The Secretary of State for Education ()
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement
regarding the full opening of our schools and colleges to all
pupils in September.
I know that these past three months have been some of the most
challenging that schools, parents and, most of all, children have
faced. What schools have achieved to make sure that children and
young people are kept safe and can continue to learn during this
period is remarkable, and I think all of us in this House are
deeply grateful for those efforts. But we all know the impact
that lost time in education can have on our children’s outcomes.
Every child and young person in the country has experienced
unprecedented disruption to their learning as a result of
coronavirus, with those from the most vulnerable and
disadvantaged backgrounds among the hardest hit. Education
recovery is critical for this generation of schoolchildren.
Returning to normal educational routines as quickly as possible
is critical to our national recovery, too. That is why we have
been working to ensure that all pupils will be able to go back to
schools and colleges full time in September, with covid-secure
measures in place, so that they have the opportunity to thrive
and fulfil their full potential.
Today, the Government have published detailed plans for
nurseries, schools and colleges that set out what is needed to
plan for a full return, as well as reassuring parents and carers
about what to expect for their children. The guidance has been
developed with medical experts from Public Health England and
follows regular engagement throughout the outbreak between the
Government and the education sector.
We continue to work closely with the country’s best scientific
and medical experts to ensure that both children and staff are
always as safe as possible. Schools will continue minimising
contact between children, including through grouping children
together in bubbles and encouraging older children to distance.
At a minimum, this will mean keeping whole year groups in schools
and colleges separate. This is in addition to the other
protective measures that we know are so important for infection
control, such as regular cleaning and hand washing. We are also
ensuring that testing is readily available, so that parents,
teachers and students can return with confidence. All staff,
pupils and their families will continue to have access to testing
if they develop covid-19 symptoms.
By the start of the autumn term, we will provide all schools and
colleges with a small number of home testing kits, which will be
taken home by children or staff who develop symptoms while on
site but who would struggle to access a testing centre. This is
so that they can have a test quickly and get the results back
quickly. All schools will have access to direct support and
advice from their local Public Health England health protection
team to deal with any cases that may occur. They will be advised
on what steps need to be taken.
In these challenging times, we are committed to ensuring that the
nation’s children have not only a safe education, but an
excellent one. From September, we are asking schools and colleges
to return to a broad and balanced curriculum, so that all pupils
continue to be taught in a wide range of subjects, maintaining
their choices for further study and employment. We expect exams
to go ahead in the summer of 2021. We understand the additional
pressures on teaching staff to deliver such high standards of
education in this difficult period. As such, as Ofsted inspectors
are preparing to visit schools in the autumn, it will be to
discuss how they are managing the return to full education of all
their pupils. The insight that inspectors gather will also be
aggregated nationally to share learning with the whole sector,
the Government and the wider public. It is our intention for full
inspections to return from January.
We are also providing significant financial support to help
pupils catch up on lost learning. As I announced in June, we will
be providing a £1 billion covid catch-up package, including a
£650 million catch-up premium for state-funded primary, secondary
and special schools, and a £350 million national tutoring
programme for the most disadvantaged pupils. Evidence shows that
six to 12 weeks of tutoring for a disadvantaged pupil can result
in five months of catch-up. Schools are held accountable for the
outcomes they achieve with their funding, including through
Ofsted inspections, and the covid catch-up funding will be no
exception to this.
It is critical to ensure that no child loses more time in
education and that, from September, all children who can be at
school are at school. Schools and colleges will need to work with
families to secure regular attendance from the start of the new
academic year, with the reintroduction of mandatory attendance.
Our intention is that those with education, health and care plans
or special educational needs will also be back in school or
college in September. Since May, as a result of the pandemic, it
has been necessary to modify the duty on local authorities and
health commissioners so that they could use their reasonable
endeavours to secure or arrange the provision for those on EHC
plans. I am committed to removing these flexibilities as soon as
possible, so that children and young people can receive the
support they need to return to school. As such, unless the
evidence changes, I will not be issuing further national notices
to modify the EHC duties. We will, however, consider whether any
such flexibilities may be required locally, to respond to
outbreaks in different parts of the country. In addition, I am
pleased to announce that, as we continue on the road to recovery
and infection rates continue to fall, from 20 July nurseries,
childminders and other childcare providers will no longer be
required to place limits on the group size of children who can
play and learn together.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those parts of the
sector that have already opened their doors to more children and
who are doing a phenomenal job to help our children and young
people settle back into their usual routines. Since schools and
nurseries began to open more widely on 1 June, we have seen the
number of children attending school steadily rise, with over 1.6
million pupils already back in school. I am sure, Mr Speaker,
that I will be joined by the House as I express my thanks to all
childcare, school and further education staff who have gone above
and beyond since March, and who will continue to do so as we
prepare to welcome all of our children and young people back to
school and college in September. I commend this statement to the
House.
