Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tim Loughton and Simon Hart

Monday 21st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Simon Hart (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of the social and economic value to schools and pupils of learning outside the classroom.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Tim Loughton)]

The Government fully support learning outside the classroom, and whilst we have made no formal assessment, we recognise the important contribution it can make to engaging and supporting pupils in their education. We believe that schools should have the freedom, however, to use their professional judgment to determine how learning outside the classroom best meets the needs of their pupils.

[Simon Hart]

Will the Minister give an indication of whether his Department will look at allocating a percentage of the pupil premium for this particular area?

[Tim Loughton]

The whole point of the pupil premium is to give extra resources for schools that can be used exactly as they see fit for their own pupils. If a school wants to use a large or a small part of the pupil premium for that activity, that is entirely a matter for the head and the school.