Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to progress implementation of the Government's national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding available specifically for girls and women diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in (a) educational settings and (b) care homes.
Answered by Will Quince
The government is committed to addressing the inequalities experienced by autistic people of all ages. Within the new autism strategy, published in July 2021 and extended to children and young people for the first time, we set out how we will continue our programme of developing training and resources for education staff and will consider the issue of identification and support for autistic girls within this. We know that more needs to be done to improve autism identification for girls. That is why, as part of the wider work on improving diagnostic pathways, NHS England/Improvement is looking at ways to improve the quality of diagnosis for girls.
We also want the public to understand how autism can affect people differently, including the difference in how autistic women and girls present, and to help change people’s behaviour towards autistic people and their families.
In the strategy’s first year alone, we are investing £74 million to promote a straightforward route to diagnosis, the correct support, increasing understanding and improving access to a quality education and social care. Work is currently underway to deliver on the actions for the first year, set out in our implementation plan (2021- 2022). We are also in the process of putting in place a new governance structure to ensure there is accountability for delivery of the actions in the autism strategy, which we are aiming to establish in the new year.
£600,000 of this funding has gone towards the department’s contract with the Autism Education Trust (AET) for 2021/22, to deliver autism awareness training to education staff in early years, schools and further education settings. This contract has been provided annually since 2011, and has so far reached more than 305,000 people across the country.
Through this contract with the AET, the department has funded the development of Good Autism Practice Guidance for education settings. This includes a focus on attending to the strengths, needs and challenges of autistic girls.
The department has also provided £2 million of funding for the Whole School SEND consortium in 2021/22, through our contract with Nasen. This will continue their wider programme of work to equip the workforce to deliver high quality teaching for all children and young people with SEND, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, this year.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient places to meet the needs of children in their care, including autistic children who need to be cared for in a children’s home. Local authorities set their own children’s services budget from their core spending power, based on local need and priorities. This year, 2021-22, councils have access to £51.3 billion core spending power for their services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced at Spending Review 2021 that the government will provide local authorities with £4.8 billion of new grant funding over the next Spending Review period, which is intended to help meet the costs of delivering care for our most vulnerable children.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the level of demand for (a) specialised training for professionals and education providers working in the autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder sector and (b) support for females diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Answered by Will Quince
The government is committed to addressing the inequalities experienced by autistic people of all ages. Within the new autism strategy, published in July 2021 and extended to children and young people for the first time, we set out how we will continue our programme of developing training and resources for education staff and will consider the issue of identification and support for autistic girls within this. We know that more needs to be done to improve autism identification for girls. That is why, as part of the wider work on improving diagnostic pathways, NHS England/Improvement is looking at ways to improve the quality of diagnosis for girls.
We also want the public to understand how autism can affect people differently, including the difference in how autistic women and girls present, and to help change people’s behaviour towards autistic people and their families.
In the strategy’s first year alone, we are investing £74 million to promote a straightforward route to diagnosis, the correct support, increasing understanding and improving access to a quality education and social care. Work is currently underway to deliver on the actions for the first year, set out in our implementation plan (2021- 2022). We are also in the process of putting in place a new governance structure to ensure there is accountability for delivery of the actions in the autism strategy, which we are aiming to establish in the new year.
£600,000 of this funding has gone towards the department’s contract with the Autism Education Trust (AET) for 2021/22, to deliver autism awareness training to education staff in early years, schools and further education settings. This contract has been provided annually since 2011, and has so far reached more than 305,000 people across the country.
Through this contract with the AET, the department has funded the development of Good Autism Practice Guidance for education settings. This includes a focus on attending to the strengths, needs and challenges of autistic girls.
