EBacc: Social Mobility and Justice Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis and
Littlehampton) (Con) 1. If he will make an assessment of the
contribution of the introduction of the EBacc to social (a)
mobility and (b) justice. The Secretary of State for Education
(Nadhim Zahawi) I welcome my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley
and Sidcup (Mr French) to his place, and of course I welcome the
hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South (Bridget Phillipson)
to hers—a great...Request free trial
EBacc: Social Mobility and Justice
(Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
(Con)
1. If he will make an assessment of the contribution of the
introduction of the EBacc to social (a) mobility and (b)
justice.
The Secretary of State for Education ()
I welcome my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr
French) to his place, and of course I welcome the hon. Member for
Houghton and Sunderland South () to hers—a great
promotion for her. The work of her predecessor, the hon. Member
for Stretford and Urmston (), has been invaluable in what we
can do together, especially with covid.
I commend the work of my right hon. Friend the Member for Bognor
Regis and Littlehampton () throughout his tenure as
Minister for School Standards, during which time the proportion
of disadvantaged pupils entered for the EBacc increased from 9%
in 2011 to 27% in 2021.
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for those words. As he will
know, the EBacc combines core academic GCSEs in subjects that
advantaged families take it for granted that their children will
study—maths, English, at least two sciences, a humanity and a
foreign language. Given the importance of those subjects, what
measures is he taking to ensure that schools meet the target of
75% of year 11 pupils taking those GCSE exams by 2024, and 90% by
2027?
I think my right hon. Friend will be pleased to hear that we have
already achieved GCSE entry levels of over 95% in English, maths
and science, and over 80% in humanities. On language GCSEs,
however, the situation is slightly more challenging. That remains
the biggest barrier to achieving the ambition, which is why we
remain committed to reforming the subject content of French,
German and Spanish GCSEs.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
I support a relentless focus on standards in the core academic
subjects, but resources also count. Given that Institute for
Fiscal Studies analysis shows that the most deprived secondary
schools saw a 14% real-terms fall in spending per pupil between
2009-10 and 2019-20, can the Secretary of State say whether that
disparity in investment has improved or harmed social mobility
and social justice?
I am grateful for the hon. Member’s question. I hope that he
backs the record investment in education—£86 billion—that the
Chancellor provided in the Budget. The Sutton Trust—I hope the
hon. Member appreciates its research—suggests that, in 2016, the
300 schools that had increased EBacc take-up were more likely to
achieve good GCSEs in mathematics and English, with pupil premium
pupils benefiting the most. That is real levelling up from this
Government.
Student Loan Repayment Threshold
(West Aberdeenshire and
Kincardine) (Con)
2. What plans the Government have to change the threshold for
student loan repayments.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education ()
We are considering reforms to continue to drive up the quality of
higher education, promote genuine social mobility and ensure
better value for money for both the taxpayer and the student. I
will not comment on speculation, but we remain committed to a
fairer funding model for students in higher education and will
conclude the post-18 review in due course.
I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. I know that she is
as aware as I am of the effect of lockdown on the education of
the current generation of students, so may I urge her, whatever
decision she and the Department come to regarding the threshold
for student loan repayments, to ensure that we do not do anything
that would be perceived as punishing this generation—a generation
that feels so hard done by as a result of the necessary decisions
taken over the past two years?
My hon. Friend is an assiduous campaigner on behalf of students.
I reassure him and the House that we are committed to a funding
model for higher education that is fair for students and the
taxpayer—a system that enables those with the ability and the
ambition to go to university, complete their course and get a
graduate job.
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
The Prime Minister is notorious for sitting on reports—he must
have piles—but Augur predates even him. With regard to higher
education funding, there are reports that the repayment threshold
on student loans may drop to £22,000 before graduates start
paying back their student loans, which would be both regressive
and burdensome. It would be regressive because, according to the
IFS, a cut in the repayment threshold would impact worst female
graduates and those from more deprived backgrounds, and
burdensome because a graduate earning £30,000 a year would have
to pay about £400 more on top of £500 more in national insurance
contributions, which would represent a real-terms tax rate of
50%. Will the Minister confirm that changes to the threshold will
be guided by the principles of fair and progressive taxation?