Mr Speaker
I welcome the new shadow Secretary of State for Education,
.
(Stretford and Urmston)
(Lab)
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of State
for his statement and for an advance copy of it. I also thank him
for his call last night. I very much look forward to working with
him.
Mr Speaker, every child must be safely back in school in
September. By then, many children will have experienced nearly
six months’ gap in their education. Some have been able to
maintain their learning during that period, but there has been a
huge gap in learning for others, especially the most
disadvantaged. A senior official in the Secretary of State’s own
Department has warned that the attainment gap could widen by as
much as 75% as a result of the crisis. Today’s announcement
finally recognises the desperate pleas of heads, staff and
governors for information and certainty about plans for the next
academic year. For too long, the Government have been asleep at
the wheel. The announcement today comes just three weeks before
the end of term, and an immense amount needs to be done to
prepare.
Staff have been working flat out since February half term and I,
too, want to thank teachers, school leaders and everyone who
works in our education settings for their exceptional efforts
during these unprecedented times. Over the summer they will need
a break, and as they prepare plans for return, they will also
need the active support of the Department. It cannot be left to
heads to struggle through on their own. So I have a number of
questions for the right hon. Gentleman. What consultation has
been undertaken in preparing this guidance with heads, teachers
and school staff, governors and unions, who have made many
sensible and practical suggestions for students’ return? The
Government need to learn from their previous mistakes. That is
why Labour suggested a taskforce of school leaders, which would
have meant we could bring children back to school sooner.
Can the Secretary of State guarantee that every school will have
full access to testing and tracing, and all the personal
protective equipment and other resources that they need to open
safely? The Government’s track record has not been impressive so
far, and we cannot allow any further failure to supply the safety
essentials to prevent children’s return. I support the Secretary
of State in reintroducing compulsory attendance, but fining poor
parents will not serve the best interests of their children.
Parents need reassurance that their children will be safe,
especially in communities, including ethnic minority communities,
where the prevalence of covid is higher. Many children will have
found the past few months unsettling, even traumatic. What is
needed is a trauma-informed approach to school and to families.
Staggered starts may present difficult challenges for parents.
Can the Secretary of State say more about wraparound care for
families and about transport arrangements for children to travel
to school? Can he confirm that all children are expected to be
safe in school in September? Will there be a delay in incoming
reception children starting school?
In relation to early years, what financial support will be
available for parents or childcare providers to protect their
viability if children cannot attend, or if settings are forced to
close?
I welcome the recognition of the needs of children with special
educational needs and disabilities, and the assurances on
education, health and care plans. Will the Secretary of State
guarantee to the House that the needs of those children will be
met in full?
Does the Secretary of State agree that a broad curriculum,
including arts and humanities, supports children’s attainment in
the core subjects, too? What discussions have taken place with
further education providers about how they will provide the “full
education” envisaged?
Will the Secretary of State say a little more about plans for
students who are due to sit exams? What about home-schooled
children whom schools refuse to assess? A huge divide is opening
up between children who have had a good study experience at home
and those who have lacked the resources to learn. Ofqual must
address that in its recommendations for arrangements for exams
next year.
The announcement of the £1 billion of catch-up funding is
welcome, but can the Secretary of State confirm that it is all
new money and will not be funded by cuts elsewhere? What
guarantee can he give of the availability of sufficient
high-quality tutoring capacity with tutors expert in the subjects
they will teach? Does he share my concern that requiring schools
to contribute 25% of the cost of the national tutoring programme
advantages the better-off schools? Why have post-16 students been
excluded from catch-up funding support?
On Tuesday, it was reported that the 230,000 laptops that had
been promised for children who lacked full digital access had not
been delivered in full, as promised, by the end of June; when
will they arrive?
Finally, the six-week-long summer holiday always widens the
attainment gap, and this year that will be exacerbated by the
time already spent out of school. What activities and support are
being put in place for the summer break? The funding for pupils
on free school meals is welcome, but what about children who
become eligible for free school meals during the summer holiday?
Will the Secretary of State guarantee that no eligible child will
miss out?
I congratulate the hon. Lady on her new role. I very much look
forward to working with her on some of the great challenges that
our nation faces over the coming months as we focus on the
recovery for our education sector after this pandemic.
I assure the hon. Lady that it is important that the curriculum
is full, broad and balanced and includes the arts and humanities,
sports and so much else, because we recognise that to give
children the best opportunity to succeed in life, they have to
have that breadth of curriculum. We should not be seen to be
dumbing down or reducing it. We have to give children choices; it
is good for their future attainment and life chances, and for
their mental health as well. They should have that breadth that
is so vital for them to succeed.