The department has also provided £2 million of funding for the Whole School SEND consortium in 2021/22, through our contract with Nasen. This will continue their wider programme of work to equip the workforce to deliver high quality teaching for all children and young people with SEND, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, this year.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure there are sufficient places to meet the needs of children in their care, including autistic children who need to be cared for in a children’s home. Local authorities set their own children’s services budget from their core spending power, based on local need and priorities. This year, 2021-22, councils have access to £51.3 billion core spending power for their services, including a £1.7 billion grant for social care.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced at Spending Review 2021 that the government will provide local authorities with £4.8 billion of new grant funding over the next Spending Review period, which is intended to help meet the costs of delivering care for our most vulnerable children.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the additional discretion available to schools by academisation, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that school funds are directed at teaching staff and the pupils in their care.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s priority is the delivery of world class education for all children from all backgrounds. The greater freedom and flexibility that academy trusts enjoy enables the strongest leaders to take responsibility for supporting more schools, developing great teachers and allowing schools to focus on what really matters – the high quality teaching of a broad and ambitious curriculum.
The 2020 Academies Financial Handbook states that the central responsibility for academy trusts is that they “must take full responsibility for their financial affairs, stewardship of assets and use resources efficiently to maximise outcomes for pupils”. Academy trusts work with parents and their local community to deliver on this responsibility. The new 2021 Academies Trust Handbook, also known as the Academies Financial Handbook, effective from 1 September 2021, reiterates the importance of involving parents in trust governance, helping to ensure that boards stay accessible and connected to the community they serve and support robust decision making. The 2021 Academies Trust Handbook is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academies-financial-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2021.
Academy trusts lead the way on accountability and transparency. They provide a significant amount of information to the public, setting out the trust and academy level expenditure. The Department also publishes individual academy allocation and expenditure data. This is easily accessible at individual academy level on the schools financial benchmarking website, which allows expenditure to be broken down by theme, including per pupil spend and proportion of expenditure on staff pay and resources. The schools financial benchmarking website is available here: https://schools-financial-benchmarking.service.gov.uk.
The Department operates an effective oversight programme that provides assurance to Parliament and the public. This is delivered through a range of assurance activity and wider intelligence gathering, including from independently audited financial information and educational performance data. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Regional Schools Commissioners work together to build a joined-up picture of each school and academy trust. They take a risk-based approach to intervene proportionately on the rare occasions when needed.
The ESFA works with academy trusts to share good practice and provide support to help them build capacity and strengthen their financial and governance position. They also offer a school resource management adviser service. This is a free service providing hands-on support from experienced school professionals who work with schools to identify opportunities for improved spending decisions which will allow money to be reinvested back into critical areas of school activity.
Academy trusts are delivering very high standard of governance, educational and financial performance. The latest published data shows that 99.3% of academy trust accounts received unqualified opinions.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will commission research on employers’ behaviour with regards to providing reasonable adjustments for disabled teachers.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has produced guidance for schools, entitled “The Equality Act 2010 and schools”, to help them understand how the Equality Act 2010 affects them and how to fulfil their duties. The guidance is available to view here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
The guidance sets out that, as employers, schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to disability for their employees or potential employees. They must make reasonable adjustments to arrangements or practices to alleviate disadvantage. They must also take reasonable steps to provide any necessary auxiliary aids and services.
The Department continues to look closely at teaching workforce data, such as through the school workforce census, to engage the sector and explore opportunities for further work in this area.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure it meets the additional covid-19-related needs of disabled teachers during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has published guidance to support schools to understand how the Equality Act affects them and to fulfil their duties under the Equality Act 2010, available to view here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/315587/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf. The Department expects all schools to adhere to all aspects of employment and disability legislation.
The guidance sets out that schools as employers are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments in relation to disability for their employees or potential employees. They must make reasonable adjustments to arrangements or practices to alleviate disadvantage. They must also take reasonable steps to provide any necessary auxiliary aids and services.
At each stage of the Department’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have listened to the latest medical and scientific advice. The Department has provided regularly updated guidance to support schools, colleges, and nurseries, with input from education leaders, unions, and sector bodies and in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive. As the published guidance sets out, employers have a legal obligation to protect their employees from harm. The guidance is available is available to view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-coronavirus-covid-19-operational-guidance.
Schools, colleges, and nurseries should continue to follow the measures set out in the guidance. By assessing risk and implementing all measures, including ventilating occupied spaces and cleaning, schools will effectively manage risks and create an inherently safer environment.