When can we expect the Government’s response to Augar?
As I have already outlined, we will report back on Augar shortly.
The principles underlying our policies are: a more sustainable
student finance system, driving up quality, seeing real social
mobility and maintaining our world-class reputation in higher
education. That is what we stand for and will continue to work
towards.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
I welcome the new shadow Education team to their positions. Young
people in England already graduate with an average of £50,000 of
debt as a result of the huge tuition fees, so for the Government
even to contemplate lowering the threshold for student loan
repayments will only compound the financial struggles of those
young people. It is not good enough to say that we will hear
about Augur shortly. Augur recommended that tuition fees be
lowered by this academic year. So can the Minister explain why,
contrary to recommendations by experts commissioned by her own
Government, tuition fees have still not been lowered?
As the hon. Member will know, the Augur report was comprehensive,
so it is right that we look at everything outlined in it and take
our time to get this right. As I have said, at the heart of our
decision making will be: students; ensuring that our higher
education institutions retain their international reputation; and
ensuring genuine social mobility. I wish that Opposition parties
would focus on that, too.
Young People: High-quality Jobs
(Bury North) (Con)
3. What steps his Department is taking to support young
people into high-quality jobs.
(Stourbridge) (Con)
15. What steps his Department is taking to support young
people into high quality jobs.
(Loughborough) (Con)
17. What steps his Department is taking to support young
people into high quality jobs.
The Secretary of State for Education ()
We are supporting young people to ensure that they have the
skills for high-quality, secure and fulfilling employment through
the plan for jobs package, which is £500 million of Department
for Education funding. That includes, of course, a £3,000 cash
boost for employers hiring new apprentices, which we are
extending to the end of January.
Holy Cross College in my constituency provides a broad range of
BTEC qualifications to its students, which has played a crucial
part in widening access to higher education. While I welcome the
introduction of T-levels, will my right hon. Friend confirm,
following the recent announcement delaying proposed changes by a
year, that BTECs will remain an option for young people seeking
the necessary qualifications to secure a high-quality job and a
bright future?
Mr Speaker, I hope to make T-levels as famous as A-levels and to
give you a T-level pin like mine to wear on your lapel as well. I
am happy to confirm that we will continue to fund some BTECs and
other applied general qualifications in future where there is a
clear need for skills and knowledge that A-levels and T-levels
cannot provide and where they meet new quality standards.
The electric vehicle revolution will dominate the urban west
midlands—or, some may say, the west midlands will dominate the
electric vehicle revolution. Does my right hon. Friend agree that
we must continue to align the post-16 education system with
employer demand to ensure that we have the skills for that
revolution and to develop our own home-grown talent?
I totally agree. That is why our reforms are focused on giving
people the skills they need to get great jobs in sectors of the
economy that need them and on putting employers at the heart of
our skills system, and I hope of course that one day I will visit
a gigafactory in my hon. Friend’s constituency.
Loughborough College already does an amazing job in providing
high-quality skills to people of all ages in Loughborough.
However, it is going one better by using Government funding to
build a new T-levels centre. Will my right hon. Friend agree to
visit the site to promote the great work being done to make ready
for this new chapter for education in Loughborough?
I am delighted that Loughborough College has benefited from our
T-levels capital fund to create fantastic new facilities. I would
be happy to visit its new T-levels building and to see where it
is now offering these world-class qualifications in digital,
construction, health, education and childcare.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
Lots of factors contribute to making a job high-quality and
students should be given the tools to identify them for the
future. On that basis, what steps are the Government taking to
improve knowledge of the gender and ethnicity pay gaps in
schools?
I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s question. We always strive to
make sure that children have the highest level of information
when they make these decisions, including careers advice, contact
with businesses, and, soon, through the Skills and Post-16
Education Bill, the ability to go much further in terms of
experiencing what providers can offer.
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
The Secretary of State referred to apprenticeships in his
original answer. We believe that they are a key way to help young
people into high-quality jobs, but the introduction of the
apprenticeship levy saw a 36% fall in the number of people doing
apprenticeships, even before covid. The Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development has described the apprenticeship levy
as having “failed on every measure”, stating that it will
continue to
“undermine investment in skills…without significant reform”.
