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Written Question
Schools: Uniforms
Wednesday 31st May 2023

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to support families with the cost of (a) primary and (b) secondary school uniforms.

Answered by Nick Gibb

New statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms came into force in September 2022, following publication by the Government in November 2021. The guidance is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

Schools must have regard to this guidance when they are developing and implementing their uniform policy. The guidance requires schools to keep branded items to a minimum, give the highest priority to cost and value for money in their supply arrangements, and ensure that second hand uniforms are available for parents to acquire.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will review the eligibility criteria for free school meals before the 2022-23 school year.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep 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.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on the number of children living in poverty who are not eligible for free school meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep 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.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Child Poverty Action Group's analysis published on 9 June stating that 800,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals, if he will take steps to provide those children with those meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep 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.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Tuesday 25th October 2022

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the Child Poverty Action Group's analysis published on 9 June 2022 stating that 800,000 children living in poverty are not eligible for free school meals.

Answered by Kelly Tolhurst

The department does not have plans to assess the potential impact of changes in the cost of living on pupils who are not eligible for free school meals (FSM), nor to make changes to FSM eligibility. However, we continue to monitor the rising cost of living whilst working with other government departments on support surrounding this issue. The department will continue to keep 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.


Written Question
Children: Disability
Thursday 17th June 2021

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is he taking to help disabled children recover from lost progress in managing their conditions in the context of the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I refer the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to Question 10230.


Written Question
Children: Disability
Thursday 17th June 2021

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding additional therapies for disabled children.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I refer the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow to the answer I gave on 9 June 2021 to Question 10531.


Written Question
Respite Care
Tuesday 15th June 2021

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of funding additional respite care for the families of disabled children to mitigate exhaustion and social isolation among carers.

Answered by Vicky Ford

I refer the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow to the answer I gave on 2 June 2021 to Question 7328.


Written Question
Schools: Coronavirus
Tuesday 15th September 2020

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support schools with high numbers of pupils from inter-generational family units during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. On 2 July, the Department published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

Shielding advice for all adults and children paused on 1 August. This means that even the small number of pupils who remain on the shielded patient list can return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding.

The above guidance sets out a system of controls which provides a framework for school leaders to put in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff, which also ensure that all pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress. This includes the public health advice that schools must follow to minimise the risks of COVID-19 transmission.

Schools should bear in mind the potential concerns of pupils, parents and households who may be reluctant or anxious about returning and put the right support in place to address this. This may include pupils who have themselves been shielding previously but have been advised that this is no longer necessary, those living in households where someone is clinically vulnerable, or those concerned about the comparatively increased risk from COVID-19, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds or who have certain conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

If parents of pupils with significant risk factors are concerned, we recommend schools discuss their concerns and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.


Written Question
Schools: Coronavirus
Tuesday 15th September 2020

Asked by: Rushanara Ali (Labour - Bethnal Green and Bow)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support schools with high numbers of pupils with family members with severe health risks during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Government has been clear that all pupils, in all year groups, should return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. On 2 July, the Department published guidance to help schools prepare for this. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

Shielding advice for all adults and children paused on 1 August. This means that even the small number of pupils who remain on the shielded patient list can return to school, as can those who have family members who are shielding.

The above guidance sets out a system of controls which provides a framework for school leaders to put in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff, which also ensure that all pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress. This includes the public health advice that schools must follow to minimise the risks of COVID-19 transmission.

Schools should bear in mind the potential concerns of pupils, parents and households who may be reluctant or anxious about returning and put the right support in place to address this. This may include pupils who have themselves been shielding previously but have been advised that this is no longer necessary, those living in households where someone is clinically vulnerable, or those concerned about the comparatively increased risk from COVID-19, including those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds or who have certain conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

If parents of pupils with significant risk factors are concerned, we recommend schools discuss their concerns and provide reassurance of the measures they are putting in place to reduce the risk in school.