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight the importance of
those children with special educational needs and how we need to
support and help them. We have seen some brilliant examples,
especially in some of our special schools, which have gone so far
and above in terms of help not just for children but for parents
at this most difficult and challenging time. As all schools
return, it is vital that it has to be clear that education,
health and care plans are properly adhered to by local
authorities. That is why we have got to have the proper and full
return of those obligations that local authorities have to be
held to.
I assure the hon. Lady that there is new money for the covid
catch-up fund. We are looking forward to sharing more details on
that with schools and will be looking forward to working with
schools, as we have been working with the Education Endowment
Foundation, to make sure that that money is properly channelled
into the areas that are going to make a real difference to
children.
It is right that everyone in the House recognises the challenges
and the significant loss that children have suffered as a result
of not being in school. That is why we have to bring all children
back into school at the earliest possible opportunity. Equally,
it is about making sure that the £1 billion is properly spent.
That is why £350 million of it is being specially ring-fenced to
make sure that it is going to children from the most
disadvantaged backgrounds. It will be focused on the
evidence-based actions that we know will make a difference for
those children.
In terms of consultation, we have and will continue to consult
widely within the sector. We have established a school
stakeholder group with the Trades Union Congress and other
unions, but, more importantly, we have had a much wider dialogue
with people, not just trade unions. We have consulted many other
stakeholders and, most importantly, those who are delivering
education on the ground. That is something we have continually
been doing ever since the moment we had to close schools, and we
will continue to do so as we move forward.
(Harlow) (Con) [V]
I strongly welcome the statement today and the guidance to help
schools open fully in September. The plans for children with
special educational needs are very good news, as is the £1
billion catch-up fund. We need to get our children learning
again. Given that University College London has said that 2
million children during the lockdown have done virtually no
school work and that the National Foundation for Educational
Research has reported that four in 10 pupils are not in regular
contact with their teacher, will the Secretary of State examine
why that has occurred and look to Ofsted and local authorities to
work closely with schools and set clear guidance on online
learning, homework and contact with teachers?
My right hon. Friend is right to point to the importance of
accountability measures that need to sit with schools at all
stages. I will be asking Ofsted to look at the issue and examine
closely what schools are doing in terms of actions in order to
ensure that we have continuity of education at all stages. It
will continue to be important to do that, because we will see
situations in this country where we have local lockdowns, and we
need to ensure that there is always continuity of education in
those communities.
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
I add my voice to those who have congratulated my hon. Friend the
Member for Stretford and Urmston () and welcomed her to her new
position. I just want to pick up on a point that she raised,
which is the issue of laptops. We are well aware that the most
disadvantaged children in our schools are at such a disadvantage
in the educational setting. We know, though, that all children
have been impacted by the failure to provide laptops. In answer
to my written question on 10 June, I was told that 230,000
laptops had been ordered on 19 April. Government documents as of
this week show that the first order was in fact placed on 15 May.
Which is correct?
I will write to the hon. Gentleman with clarification on that
matter.
(Grantham and Stamford)
(Con)
The new shadow Education Secretary used her first public
statement to say that she looks forward to working with the
unions. She talks about delays. Does my right hon. Friend know
whether that means she agreed with the National Education Union’s
orders to not engage with the Government’s plan to get children
back to school?
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. These are questions that should be directed to the
Secretary of State. Secretary of State, I am sure you will find a
way of answering that appropriately.
I know that my hon. Friend shares my passion to see every child
back in school and every school right across the country getting
their full curriculum in every class. I hope that those people
who have occasionally been tempted to try to block the full
return of schools and those who have tried to frustrate the best
efforts of headteachers and so many other teachers in their
desire to see every child back will recognise that it is
important and absolutely vital that we do everything to see all
children enjoying that first-class education that we all want
them to have.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
The coronavirus pandemic threatens to undo 20 years of hard work
by teachers, parents and governors in my constituency in
successfully narrowing the attainment gap. It is widening and
deepening existing disadvantage and disproportionately impacting
BAME communities. The number of laptops so far provided by the
Government to enable online teaching barely scratches the surface
of digital exclusion in Lambeth, Southwark and across the
country. How will tutoring take place over the summer months when
many of the most disadvantaged children still do not have access
to home IT equipment?
Conservative Members have always been clear that we want to see
every child back in school at the earliest opportunity, because
we know that the best way of delivering education is in the
classroom with the teacher at the front. Not only have we had the
incredibly ambitious plan to roll-out laptops—202,000 of those
laptops have already been provided—but we accept that we want to
do more. That is why have the covid catch-up premium, and
tutoring plans, and those are to be conducted within schools and
with the support of teachers, all based on the Education
Endowment Foundation’s clear evidence on how we can deliver
change and improvement for those children.