Why does not the Government’s current skills Bill contain any
measures to reform the levy or to boost apprenticeships?
I am grateful to the shadow Minister. Obviously, he was not
listening to the Budget, because apprenticeship investment is
going up to £2.7 billion a year by 2024. I remind him that, since
we came into office, there have been 4.9 million apprenticeship
starts. The focus is very much on quality, and I hope he would
applaud the fact that 50% of all apprenticeships are among the
under-25s and that level 2 and 3 apprenticeships are 50% of that,
too.
(Harlow) (Con)
Key subjects such as design and technology and information and
communication technology have seen the proportion of students
taking them up decline by 70% and 40% respectively, so surely the
EBacc should be improved to ensure that education better prepares
pupils for the world of work. Will my right hon. Friend emulate
the work of the former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who
made design and technology compulsory, and be aware of the 84,000
young people who have been unemployed for more than 12 months? We
are behind many other OECD countries.
I am grateful to the Chairman of the Education Committee, who has
been a champion for skills for most of his career. Computer
science is very much part of the EBacc. Our overhaul of ICT, in
which we have invested more than £80 million, has made a real
difference. We continue to make sure that schools deliver not
just the EBacc, but a much broader set of GCSEs. Design and
technology is incredibly important to that, as I know this is to
people such as Sir James Dyson.
International Students and Researchers: Immigration
Rules
(Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
(SNP)
4. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
immigration rules for (a) international students and (b)
researchers participating in education in the UK.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education ()
The student and graduate routes offer a streamlined process and
are a competitive post-study work offer for international
students. We are working with the Home Office to drive reforms
forward to improve high-skilled migration routes for innovators
and top talent, as well as making the UK the most exciting place
to locate as a researcher.
Since Brexit, the number of EU students studying in UK
universities has fallen by 56% in Scotland, 54% in Wales, 42% in
Northern Ireland and 36% in England. There has also been a
massive drop in EU school trips to the UK due to the scrapping of
group passports and increased paperwork for visas. How does the
Minister plan to repair the damage that Brexit has caused UK
educational and cultural institutions?
We value all international students, including EU students, not
just for the financial benefit, but for the cultural benefit and
the benefit to our society. That is exactly why we updated our
international education strategy. We are on track to see 600,000
international students a year and to increase our education
exports to £35 billion, and we have appointed an international
education adviser.
(New Forest East) (Con)
Of the 16 Afghan scholars sponsored by the Council for At-Risk
Academics, 10 remain trapped in Afghanistan; four, with the
welcome help of the Home Office, have managed to come to the UK;
and two remain waiting for visas—one of them in hiding. Will it
be possible for the Ministers to co-ordinate efforts with the
Home Office to ensure that those who have paid-for studentships
in the UK get their visas as soon as possible?
We already work very closely with the Home Office. I am more than
happy to meet my right hon. Friend to discuss the case in more
detail.
Disabled School Leavers: Professional Development
(Bath) (LD)
5. What steps he is taking to support the professional
development of disabled school leavers.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
All children and young people with special educational needs and
disabilities should be prepared for adulthood at every age and
stage of their education. We committed in the national disability
strategy to supporting pathways to employment for disabled
learners, including strengthening the supported internship
programme and ensuring that traineeships and apprenticeships are
accessible.
Bath and North East Somerset Council, together with Bath College
and Virgin Care, run a partnership called Project SEARCH to help
young people with physical and learning disabilities to develop
the skills that they need when they want to access the employment
market. I pay tribute to that project, but far too many disabled
people nationally face huge difficulties in accessing employment
after leaving school and the support that they get at school.
Will the Minister support a successor programme to Kickstart that
is particularly tailored to disabled young people? Will he make
recommendations and work together with colleagues in the
Department for Work and Pensions?
Our ambition is for every child and young person, no matter what
challenges they face, to have access to a world-class education
that sets them up for life. We know that with the right
preparation and support, the overwhelming majority of young
people with SEND are capable of sustained paid employment. So
what are we doing? We have a £1.2 million grant to the Education
and Training Foundation, a supported internship programme, our
work with our DWP counterparts and the adjustments passport
pilots. It is all about preparation for adulthood and work.
