Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) emails and (b) letters from hon. Members on constituents' concerns are answered (i) fully and (ii) promptly.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department takes the concerns raised by any individual or group seriously. As my hon. Friend will appreciate, the Department is currently receiving exceptionally high volumes of correspondence.
The Department is doing everything possible to ensure that it provides all colleagues and stakeholders with the most up to date and relevant information in response to their queries or concerns.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the transparency of the process in the event that one academy replaces another as the provider of education at a school.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State said in his recent speech to the National Association of Head Teachers conference that he wants greater transparency about the workings of Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) and Head Teacher Boards (HTBs) that advise and challenge RSCs. The department will work with the sector over the coming months to develop proposals, for consultation in the Autumn, to support a clear and simple accountability system. This will build on the information already available regarding RSCs and their work, including academy transfers.
We currently publish records of HTB meetings. In July 2017, we produced updated Terms of Reference for HTBs as part of the summer HTB elections. We publish conflicts of interest registers for HTB members and RSCs, as well as information on the roles and responsibilities of the RSCs and criteria for all relevant types of RSC decisions. On GOV.UK, we publish annually grant funding data for academies that have moved trust, letters to academy trusts about poor performance and academies financial notices to improve
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the process is for replacing a failing academy with a new sponsor.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) are responsible, on behalf of the Secretary of State, for holding all academies, including multi-academy trusts, to account and will intervene where necessary to bring about rapid improvement.
The main triggers for RSCs taking action are concerns about educational performance, financial management and/or governance. In the first instance, RSCs will support the trust that runs the academy to secure improvements itself – for example, through diagnostic visits from education advisors or arranging school-to-school support. Where they have serious concerns, RSCs are able to take more formal action such as issuing warning notices, setting out the improvements that are required and by when. The particular actions they may take are contained in the funding agreement between the academy trust and the Secretary of State.
Ultimately, the Education and Adoption Act 2016 provides the Secretary of State with powers, regardless of what terms are in the funding agreement, to terminate the funding agreement of an academy that is failing or coasting and transfer it to a new sponsor.
Our priority is to ensure all children receive the best possible education and RSCs will identify the most appropriate sponsor and work with the existing trust to manage the transition and ensure minimal disruption for pupils.
More detailed information about powers available for taking action in academies and how decisions are taken by RSCs are set out in the Schools Causing Concern Guidance and the RSCs Decision Making Framework, both of which are available on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2
and
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve academic achievement in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England and Wales.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their background, receive a high quality education. We are, therefore, working with local authorities, teaching schools, and academy trusts to ensure that schools are receiving appropriate support. As part of that support, Regional Schools Commissioners have a remit to tackle poor performance in schools and where necessary, move them into strong multi academy trusts.
I have met hon. friends from Northamptonshire, Martin Post as Regional Schools Commissioner for North West London and South Central region, and the Director of Children’s Service for Northamptonshire to discuss education standards in Northamptonshire's schools.
In England, we have identified and are providing support for coasting schools that require it. We have recently consulted on proposals to enable more good school places to be created in the consultation document ‘Schools That Work for Everyone’. In addition, we have announced a new £140 million Strategic School Improvement Fund for academies and maintained schools, which will ensure that we target school improvement resources and support from teaching schools and National Leaders of Education where it is most needed.
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on children being absent from school to be on holiday.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Reducing absence from school is a top priority for this government as good attendance is clearly linked to attainment. Evidence shows that missing the equivalent of just one week a year from school can damage a pupil’s life chances and reduce a pupil’s chances of succeeding at school[1]. Parents should avoid taking their child out of school during term time if this is not absolutely necessary.
Head teachers continue to have the discretion to approve term-time absence, but only in exceptional circumstances.
[1] : “The link between absence and attainment at KS2 and KS4: 2012 to 2013 academic year” research report at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/absence-and-attainment-at-key-stages-2-and-4-2012-to-2013
Asked by: Peter Bone (Independent - Wellingborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what benchmarks are used to compare attainment in UK schools and the schools of comparable countries.
Answered by Nick Gibb
England participates in three research studies that enable international benchmarking of the performance of our pupils against the performance of their peers in other countries:
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which compares the mathematics, science and reading competence of 15-year-olds across participating countries. Further information can be found online at: www.oecd.org/pisa/
The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which compares the mathematics and science abilities of pupils in year 5 and year 9 in England with their peers in comparable grades in participating countries. More information can be found online at: www.iea.nl/timss_2015.html
The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which compares the reading ability of pupils in year 5 in England with their peers in comparable grades in participating countries. This is available online at: www.iea.nl/pirls_2016.html
Northern Ireland also participates in each of these three studies, and all four UK countries participate in the OECD’s PISA study.
In England and Wales, schools can also access the OECD’s PISA-based test for schools, which provides schools with a tool to benchmark the performance of their 15-year-old pupils within and beyond local and national borders, and is available online at: www.oecd.org/pisa/aboutpisa/pisa-based-test-for-schools.htm