(Eltham) (Lab)
I am delighted that the Secretary of State is now talking to
teachers’ representatives and their trade unions, but for too
long Ministers have denigrated teachers from the Dispatch Box,
which has led to people not believing the Government when they
talk about people being safe to return to schools. If the
Secretary of State is now consulting with the wider school
community, will he say whether he has spoken to headteachers
about the practicalities of every child going back, which must
happen in September, and about children being able to stay in
bubbles and separate year groups? What is the practicality of
that in our schools?
I assure the hon. Gentleman that we have had extensive
discussions with headteachers about those plans, and consulted
widely. I also assure him that I have met unions every week all
the way through this crisis, and made sure that we have had a
regular dialogue to share our plans. This should not be about
trade unions dictating what we are doing that is best for our
children. We want to work with trade unions and the whole sector,
including staff, to deliver the best education for all children.
We will continue to have that dialogue. We have done that in the
past, and we will in the future.
(Sleaford and North
Hykeham) (Con) [V]
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement that all children will
be back in school in September. Despite the valiant efforts of
parents, pupils and teachers, the majority of children have
fallen behind, at least to some extent, especially those with
special educational needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds. Will
my right hon. Friend outline how he intends to help those
children to catch up, while ensuring that those who made more
progress can continue to do so, so that every child can reach
their full potential?
That is why we took the decision to ensure that in our covid
catch-up plans there was money specifically targeted at the most
disadvantaged children and those who are the greatest challenge
for schools. We are working closely with the sector to ensure
targeted interventions for children with special educational
needs, while equally recognising that all children, whatever
their background and wherever they come from in the country, will
face challenges in terms of the loss of education. That is why we
have done such an extensive £1 billion package to support schools
in doing that.
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
Will the Secretary of State guarantee that every child who needs
a laptop will have one? Does he recognise that to create
high-quality online lessons takes skill? What is he doing to
ensure that best practice is spread among all schools before the
summer holiday, so that as teachers make their plans, we know
that in September high-quality learning will be available to all?
I absolutely assure the hon. Lady of the work to endeavour to
ensure that that high-quality online teaching is there. We have
seen that through the creation of the Oak National Academy. She
may have noticed the announcement a few days ago about the
expansion of that academy, so that it can continue to provide a
full and total curriculum across all year groups and every
subject. That is a brilliant innovation, and I very much
encourage the hon. Lady and her constituents to take advantage of
it.
(Ynys Môn) (Con)
Our teachers are critical if we are to look after the next
generation and deliver our levelling up agenda. How is the
Secretary of State supporting our hard-working supply teachers at
this exceptional time, and how is he ensuring that our supply
teachers are receiving appropriate remuneration?
My hon. Friend has raised with me the concern that a number of
supply teachers in her constituency of Anglesey have suffered as
a result of not being able to access the furlough scheme. In
England, many agencies have been working closely with the
Treasury to access the furlough scheme. I encourage the Welsh
Government to support agencies to help their supply staff to be
able to access that as well.
(Denton and Reddish) (Lab)
[V]
I agree that all who can be at school should be. St Anne’s
Primary School in Denton was built in 1888. It is a small
single-entry school. There are no spare classrooms, and its rooms
all open on to the small school hall, which is also used as the
dining area. It has a very small outside yard, and no playing
fields where temporary classrooms can be located. It is one
example of many similar across England. What assessment has the
Secretary of State made of the number of schools that will
physically struggle to accommodate all their pupils under the
social distancing or educational bubble rules, and how does he
plan to help them educate all children, and do so safely?
When the hon. Gentleman has the opportunity to read the guidance,
he will see the importance of having flexibilities for schools,
such as the one he outlines, that are operating in a very
different type of estate from that in which larger schools may be
able to operate. We are trying to create a clear framework of how
we can give schools good advice so that they can ensure the
education of every single pupil, but if he has particular issues
or is particularly concerned about any of his schools, I know
that the Minister for School Standards would be happy to discuss
them with him.
(Warrington South) (Con)
Schools in my constituency of Warrington South are some of the
best in England, and I join my right hon. Friend in paying
tribute to the work that heads, teachers and support staff have
done over the lockdown period to care for and support children. I
know that parents and children in my constituency, particularly
the children, will really welcome the steps that are being
announced today—children want to get back to school. However, can
the Secretary of State confirm that his approach is in line with
that of other countries around Europe that have begun to bring
pre-school and younger children back first, in a phased way?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to pay tribute to the teachers
and all the staff in schools, nurseries and colleges in
Warrington South. They have been doing a fantastic job. The
approach that we are taking is very much in line with that of
other nations. We all understand that, within education settings,
there are constraints and restrictions under which teachers and
headteachers have to operate, and we have to find practical
solutions for that. That is why we have taken a lot of time to
look at how this is being done in other countries and copy the
very best practice as a result.