SEND Children
(Carshalton and Wallington)
(Con)
6. What steps his Department is taking to help ensure children
with special educational needs and disabilities receive a quality
education.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
We established the SEND review because we are determined to help
children with SEND to realise their potential and to prepare them
for later life. We are increasing funding for SEND, including
£2.6 billion over the next three years to deliver new places and
improve existing provision for pupils with SEND.
I was pleased to celebrate with Carshalton and Wallington
families the Second Reading of the Down Syndrome Bill—a
legislative milestone that will require schools and councils,
among others, to take account of new guidance. Unfortunately, in
councils such as Lib Dem-run Sutton Council, which has been
slammed by Ofsted for its diabolical management of SEND services,
there is concern about the implementation of the new guidance.
What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that failing
local authorities do not scupper the potential for this important
Bill to unlock new opportunities for children with Down’s
syndrome?
Sutton was revisited by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in
2020 and was found to have made progress in all previously
identified areas of weakness. The Bill aims to improve services
and life outcomes for people with Down’s syndrome, and we will
support local authorities in the implementation of any future
reforms. I know that my hon. Friend has concerns; I think that I
am meeting him tomorrow to discuss the issue further. I look
forward to it.
(Battersea) (Lab)
Prior to the pandemic, there was a crisis in SEND provision, and
it has only got worse—from bureaucratic hurdles to children
having to face long delays before being assessed. It is having a
devastating impact: 27% of families waiting for an education,
health and care plan assessment are waiting for more than six
months, despite the legal deadline of 20 weeks. I am sure that
the Minister agrees that this is wholly unacceptable, so what
action is he taking to ensure that children are assessed within
the legal deadline and provided with the appropriate support that
they need in school?
I thank the hon. Lady for her question. I will tell her exactly
what we are doing. We have increased the high needs funding
budget by £750 million a year for each of the previous three
years. The spending review of 2021 provides a further £1.6
billion to that budget, an extra £2.6 billion in capital funding,
an extra £42 million—but the hon. Lady is right: it is not just
about money. That is why we have the comprehensive SEND review,
which will report in the first quarter of next year.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
The past two years have been incredibly difficult for children
with special educational needs and disability. While the
Government continue to delay the publication of the long-awaited
SEND review, families are suffering now. Some 15,000 children
with an education, health and care plan are still waiting to
receive the provision specified in their plan, and more than 40%
of plans are not issued within the statutory 20-week period.
Can I press the Minister again? Families up and down the country
with children with SEND are losing confidence in the Government’s
ability to deliver. What is the Minister doing now to support
children with SEND and their families who are suffering while
this Government continue to let them down?
I welcome the hon. Lady to her new position. I agree with her
that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on young
people with SEND and their families, and we are committed to
helping pupils, including those with SEND, to make up for lost
learning. We have provided additional uplifts for those who
attend specialist settings; we have invested that extra £42
million. I accept that the SEND review is taking longer than we
wanted it to, but it is a priority for me and for the Government,
and there will be a report in the first quarter of next year.
Disadvantaged Pupils: Support in 2022-23
(Ruislip, Northwood and
Pinner) (Con)
7. What steps his Department is taking to support disadvantaged
pupils during the 2022-23 academic year.
(Wolverhampton North East)
(Con)
12. What steps his Department is taking to support disadvantaged
pupils during the 2022-23 academic year.
(Mansfield) (Con)
18. What steps his Department is taking to support disadvantaged
pupils during the 2022-23 academic year.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
The Government have announced an additional £1 billion recovery
premium over the academic years 2022-23 and 2023-24, building on
this year’s recovery premium. It will help schools to deliver
evidence-based approaches to support the most disadvantaged
pupils. This funding is in addition to the dedicated schools
grant pupil premium, which was £2.5 billion this year, and the
national tutoring programme.
There are significant budgetary pressures within the dedicated
schools grant, which affect a number of Government Departments.