All elements of the system of controls are essential in effectively minimising risks. The way different schools, colleges, and nurseries implement some of the requirements will differ based on their individual circumstances. PHE advises that the implementation of the system of controls based on a thorough risk assessment is a sufficient and appropriate way to reduce risk in schools, colleges, and nurseries.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, from what date university students will be able to return to campus and resume in-person teaching.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
Following the review into when the remaining higher education students can return to in-person teaching and learning, the government has announced that the remaining students should return to in-person teaching no earlier than 17 May 2021, alongside Step 3 of the roadmap. Students and institutions will be given at least a week’s notice of any further return in accordance with the timing of Step 3 of the roadmap.
The government roadmap is designed to maintain a cautious approach to the easing of restrictions to reduce public health risks and ensure that we can maintain progress towards full reopening. However, the government recognises the difficulties and disruption that this may cause for many students and their families and that is why the government is making a further £15 million of additional student hardship funding available for this academic year 2020/21. In total we have made an additional £85 million of funding available for student hardship.
We are supporting universities to provide regular twice weekly asymptomatic testing for all students and staff on-site and, from May, at home. This will help break chains of transmission of the virus.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending pupil premium funding to all children from families with no recourse to public funds.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Pupil premium eligibility is based on Ever6 free school meals (FSM), whereby pupils eligible for FSM at the time of the October census, or at any point in the previous 6 years, attract pupil premium funding in the following financial year.
The Department is working with other Government Departments to evaluate access to FSM for families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and are also considering pupil premium eligibility in that context.
FSM was extended to include certain NRPF groups on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department will also extend pupil premium eligibility to these same groups for the 2021-22 financial year, with schools able to claim pupil premium funding for eligible pupils. We will provide further details on the claims process in due course.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have successfully completed the BTEC Performing Arts course in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The attached file contains further education learning aim enrolments and learning aim achievements, split by learners aged 16 to 18, and 19 and over, along with the total, on BTEC courses in the performing arts from the 2010/11 to 2019/20 academic year.
The department publishes destinations of adult (19+) further education learners in the further education outcome-based success measures publication which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcome-based-success-measures.
The latest data covers adult learners achieving their course in the 2017/18 academic year with destinations in 2018/19 academic year reported, whilst the earliest data represents learners achieving in 2013/14 academic year. Specifically, destination rates of adult learners on BTEC performing arts courses can be found here:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/25a2cc84-5b83-433c-9f01-f516093af57a.
Data on the destinations of learners reaching the end of 16-18 study based upon the learning aim taken is not held.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have enrolled on a BTEC Performing Arts course in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The attached file contains further education learning aim enrolments and learning aim achievements, split by learners aged 16 to 18, and 19 and over, along with the total, on BTEC courses in the performing arts from the 2010/11 to 2019/20 academic year.
The department publishes destinations of adult (19+) further education learners in the further education outcome-based success measures publication which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcome-based-success-measures.
The latest data covers adult learners achieving their course in the 2017/18 academic year with destinations in 2018/19 academic year reported, whilst the earliest data represents learners achieving in 2013/14 academic year. Specifically, destination rates of adult learners on BTEC performing arts courses can be found here:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/25a2cc84-5b83-433c-9f01-f516093af57a.
Data on the destinations of learners reaching the end of 16-18 study based upon the learning aim taken is not held.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the destinations of people who have successfully completed a BTEC Performing Arts course in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The attached file contains further education learning aim enrolments and learning aim achievements, split by learners aged 16 to 18, and 19 and over, along with the total, on BTEC courses in the performing arts from the 2010/11 to 2019/20 academic year.
The department publishes destinations of adult (19+) further education learners in the further education outcome-based success measures publication which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcome-based-success-measures.
The latest data covers adult learners achieving their course in the 2017/18 academic year with destinations in 2018/19 academic year reported, whilst the earliest data represents learners achieving in 2013/14 academic year. Specifically, destination rates of adult learners on BTEC performing arts courses can be found here:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/25a2cc84-5b83-433c-9f01-f516093af57a.
Data on the destinations of learners reaching the end of 16-18 study based upon the learning aim taken is not held.