(Blaydon) (Lab)
Primary headteachers in my constituency tell me that there are
pinch points at the start and end of each school day as children
and parents come together. Our school leaders are planning how to
mitigate this problem, but it may require adaptation, so they are
asking: will the Secretary of State set aside funding to ensure
that schools can access money to avoid the problem of people
coming together?
The hon. Lady raises an important point about reducing the
chances of people meeting and increasing the likelihood of
transmission. That is why we have asked schools to look at the
option of staggered starts for year groups to mitigate those
chances.
(Birmingham, Northfield)
(Con)
Birmingham, Northfield has the highest proportion of free school
meals of any constituency across the country. That is why it is
so important that young people are back in school and back in
colleges learning again. Can I ask my right hon. Friend to ensure
that as many young people as possible benefit from the covid-19
catch-up package to make sure that some of our most disadvantaged
pupils are given the greatest gift of all, which is a quality
education?
My hon. Friend, in his many conversations with me, has been a
great champion of his schools and what is happening in his
constituency. He is right about the importance of making sure
that this money is properly targeted at the children who most
need it. That is why £350 million of it has been ring-fenced for
the most disadvantaged, and his constituency will be one of the
biggest beneficiaries of that.
(City of Durham) (Lab)
In my constituency, Durham University is a major player and it
contributes massively to the local economy, the culture of our
city and the community. So far during this crisis, the lack of
Government support for universities has been scandalous, quite
frankly. Universities, the staff who work for them and current
and future students need to know that higher education is valued
by this Government and will be protected by them. What financial
aid will the Government be offering universities like Durham so
that they can survive the coronavirus pandemic?
We continue to work very closely with the higher education
sector. We recognise the important role that it has in many
communities, including the city of Durham. A number of weeks ago,
we announced a stabilisation package. We have also set up a
taskforce on research funding with the university sector, the
Treasury, the devolved Administrations, the Department for
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Department for
Education. We continue to work closely with the sector to make
sure that there is stability within it but it also has the
ability to recover and thrive in the future.
(Harrow East) (Con) [V]
[Inaudible]—across Harrow have continued to remain open so that
children of key workers and those with special educational needs
can continue their education, but there are still large numbers
of children whose education has slipped. Will the Secretary of
State join me in congratulating and thanking the teachers and
headteachers who have carried out and continued to provide
education throughout this period? Will he set out what assessment
is going to be made of those children who have fallen behind so
that the catch-up package is used to their best possible
advantage to get them back to where they should be?
I apologise to my hon. Friend: I missed the very start of his
question because he was on mute, but it was without doubt the
best part of it, I am sure. I would very much like to join him in
thanking all the teachers, teaching assistants and school support
staff who, through the very height of this pandemic, went into
school every single day, opened the doors and welcomed the
children of critical workers and the most vulnerable children. He
picks up on a really important point. This is why we are working
so closely with headteachers and teachers on making sure that we
identify the real needs of every single child so that the
catch-up package and the tutoring is absolutely targeted at their
needs and delivers what they need in order for them to be able to
catch up. We need the class teachers to be able to make those
assessments for children in order to make sure that there is the
most effective delivery for them.
(Leeds East) (Lab) [V]
We all want schools to reopen in September, but only if it is
safe for pupils, teachers and the wider community. Only this
week, the Health Secretary acknowledged that an unusually high
rate of coronavirus infections among children in Leicester was
part of the reason for reimposing restrictions there. In my
constituency, there have been reports of coronavirus in three
primary schools. School reopening must be safe and led by the
science, so can the Secretary of State confirm that the measures
he has announced today will be signed off as safe by the
Government scientists?
Sadly, the hon. Gentleman was not on mute. I can absolutely
assure him that Public Health England has signed off all this
advice. He might take the opportunity to read what Public Health
England recently said about Leicester. It stated that while there
had been
“good provision of primary school access for children”
since the beginning of June, researchers said they could find no
“analytical link” between this and
“any real or apparent rise in new infections”
in Leicester. Conservative Members are all committed to opening
all schools for all children of all year groups. I look forward
to working with the hon. Gentleman and many Opposition Members
who are equally committed to doing the same. We are only doing
this because we know it is safe to do so.
(Ruislip, Northwood and
Pinner) (Con)
Recognising, as my right hon. Friend says, the evidence shows
that the risks to and connected with children are very low, mums
and dads around the country will have noticed the very stringent
protective measures that are being put in place in education and
childcare settings, supported by his Department and implemented
by multi-academy trusts and local authorities. Could my right
hon. Friend enlarge a little on his comments in his opening
statement about further measures that he might have in mind to
ensure that those risks are effectively managed when children
return to their educational settings in September?