What discussions is my hon. Friend having to ensure that those
challenges are properly addressed?
Mr Walker
I often discuss with colleagues across Government areas of mutual
interest, including how best we can support young people with
special educational needs and disabilities. The autumn spending
review committed an additional £4.7 billion to the core schools
budget, including funding for SEND to help the sector respond to
the pressures that it is facing. I am sure my hon. Friend will
join me in welcoming the trebling of the budget for high needs
capital, and the continuation of our safety valve programme.
For many years Wolverhampton’s education outcomes have been below
those of our neighbours in the Black Country, and we are
currently experiencing a youth unemployment crisis in our city.
How will these measures help to reverse that trend in places such
as Wolverhampton, where there are a significant number of
disadvantaged pupils?
Mr Walker
Employers tell us that good numeracy and literacy are key to
securing employment, and our three-year £1.5 billion investment
in the national tutoring programme—complemented by £2.5 billion
for the pupil premium and the new two-year recovery premium,
worth £1 billion—focuses on raising disadvantaged pupils’
achievements in those key areas for employment.
We know that additional face-to-face learning will be an
important factor in helping students to catch up after lost time
at school during the pandemic, especially, perhaps, disadvantaged
young people. Can my hon. Friend update the House on the progress
of the national tutoring programme, and what efforts is he making
to ensure that young people in Mansfield who really need it are
able to access it?
Mr Walker
As I have said, the programme is on track in terms of
recruitment, and like schools throughout the country, those in
Mansfield can benefit from Government-funded tutoring to help
children to catch up after months of lost learning during the
pandemic. Mansfield’s schools can also take advantage of the
chance to appoint an academic mentor, or to provide tutoring
support in-house.
Lydiate Primary School
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
8. What recent representations he has received on the need for a
new building at Lydiate Primary School in Sefton.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
I understand that Lydiate Primary has been facing challenges with
buildings in poor condition, and the former Minister for the
School System met the hon. Member to discuss that school in
particular. The Department spoke to Sefton Council last year, and
I would encourage the school to continue to work with the council
on its plans for investment. We will also set out details for
future rounds of the school rebuilding programme next year.
Staff at Lydiate Primary School do an excellent job, but the
building is damp, the heating system needs constant repairs, the
roof leaks, the basement floods, and parts of the building are
unsafe. The Department has just carried out a survey, and the
surveyor has told the school that he is extremely concerned about
the state of the building. Does the Minister agree that no child
should have to go to school in such a poor environment? Can he
tell me when the survey will be published, and will the
Government commit themselves to giving the children and staff at
Lydiate Primary School what they need if, as seems likely, that
is what their own survey recommends?
Mr Walker
As the hon. Member will recognise, the Government allocate
billions of pounds every year in capital funding through local
authorities, and work alongside them in this respect. We will
continue to work with Sefton Council to ensure that the right
funding and the right response to the report are produced.
However, I am sure the hon. Member will welcome the fact that
schools in his constituency are being supported by both the
outgoing priority school building programme and the new
rebuilding programme, and that is something that we want to
continue.
Technical Qualifications
(Crawley) (Con)
9. What measures his Department is taking to strengthen the value
of technical qualifications.
(Meon Valley) (Con)
23. What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the value
of technical qualifications.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Our review of technical education at levels 2 and 3 is providing
new routes to work, ensuring that all students have
qualifications, designed with employers, that meet the needs of
the economy.
From next September, Crawley College in my constituency will be
offering an expanded number of T-levels, including in healthcare,
science, education and construction. Would my hon. Friend like to
pay a visit to that institution to see those opportunities for
local 16 to 19-year-olds?
Any invitation to Crawley is too good to miss, and I would be
absolutely delighted to come and see the roll-out of T-levels in
my hon. Friend’s constituency. In my time as a Minister, I have
had the pleasure of seeing many such colleges, and students and
tutors are united in their enthusiasm for the project on which
they have embarked.
Mrs Drummond
If the Government are keen on improving skills, levelling up and
improving technical qualifications, including for green jobs, is
this not the time to seriously consider having a 14 to 18
curriculum so that students can study these subjects in
depth?
