knows that the early years sector is facing economic challenges, similar to those being faced across the country. The department has already announced additional funding of £160 million in 2022/23, £180 million in 2023/24 and £170 million in 2024/25, compared to the 2021/22 financial year, for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers. This includes all maintained nursery schools.
The department has also confirmed the continuation of maintained nursery school (MNS) supplementary funding throughout the spending review period, providing the sector with long-term certainty. More recently it has been announced that the department will be investing an additional £10 million into MNS supplementary funding from 2023/24, and have consulted on proposals to reform the distribution of this funding to ensure that it is being shared more evenly across all local authorities with MNSs. Our proposals mean that the vast majority of local authorities, including Stockport, will see their supplementary funding hourly rate increase, with a more generous increase for the lowest funded. We will respond to the consultation and publish final funding rates for 2023/24 this autumn. This is on top of the increase for this year, where we have increased the MNS supplementary hourly rate by 3.5%, equivalent to the increase in the 3 and 4-year-old hourly funding rates.
Further, the government recognises the impact rising energy prices can have on businesses, voluntary sector or public organisations of all sizes. On 21 September 2022, the former Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced a new Energy Bill Relief Scheme to support eligible schools and businesses large and small, including early years providers and maintained nursery schools, with their energy costs over the winter. The Chancellor has made clear this will continue from now until April 2023.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has made an assessment on the potential benefits of the provision of free school meals to all primary aged children in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The department does not have plans to assess the effects of changing the current eligibility conditions for free school meals (FSM) in primary schools. However, the department will continue to keep eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. In setting a threshold, the department believes that the current level, which enables children to benefit from FSM while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one.
The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of pupils are now provided with FSM.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) exclusions of SEN pupils and (b) total exclusions of students there were in schools in Stockport constituency in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
The table below shows the numbers or permanent exclusions and suspensions in total and by special educational needs provision, for Stockport constituency, in the academic years 2018/19 to 2020/21.
Type | Academic year | Total | No SEN | Education Health and Care Plan | SEN support |
Permanent exclusions | 2020/21 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
2019/20 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 7 | |
2018/19 | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | |
Suspensions | 2020/21 | 417 | 209 | 36 | 172 |
2019/20 | 393 | 117 | 90 | 186 | |
2018/19 | 514 | 230 | 60 | 224 |
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare providers have closed in Stockport constituency since 2010; and how many childcare places those closures have eliminated.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support the Government provides to schools to help them protect extremely clinically vulnerable (a) students and (b) staff from covid-19.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
Most people identified as clinically extremely vulnerable are now well protected after receiving their primary and booster vaccination doses. An additional booster is now also being offered to all those aged five or above who are either at higher clinical risk from COVID-19 or who live with individuals at higher clinical risk, as part of the current autumn booster programme.
This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-safely-with-respiratory-infections-including-covid-19.
There remains a smaller number of people who, despite vaccination, are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. This is due to a weakened immune system or other medical conditions that require enhanced protections such as those offered by antibody and antiviral treatments, additional vaccinations, and potentially other non-clinical interventions.
Children and young people with weakened immune systems should follow the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s advice for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk from COVID-19.
The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk.
Where staff, children, pupils or children have received advice from a specialist or clinician, they should follow this advice. This may be set out in an education, health and care plan.
In schools, given the low risk to children and young people, high levels of vaccination among the UK population, and a dominant variant that continues to be milder than in the past, public health advice is that there is no longer a need for specific COVID-19 guidance. Instead, UKSHA advise that COVID-19 can be managed like other respiratory infections. Schools should therefore be following the public health guidance set out by UKHSA.
This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities.
Over the last year, backed by £25 million in government funding, the Department has provided 386,699 CO2 monitors to state-funded education providers, including early years, schools and further education providers. CO2 monitors can support schools to identify poor areas of ventilation which will provide further reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, especially over the winter months. As well as helping to identify areas that are poorly ventilated, CO2 monitors can be useful to help education providers balance good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm.
Where an area of poor ventilation has been identified that cannot be resolved through simple measures such as opening doors and windows, it may be appropriate for education providers to consider the use of an air cleaning unit while the underlying ventilation issue is addressed. In January, the Government committed to fulfil all eligible applications for air cleaning units to state-funded education settings for poorly ventilated teaching spaces where quick fixes to improve ventilation were not possible. All eligible applications received have been fulfilled, with 8,026 air cleaning units distributed by 24 June 2022. All units delivered use high efficiency particulate air.
The Department will continue to review any emerging evidence, public health guidance, and advice to help ensure that schools remain as safe as possible.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has had discussions with the management at AQA on resolving the industrial dispute with UNISON.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
It is for AQA to resolve the industrial dispute with UNISON. The department has not had discussions with AQA on the industrial dispute in question. As the independent regulator for qualifications, Ofqual works with exam boards to make sure that any potential risks to the timely and secure delivery of GCSE, AS and A levels are appropriately managed. Ofqual has been closely monitoring the situation and meeting regularly with senior staff at AQA to discuss their contingency plans. AQA has provided assurances that the ongoing industrial action will not impact on the delivery of GCSE, AS and A level results or post-results services.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to fund a) air pollution monitors and b) air purification systems for schools in areas where air pollution levels exceed WHO guideline limits.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
The Department is not currently planning to fund air quality monitors or fund additional air cleaning units for schools in areas where air pollution levels exceed World Health Organisation guideline limits. More information on the number of air cleaning units delivered to schools with poor ventilation can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/delivery-of-air-cleaning-units
The Department has published guidance in the Building Bulletin 101 (BB101), which provides guidelines on indoor and outdoor air quality in new and refurbished schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings(opens in a new tab). BB101 guidance promotes best practice in controlling pollutants and setting maximum standards for levels of pollutants in indoors.
Outdoor air quality is the responsibility of local authorities who should prepare air quality action plans to ensure the level of pollutants is reduced. In January 2019, the Government published the Clean Air Strategy setting out plans to deal with all sources of pollution.