Absolutely, I certainly can do. We have created a strict set of
controls that we expect schools to follow as an absolute minimum,
as children return. We have worked closely with Public Health
England on those measures, which include making sure that schools
have good hygiene and good cleaning, and reduce the amount of
contact between pupils. The creation of bubbles has worked
successfully and, as a result, as I have touched on, we have seen
over 1.6 million children benefit from returning to school from 1
June. But we do accept that more needs to be done with every
child coming back, and that is why we have produced such detailed
guidance and will continue to support schools to bring every
child back in a safe way—not just safe for the children, but safe
for those who work in schools.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
May I ask the Secretary of State about the broad and balanced
curriculum, specifically the physical education and sport premium
and whether this will be guaranteed for September? It is July.
Decisions needed to be taken before now about sport and PE. If
headteachers and parents find out that that financial commitment
has been held up for purely political reasons—so that the
Chancellor can announce it next week—I cannot imagine how cross
they will be.
Speaking for myself, one thing I know I certainly gained during
the lockdown was, sadly, weight. I recognise that, as children
get back into school, it is incredibly important to make sure
that they have that broad and balanced curriculum and proper and
full access to sporting activities. The hon. Lady will just have
to pause a little, because we will be bringing absolute clarity
for all schools on this issue exceptionally shortly.
(Arundel and South Downs)
(Con)
Parents across West Sussex will welcome today’s announcement,
particularly as it relates to children with special educational
needs. Can I also congratulate the shadow Education Secretary on
her recent appointment? Does the Secretary of State agree that no
one wants to see children used as political pawns and that we may
now see a more constructive approach from the Opposition?
I very much hope that we have a broad and exceptionally
constructive approach from all sectors of society. We are all
united in the desire to see that every child gets the brilliant
education that so many of us have benefited from, and we will
always work together, and my door is always open to anyone, to
ensure that we deliver the very best education for every child.
That is what I will continue to do.
(Twickenham) (LD)
I would like to pay tribute to the heroic teachers who have been
working so hard across schools in my constituency of Twickenham,
and to the September for Schools campaign, led by my constituent,
Fiona Forbes, who has tried to make the voice of parents heard in
this whole debate. Many of those parents are wondering what
provision and plans will be made for wraparound care.
They are on their knees, juggling work and home schooling and
wondering whether after-school clubs and other such provision
will be available come the autumn.
The hon. Lady raises an important point and, as part of the
guidance that we have issued, we have set out clear guidance
about schools being able to offer wraparound care, because we
know how incredibly important that is for so many working parents
and how it supports them in being able to do their work.
(Ipswich) (Con)
As the Member of Parliament for Ipswich and an avid Newcastle
United fan, I cannot think of a better name for a school than the
Sir Bobby Robson School, which will open its doors in September.
I have become an associate governor. It will specifically support
children with complex emotional and mental needs. Its approach
will be to have a transition period, almost a therapeutic
approach, where it will try to re-socialise vulnerable young
adults so that they can reintegrate and catch up. Will my right
hon. Friend join me in wishing the Sir Bobby Robson School all
the best for the future and provide it and other special schools
with the support and external expertise they need to make sure
that vulnerable young adults have the best chance to crack on and
have a bright future?
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. If we are going to get everybody in, it is important that
we have short punchy questions to the Secretary of State, and
short answers too.
I congratulate my hon. Friend on his work with the Sir Bobby
Robson School although, as a Wolves fan, I am not sure if he was
quite the right person to name it after. I look forward to
working with him and the school to make sure that, as it brings
children back, they have the best education, and assisting it and
him in terms of delivering that for those children.
(The Cotswolds) (Con)
I am sure that the Secretary of State agrees with the 15,000
parents in the Rock the Cotswolds group, who will be disappointed
if any of their children cannot go back into school in September.
Will he therefore consider doing two things? As well as issuing
the comprehensive guidelines, he should ask every head to produce
a back to school plan, preferably by the end of the summer term.
My hon. Friend raises an important point. That is very much what
heads will be doing to ensure that there is full education across
all year groups in all classes for every child, including in his
constituency.
(Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op)
Further education institutions were already struggling prior to
the crisis, and that will only have become worse in recent
months. Those same institutions will have to make a Herculean
effort if they are to get their learners ready for those vital
qualifications in the next academic year. Can the Secretary of
State explain to further education leaders in my community why
they were excluded from the covid catch-up fund and what support
will be available instead?
We continue to work closely with the vital sector as we look
towards the economic recovery that we are going to be building
towards as we come out of the pandemic. We will work closely with
it in terms of the actions and support it needs to help
youngsters who need to catch up, but equally, to ensure that
every further education college is fully open for September.