My hon. Friend is a powerful advocate for the position that she
has just outlined. The Government are committed to providing
young people with technical skills and the knowledge to progress.
Indeed, strong university technical colleges such as the
outstanding UTC in Portsmouth are succeeding in equipping their
students with these vital skills. I understand that she met my
right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to discuss this the
other day.
Studying Abroad
(Vale of Clwyd) (Con)
10. What steps his Department is taking to widen access to
opportunities to study abroad.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
The Turing scheme is the UK’s global programme for studying and
working abroad. Widening access is central to it, and students
from disadvantaged backgrounds are offered additional financial
support including an increased grant towards living costs and
funding for travel-related costs. I understand that almost half
of those who go on the Turing scheme will be from disadvantaged
backgrounds.
Dr Davies
The arrival of the Turing scheme is good news for young people in
my constituency, including those at Coleg Llandrillo Rhyl who are
planning a trip to France in the new year. Can the Minister give
me an update on how the scheme is benefiting those in Wales more
widely?
Absolutely. One of the things we wanted to do when we designed
Turing was to ensure that it was a UK-wide programme and that
young people from all parts of the United Kingdom could take
advantage of it. That has included Wales, and indeed north Wales.
Recently, I was lucky enough to speak to participants from across
the UK, and we are seeing young people doing remarkable new
things and having opportunities that they would otherwise not
have been able to take advantage of.
(Angus) (SNP)
Scotland received £8.3 million under the UK Government’s Turing
scheme, compared with £22.6 million under the Erasmus+ scheme.
Given that this £14 million reduction will clearly impact
opportunities for young learners to study abroad, when will the
UK Government seeks to close this gap and properly fund study
abroad?
The UK Government are putting £110 million into Turing, and I am
delighted to say that in the first round 29 Scottish providers
have been able to take advantage of this Treasury-funded scheme.
More than £8 million in funding has already gone to Scotland. The
other day, I was lucky enough to be at Glasgow University, where
I met the chancellor and students, who were absolutely delighted
with the opportunities that it was providing.
Covid-19 Education Recovery: Access to Tablets and Laptops
(New Forest West) (Con)
11. What steps his Department is taking to provide students with
access to tablets and laptops to support covid-19 education
recovery.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
We have announced that we will provide an additional 500,000
devices for disadvantaged children and young people this year, on
top of the 1.35 million delivered already. This brings our total
investment to support remote education and online social care to
more than £520 million.
But that is no substitute for face-to-face learning. What can the
Ministers say to those parents who are exasperated by their
children even now being sent home to begin remote learning?
Mr Walker
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to suggest that the
evidence is that children benefit from face-to-face learning, and
that is why our priority is for schools to deliver face-to-face
education to all pupils. Regular attendance at school is vital
for children’s education, wellbeing and longer-term development.
Where a pupil cannot attend school because they are following
public health advice relating to covid, schools must provide
immediate access to remote education. I am pleased to confirm
that the figures as of 25 November showed that 99% of schools
were open to provide face-to-face education.
(Portsmouth South) (Lab)
In a recent survey of providers, 90% said that the Government’s
contractor for their flagship national tutoring programme was not
prepared for its launch. With children into their third year of
disruption, what action will the Minister take to ensure
additional tutoring support reaches every child who needs it?
Mr Walker
I welcome the hon. Gentleman to his place, and I look forward to
working opposite him. The national tutoring programme is on track
overall, and we are seeing strong take-up of the school-based
element, with increasing take-up of the academic mentor element.
We want to see more take-up of direct tutoring, and we are
working closely with Randstad and its sub-providers to ensure it
steps up and increases as we hit a higher trajectory later in the
year.
Covid-19: Safely Opening Schools After Christmas Holidays
(Burton) (Con)
13. What steps his Department plans to take to support schools to
open safely after the Christmas 2021 holidays during the covid-19
outbreak.
The Secretary of State for Education ()
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this important issue. Reducing
transmission in schools is of the utmost importance to me, and I
will do everything in my power to keep schools open. We have
provided guidance to settings regarding testing arrangements on
their return in January.
