Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department’s Early Years Social Mobility Peer Review Programme, published in April 2018, which early outcomes for disadvantaged children were considered as part of the selection process for peer reviewers.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Further information will be published alongside the launch of the main phase of the Early Years Social Mobility Peer Review Programme in early autumn 2018. Peer reviewers will be selected on the basis of their expertise and experience. All peer reviewers will be expected to have an excellent understanding of services for disadvantaged children and families as well as the drivers of outcomes at the age of five.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the implications are for his Department's policy on baseline assessments of the report, A baseline without basis, published by the British Educational Research Association on 4 July 2018.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Department for Education does not intend to change its policy on the reception baseline in response to the British Educational Research Association’s report.
The new baseline is being developed by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), an organisation with a proven and respected track record of developing assessments.
The proposal to introduce the new baseline was set out in our 2017 public consultation on the future of the primary assessment system in England and drew support from a majority of respondents. Those responding in favour included the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders. Their responses were on the basis that the introduction of the new baseline will make it possible for statutory end of key stage 1 assessments to be removed, thereby making the primary assessment system more proportionate.
All aspects of the development of the new baseline will be informed by an extensive evidence base of research into the assessment of pupils in the early years. NFER will collect further evidence during the trial and pilot phases to inform the department’s decision-making. This will ensure that the reception baseline is robust. It will also ensure that the data collected is sufficiently valid and reliable for the purposes of creating a new value-added progress measure. This progress measure will recognise the progress that schools make with all their pupils, regardless of the pupils’ background, throughout their time at primary school.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Government's childcare policies on the number of nurseries closing down.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The most recent Ofsted statistics, published on 27 June, show that the number of providers of childcare on non-domestic premises (group providers) has remained stable over time, having decreased by just 2% since 31 August 2012. There was also a small increase in the number of childcare places that they offer. These statistics can be viewed on Ofsted’s website at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted/about/statistics.
We regularly monitor the effect of our early years and childcare policies on the childcare market. The take-up of our childcare entitlements is positive, with 94% of three and four year-olds benefiting from funded early education and 72% of eligible two year-olds taking up the 15 hours entitlement. Furthermore, since the roll-out of 30 hours’ free childcare, more than 340,000 children have benefited from a 30 hours place. This saves around £5,000 per year for parents who use the full 30 hours.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing registered childminders to receive Government funding for providing care to a child who is related to them but does not live with them.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Childminders, including grandparents who are childminders, cannot receive early years funding, including the new 30 hours’ entitlement, for related children. This is set out in Sections 18(4) and 20 of the Childcare Act 2006: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/contents.
This long-standing position avoids creating an incentive for adults to register to become formal carers for related children they are already looking after on an informal basis.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2018 to Question 152263 on Department for Education: Staff, what proportion of the 81.2 equivalent full time staff work on the 30 hours of funded childcare policy.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As at 31 May 2018, there were 26 full time equivalent members of staff working on the 30 hours free childcare policy out of 81.2 full time equivalent staff working in the Department for Education’s Early Years Group. Other staff members in the department also contribute to early years policy, including the 30 hours free childcare policy, as part of their work.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing registered childminders to receive Government funding for providing care to a child who is related to them but does not live with them.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Childminders, including grandparents who are childminders, cannot receive early years funding, including the new 30 hours’ entitlement, for related children. This is set out in Sections 18(4) and 20 of the Childcare Act 2006: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/contents.
This long-standing position avoids creating an incentive for adults to register to become formal carers for related children they are already looking after on an informal basis.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the correlation between a child's socio-economic background and the extent to which they access in full the free childcare to which they are entitled; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government notes the recent research conducted by the London School of Economics on this issue. In February 2018, the Department for Education commissioned its own research into the factors affecting take-up of free early education entitlements. A report will be published in due course.
The government introduced an entitlement to 15 hours of free childcare a week for disadvantaged two year olds in September 2013. Since then more than half a million two year olds have benefitted from a place and 71% of eligible children are taking advantage of the offer. We have also increased the hours of free childcare available to all three and four year olds.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his department are currently working on the consultation into the future of children's centres.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As of 31 May 2018, there were 17.2 FTE members of staff in the Department’s Early Years Group working in the Quality, Outcomes and Providers team, which is the team responsible for children’s centres. Other staff members in the department also contribute to the early years policy as part of their work, however, the numbers for this are not held centrally.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his Department are working in the early years policy sector.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
As at 31 May 2018, there were 81.2 full-time equivalent members of staff working in the Department for Education’s Early Years Group, working on and supporting early years policy. Other staff members in the department also contribute to early years policy as part of their work.
Asked by: Tracy Brabin (Labour (Co-op) - Batley and Spen)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students who complete the early years T-level will be licensed to practise within early years settings.
Answered by Anne Milton
We recognise that to work in an early years setting, a practitioner must hold a full and relevant early years qualification that has been approved by the Department for Education. When developing the Early Years T Level, we will make sure that it aligns to the Early Years criteria and will enable a student to practice within an early years setting.