(Kenilworth
and Southam) (Con)
My right hon. Friend has already made the point that our schools
make a significant contribution to the general wellbeing of our
children, as well as to their academic education. I ask him to
recognise the sad likelihood, however, that as children return to
school in September, more of them than usual will report to
teachers and others in school the disturbing or abusive
experiences, physical or virtual, that they have had during the
lockdown period. Can he confirm that our schools will have the
support they need to deal effectively with those reports?
My right hon. and learned Friend touches on an incredibly
sensitive and important issue. We have been working closely with
not just schools but local authorities and the police to
establish local partnerships to support schools as they deal with
some of the consequences of children not having the protection
that schools have often wrapped around them. We recognise the
sensitivity of the issue. I pay tribute to the Home Office and
the work that the police have done in terms of forging new
partnerships with schools and local authorities, so that action
can be taken much swifter where there are fears and concerns
about the wellbeing of children.
(Lewisham, Deptford) (Lab)
[V]
As more children return to school, what extra support is being
provided to disabled children, so that they can catch up
following the covid-19 pandemic? Can the Secretary of State
confirm whether assistive technology is being offered as part of
the distribution of laptops and tablets to pupils working from
home? If he is unaware, can he follow up and commit to writing to
me with an answer?
We have had a broad range of measures to assist all children,
including children who have special needs. Many children in the
sector have benefited from free laptops, and key elements of a
covid catch-up will be about helping those children to catch up
on what they have lost. I will happily write to the hon. Lady
with further details, as she appears to be signalling to me to
do.
(Eddisbury) (Con)
Fully reopening schools in September is absolutely the right
thing to do. For some children, the experience of lockdown will
have been characterised by social isolation, lack of routine and,
in some cases, trauma. What is my right hon. Friend doing,
through the guidance published today and other measures, to help
schools with an increase in poor behaviour from September? May I
encourage him to bring forward recommendations in the Timpson
review of school exclusion so we do not see children removed from
school when they have only just returned?
That review did have a very thoughtful author, and we will
certainly move forward on that. Our guidance does recognise some
of the real challenges that many children will face as they come
back into school as they will not have had the same structures of
behaviour and discipline built around them. It is vital that we
re-establish proper behaviour and discipline practices for all
children, and I know schools are working closely on how they
build that around those children, but we must understand that
where there are good behaviour and discipline policies, there are
vastly reduced numbers of those children excluded from schools.
We will work with schools to deliver that. I pay tribute to Tom
Bennett and the behaviour hubs for the work they do to establish
strong behaviour practices in some of the most challenging
schools.
(Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con) [V]
I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement on the autumn opening
of education settings. Going to university is an important
milestone for many of our young people, but there are real
worries about starting or restarting courses this autumn. What
measures is he taking and what reassurance can he give to those
students?
I reassure both my right hon. Friend and students who are looking
forward to the prospect of going to university in the next
academic year about the importance we place on not just the
educational offer of universities but the whole experience of
going to university. We are working closely with Universities UK
and the whole sector to ensure that we have a full and wide,
proper opening of all universities so that they can welcome
students through their gates. We are seeing a positive increase
in the number of young people applying to go to university, and
we will work with the sector to deliver on that. As a point of
note, revised guidance for the HE sector will be issued later
today.
(South Shields) (Lab)
At the outset of the pandemic, the Government ignored the
warnings from other countries about the seriousness of
coronavirus. As a result, measures implemented were too late and
cost lives. The World Health Organisation director for Europe has
said that schools reopening has led to local flare-ups of cases
right across member states, even with social distancing in place.
Will the Secretary of State publish the scientific advice he is
relying on that states that social distancing is not needed any
more in our primary classes?
As the hon. Lady will probably know, the Scientific Advisory
Group for Emergencies regularly produces and publishes its advice
and evidence, and we have been completely open on that. I am not
quite sure what she is suggesting. Should we never open schools?
Will we deprive our children forever more of an education and
accept that, until there is a vaccine, children will not be able
to go back to school? We recognise there are big challenges
ahead, which is why we have worked closely with the sector,
because we understand the consequences to children of not getting
back into school are great. That is why we will continue to
strain every sinew to ensure that every child is back in school.
(Waveney) (Con)
I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement, but I would be
grateful if he could set out the financial support that will be
provided to further education and sixth-form colleges such as
East Coast College in my constituency. That is vital,
particularly to coastal towns, if we are not to let down a whole
generation.
As I am sure my hon. Friend will be aware, over the last year we
have seen lots of additional support going into the college
sector, including an increase of £450 million for this financial
year in the basic level of money that every college gets, plus
the £1.5 billion that is going into capital funding in the
college sector, £200 million of which has been brought forward
into this financial year. We will continue to work closely with
the college sector—both further education colleges and sixth
forms—on what additional support we can give it as we move into
the next phase of dealing with this global pandemic and ensuring
that every child is able to catch up.