As the Secretary of State knows, carbon dioxide monitors can help
to identify quickly where ventilation needs to be increased in
classrooms. Will he give an update on the roll-out of these
monitors in schools?
Over 99% of eligible settings have now received a CO2 monitor,
with more than 320,000 now delivered. Final deliveries will be
made before the end of term. Feedback from schools suggests the
monitors are a helpful tool in managing ventilation, sitting
alongside the other protective measures in place to manage
transmission.
School Building Condition: Effect on Learning
(North West Durham)
(Con)
14. What steps he is taking to help ensure the school building
programme takes account of the effect of building condition on
learning.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
I recognise the impact on education of buildings in poor
condition, which is why we have allocated £11.3 billion since
2015 to improve the condition of schools. In addition, the school
rebuilding programme will transform the learning environment of
500 schools over the next decade. We are considering responses to
our consultation on prioritising the remaining places in the
programme, and we plan to set out our response early next
year.
Mr Holden
I have unusual schools in my constituency, given the size of the
rural population. I would like the Minister to meet me to discuss
Witton-le-Wear Primary School, a small primary school in which
the building is in quite good condition but the conditions for
learning are not great, and Delta North School, an alternative
provision provider that is looking to increase its provision for
local people. I would look forward to it if he could meet me to
discuss these two important constituency schools.
Mr Walker
It was a pleasure to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency not so
long ago. I understand that the layout at Witton-le-Wear poses
challenges, although it has sufficient capacity. The previous
Minister for School Standards, my right hon. Friend the Member
for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (), met him in July to discuss the
school, since when officials have visited the school and set out
the funding available to the Durham local authority to prioritise
local need. Of course I would be happy to meet him.
I understand that Delta North is an independent school and, as a
private business, we expect it to secure its own investment for
development. We know that independent AP can play a useful role
in the system, but we rightly prioritise the needs of
state-funded schools when allocating public funds.
Further Education Colleges: Upgrade
(Southport) (Con)
19. What steps he is taking to upgrade further education
colleges.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
We are working to upgrade further education colleges through the
FE capital transformation programme. We are investing £1.5
billion between 2020 and 2026 to tackle poor conditions in the FE
estate and to ensure our colleges are excellent places for people
to learn.
King George V College in my constituency has a reputation for
producing outstanding A-level results, with students going on to
do great things. It is a model for how things can evolve in the
education sector. Will the Minister commit to joining me on a
visit to the college to see how it could be a blueprint for
development in other areas across the country?
Going to Southport would be as great an honour as going to
Crawley. I would be delighted to see how Southport is taking
advantage of the £480,000 it recently received from the FE
capital transformation fund.
Lifelong Learning and Skills
(Preseli Pembrokeshire)
(Con)
20. What steps his Department is taking to promote lifelong
learning and skills development.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education ()
We are supporting adults to get the skills they need through the
adult education budget, and we are delivering on the Prime
Minister’s lifetime skills guarantee, which includes the offer of
free level 3 courses for jobs, skills bootcamps and, from 2025,
the introduction of a lifelong loan entitlement, enabling more
flexible and modular study across higher and further
education.
Giving people greater choice over how and where they study is one
of the keys to improving the skills of our workforce and opening
up new opportunities, especially for those from disadvantaged
backgrounds. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the
Government’s new lifelong learning entitlement has the potential
to transform options for learners across the whole of their
lives?
I could not agree more with my right hon. Friend. The LLE is at
the heart of our skills revolution and will open up higher and
further education by allowing people to study in a more
modularised fashion. With that extra flexibility, it will be much
easier for people to reskill and upskill, which will in turn
support our businesses, our productivity and job creation.
New School Locations: Consultation of Communities
(Bolton West) (Con)
21. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on
helping to ensure that communities are consulted on the location
of new schools.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
The free schools programme has created hundreds of new schools,
including Eden Boys School and The Olive School in Bolton, both
judged as outstanding by Ofsted. Before signing a funding
agreement to open any new school, the Secretary of State will
always have regard to local consultation on the proposals.
