Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the discipline guidance for schools to include the creation of more therapeutic educational environments.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In July 2022, the Department for Education published the updated ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, which is the primary source of help and support for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy that can create a school culture with high expectations of behaviour.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disability they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of school behaviour policies on the mental health of students who (a) have mental health needs and (b) are neurodivergent.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not collect data on the impact of behaviour policies on pupils who have mental health needs or are neurodivergent, or those who are absent from school.
In July 2022, the department published updated guidance on Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion statutory guidance. These documents provide clarity and support to schools on how to manage behaviour well for all pupils in the school community.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.
Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
Some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore schools and partners should work with pupils and parents to identify and overcome any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place.
Securing good attendance cannot therefore be seen in isolation, and effective practices for improvement will involve close interaction with schools’ efforts on curriculum, behaviour, bullying, SEND support, pastoral and mental health and wellbeing, and effective use of resources, including pupil premium.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of school behaviour policies on levels of school refusal among children.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not collect data on the impact of behaviour policies on pupils who have mental health needs or are neurodivergent, or those who are absent from school.
In July 2022, the department published updated guidance on Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion statutory guidance. These documents provide clarity and support to schools on how to manage behaviour well for all pupils in the school community.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.
Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
Some pupils find it harder than others to attend school and therefore schools and partners should work with pupils and parents to identify and overcome any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place.
Securing good attendance cannot therefore be seen in isolation, and effective practices for improvement will involve close interaction with schools’ efforts on curriculum, behaviour, bullying, SEND support, pastoral and mental health and wellbeing, and effective use of resources, including pupil premium.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make a comparative assessment of the number of Ofsted deep dives by core subject; and if she will take steps to increase the number of deep dives on religious education.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector. I have asked the Chief Inspector to write to the hon. Member for York Central directly and a copy of that reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Pakistan regarding reports that Pakistani school textbooks encourage religious discrimination.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to engage on the critical need for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Pakistani schools. At Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review in January, the UK recommended action to ensure that school textbooks are inclusive of all religions, and urged Pakistan to ensure that religious minorities can access suitable alternatives to compulsory Qu'ranic studies. In July 2023, the British High Commission participated in a civil society-led panel discussion on Minorities and Education. We have previously supported initiatives to review the National Curriculum of Pakistan, providing technical assistance to create a more inclusive curriculum and textbooks.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the compliance of school disciplinary policies with the Equality Act 2010; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those policies on people (a) with a protected characteristic, (b) who identify as neurodivergent and (c) with a diagnosed mental health condition.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In July 2022, the department published updated guidance on the ‘Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’ statutory guidance. These documents provide clarity and support to schools on how to manage behaviour well for all pupils in the school community.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disabilities they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.
Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
As part of any graded inspection, Ofsted will make a judgement on behaviour and attitudes. If a school is judged inadequate for its overall effectiveness, this triggers powers to intervene to secure improvement. Where a school is judged to require improvement on two or more consecutive occasions, the department may also intervene. If there are any concerns regarding a school’s behaviour policy, these should be raised through the normal school complaints procedure.
The department does not collect data on the impact of disciplinary policies on children who have a protected characteristic, identify as neurodivergent, or a mental health diagnosis.
The National Behaviour Survey runs termly to track experiences and perceptions of pupil behaviour in schools and includes data on pupil’s perceptions on whether the rules on behaviour are applied fairly to all pupils. The most recent data available is for the 2021/2022 academic term, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-behaviour-survey-reports.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on when to intervene if a school's disciplinary policy is reported to be causing harm to the mental health of students.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In July 2022, the department published updated guidance on the ‘Behaviour in Schools and Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’ statutory guidance. These documents provide clarity and support to schools on how to manage behaviour well for all pupils in the school community.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any Special Educational Needs or Disabilities they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.
Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
As part of any graded inspection, Ofsted will make a judgement on behaviour and attitudes. If a school is judged inadequate for its overall effectiveness, this triggers powers to intervene to secure improvement. Where a school is judged to require improvement on two or more consecutive occasions, the department may also intervene. If there are any concerns regarding a school’s behaviour policy, these should be raised through the normal school complaints procedure.
The department does not collect data on the impact of disciplinary policies on children who have a protected characteristic, identify as neurodivergent, or a mental health diagnosis.
The National Behaviour Survey runs termly to track experiences and perceptions of pupil behaviour in schools and includes data on pupil’s perceptions on whether the rules on behaviour are applied fairly to all pupils. The most recent data available is for the 2021/2022 academic term, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-behaviour-survey-reports.
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of regional variations in levels of supply and demand for religious education teachers in secondary schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
One of our top priorities is to ensure that the department continues to attract, retain and develop the highly skilled teachers we need to inspire the next generation. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The department understands there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects. That is why the department has put in place bursaries worth £10,000 tax-free to encourage talented trainee teachers to teach Religious Education (RE).
The 2023/24 pay award means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received the highest pay award in over thirty years and it delivers our manifesto commitment of at least a £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country in all subjects, including RE.
RE is an essential part of a school’s curriculum and remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18.
Whilst no detailed assessment of primary teacher’s confidence in teaching RE has taken place, it is right that teachers feel confident in delivering the content for this subject. To ensure high standards and confidence in RE teaching, RE resources are being procured by Oak National Academy as part of the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils. These resources will begin to be available from Autumn 2024 and be fully available by September 2025
Data on numbers of qualified RE teachers are available on a national scale only. Using the Teacher Workforce Census there were 15,721 RE teachers in state-funded secondary schools nationally in 2022/23, which represents an increase from 15,529 in 2021/22 (up 192 teachers or 1.2%).
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to increase the number and proportion of teachers trained in religious education teaching.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
One of our top priorities is to ensure that the department continues to attract, retain and develop the highly skilled teachers we need to inspire the next generation. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The department understands there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects. That is why the department has put in place bursaries worth £10,000 tax-free to encourage talented trainee teachers to teach Religious Education (RE).
The 2023/24 pay award means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received the highest pay award in over thirty years and it delivers our manifesto commitment of at least a £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country in all subjects, including RE.
RE is an essential part of a school’s curriculum and remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18.
Whilst no detailed assessment of primary teacher’s confidence in teaching RE has taken place, it is right that teachers feel confident in delivering the content for this subject. To ensure high standards and confidence in RE teaching, RE resources are being procured by Oak National Academy as part of the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils. These resources will begin to be available from Autumn 2024 and be fully available by September 2025
Data on numbers of qualified RE teachers are available on a national scale only. Using the Teacher Workforce Census there were 15,721 RE teachers in state-funded secondary schools nationally in 2022/23, which represents an increase from 15,529 in 2021/22 (up 192 teachers or 1.2%).
Asked by: Peter Bottomley (Conservative - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of confidence among primary school teachers in teaching religious education.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
One of our top priorities is to ensure that the department continues to attract, retain and develop the highly skilled teachers we need to inspire the next generation. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The department understands there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects. That is why the department has put in place bursaries worth £10,000 tax-free to encourage talented trainee teachers to teach Religious Education (RE).
The 2023/24 pay award means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received the highest pay award in over thirty years and it delivers our manifesto commitment of at least a £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country in all subjects, including RE.
RE is an essential part of a school’s curriculum and remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18.
Whilst no detailed assessment of primary teacher’s confidence in teaching RE has taken place, it is right that teachers feel confident in delivering the content for this subject. To ensure high standards and confidence in RE teaching, RE resources are being procured by Oak National Academy as part of the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils. These resources will begin to be available from Autumn 2024 and be fully available by September 2025
Data on numbers of qualified RE teachers are available on a national scale only. Using the Teacher Workforce Census there were 15,721 RE teachers in state-funded secondary schools nationally in 2022/23, which represents an increase from 15,529 in 2021/22 (up 192 teachers or 1.2%).