(Worsley and Eccles South)
(Lab) [V]
I welcome my friend and neighbour the hon. Member for Stretford
and Urmston () to her new role. For families
who qualify, free school meal vouchers will be a crucial lifeline
across the summer, but a school in my constituency faces having
to pay for the cost themselves because they are using vouchers
from the Co-op rather than the Edenred scheme. Will the Secretary
of State guarantee that every school is reimbursed for the full
cost of providing free school meal vouchers to their pupils this
summer, wherever they get their vouchers from?
We have set up a wide-ranging system of support for schools to
access through the Edenred scheme. If there are exceptional
circumstances where there are no local supermarkets included in
the Edenred scheme that a school can access, we are able to look
at how we can support the school and reimburse their costs if
there are no alternatives.
(East Worthing and Shoreham)
(Con)
I reiterate the many calls from Members today and from our heads
that they really need clear, unambiguous and timely guidance.
Linked to that, is not one of the biggest scandals of recent
months how few children on education, health and care plans have
been accepted back into school, even when their parents want them
to go? For that cohort, catch-up will be crucial, particularly to
regularise being back in a school environment after six months
out of it. The Secretary of State talked about tutors. Will he
also consider the idea that I put forward—to use the cohort of
students who are deferring going to university, so that they can
come into schools to work alongside those children and give them
intensive mentoring, not just academically but to get them back
in the habit of being in school and learning again?
As my hon. Friend is probably aware, in the first guidance that
we issued on school closures, we highlighted that children with
EHC plans would have continued access to schools all the way
through this. I would be happy to organise a meeting between him
and the Education Endowment Foundation, which is working with us
to stand up our tutoring programme and looking at a whole range
of options to mobilise that.
(Bristol East) (Lab)
What extra support can the Secretary of State give to holiday
schemes—not the free school meal side of things, but things such
as Bristol’s healthy holidays scheme, which involves play
schemes, forest school and physical activities? That would be an
excellent way of children socialising again and becoming
acclimatised to the idea that they are going back to school. Can
he try to support some of those local initiatives?
The hon. Lady raises a valuable point. We often talk about the
learning loss, but there are other things that children have
missed out on, such as the socialisation, physical activity and
sports that they would have so often enjoyed. We have invested £9
million in a holiday activity plan, which we rolled out across a
large number of local authority areas. We have also been working
closely with the National Citizen Service to repurpose a lot of
the activity it does through its traditional schemes for local
schools. I would be happy to put her in touch with the National
Citizen Service, to see whether it could work closely with some
of her schools on that.
(Bury South) (Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. It is certainly
very welcome news that schools will be reopening, especially for
those with special educational needs and disability, and the most
disadvantaged pupils. The National Education Union threatened to
name and shame headteachers who were working to reopen their
schools previously. Will my right hon. Friend join me in
condemning this attitude, and ask Labour Members if they will
condemn it too?
As I am sure that my hon. Friend, who has a deep knowledge of the
education sector, knows, this is the time for every person to
come together and work together to ensure that every child is
back. We have seen headteachers under incredibly great pressure
from certain levels of activism. As we look forward to full
opening in September, I hope that everyone comes together to work
out how we can get every child—in every class and every year
group—back in school. I have no doubt that every union will also
be doing that and working with us.
(Brighton, Kemptown)
(Lab/Co-op)
I am glad that the Secretary of State has bothered to start
engaging with frontline staff via their representatives in the
unions. But Britain will face a huge economic downturn, and many
parents may have lost their jobs or have reduced salaries. Will
the Secretary of State follow the leadership of Brighton &
Hove City Council, which has issued guidance on school uniforms
and other costs so that no parent is forced into poverty and no
child is excluded from school because they cannot afford the
right equipment? Will the Secretary of State give guidance to all
schools to ensure that those costs are capped?
The hon. Gentleman obviously has not noticed that we have already
issued guidance about keeping uniform costs low, but I would be
happy to share it with him so that he can take the time to read
it.
(Wantage) (Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that getting all children back to
school in September is particularly important for the poorest
children, and that if people try to obstruct that return, they
are standing in the way of both social mobility and social
justice for our most disadvantaged?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Those who stand in the way of
children being able to return to school are standing in the way
of the best interests of children from the most deprived
backgrounds, who need the most help and support. That is why we
will get every child back in the new term.
(Dartford)
(Con)
Clearly it is vital to get children back into school now that the
infection rates of this virus are falling, but will the Secretary
of State inform the House of what preparations the Department for
Education is carrying out in case there is a second wave of the
virus? We all obviously hope and pray that that does not happen,
but how is the Department preparing should that happen in the
autumn or winter?
The guidance that we have issued includes a heavy emphasis on
continuity of education so that children would not suffer any
form of disruption to learning patterns if we were in a position
of having to put in place local lockdowns in different
communities or areas that would mean schools were not able to
remain open.