Getting planning right is one of the biggest concerns my
constituents have. The proposals to build a new school on the
Captains Clough playing field drew a huge number of people to a
public meeting I recently held. Will my hon. Friend the Minister
commit to meeting me and working with my constituents to ensure
we get the right school in the right place?
Mr Walker
I understand that an initial site search put forward Captains
Clough as a preferred option, but we are aware of the concerns
raised by my hon. Friend and others, and that a local group has
submitted a village green planning application. We are exploring
options with the local authority to resolve those concerns, but
of course I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss
the matter further.
School Outcomes: Regional Inequality
(Kingston upon Hull East)
(Lab)
22. What steps he is taking to tackle regional inequality in
school outcomes.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
We are committed to improving school outcomes everywhere and are
investing a further £4.7 billion by 2024-25 in the core schools
budget in England, over and above the 2019 spending review
settlement for schools in 2022-23. In 2022-23 the national
funding formula is providing a total of £6.7 billion, targeted at
schools with higher numbers of pupils with additional needs,
which comes on top of the pupil premium funding.
I pay tribute to the school leaders, teachers and support staff
teaching the kids in east Hull. The truth is that kids in
Yorkshire and the Humber are 12 times more likely to be attending
an underperforming school than their counterparts in the south of
England. If the Government are serious about levelling up, is it
not time they started looking at primary schools in the north of
England?
Mr Walker
I share the hon. Gentleman’s passion for ensuring that the
progress we have seen over past decades in London and the
south-east is replicated across the country. That is a consistent
drive of this Government; I am glad that some of the changes we
have already made, such as the national funding formula and the
introduction of the pupil premium, are pointing in that
direction, but I will be happy to visit more schools in the north
of England, including primary schools, with him and others to
ensure that we can continue to drive progress in this area.
Topical Questions
(Bury North) (Con)
T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental
responsibilities.
The Secretary of State for Education ()
The whole nation is appalled by the story of Arthur
Labinjo-Hughes. No child should ever be subject to a campaign of
such appalling cruelty, and I will make a statement to the House
later today on the steps we are taking to learn the lessons of
this tragedy and ensure that we can prevent other children from
experiencing such horrific abuse.
The Derby High School in my constituency offers an outstanding
educational provision, but has ambitions to ensure that all its
pupils have the skills, training and knowledge needed to access
high-quality jobs at the earliest opportunity. In line with that
ambition, the school is seeking funding to develop a technology
centre. Will my right hon. Friend meet me and the school’s
inspirational head, Ms Hubert, to discuss how that transformative
vision can be achieved?
I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting the great work of our
schools. I would be happy to meet him and the headteacher of the
high school, Ms Hubert, to discuss plans for how we can build on
the success of pupils in Bury.
Mr Speaker
We now come to and welcome her as the
new shadow Secretary of State.
(Houghton and Sunderland
South) (Lab)
Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of State for his
warm welcome, and welcome his intention to make a statement later
today on the tragic death of Arthur.
The Secretary of State will be aware that in the north-west and
the west midlands, just 40% of children aged 12 to 15 have been
vaccinated. Will he use the Christmas holidays to vaccinate our
children, support schools in planning for next term and get ahead
of the virus?
I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s kind words. We will do
everything to make sure that we continue to vaccinate 12 to
15-year-olds. Of course, those who had their vaccine early on
will be due to have their second jab by mid-December—the middle
of this month—now that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and
Immunisation has recommended that they have second jabs. We will
continue to deliver those jabs using not only school settings but
vaccination centres to make sure that we really drive the uptake
of vaccines for 12 to 15-year-olds.
It is now more than six months since the education recovery chief
Sir resigned in protest at the
Government’s abject failure. Their total failure to support our
children risks letting down a generation. Why will the Secretary
of State not bring forward proper proposals, like Labour’s clear,
costed and achievable plans, which match the scale of the
challenge that our children face?
Instead of focusing on an arms race of increasing inputs of
billions of pounds, we are focusing on outcomes. Those students
with least time left in education—the 16 to 19-year-olds—are
getting an extra hour of education a week. There was £800 million
for that in the Budget and an additional £1 billion for secondary
and primary school pupils, especially those who are most
disadvantaged. Of course, we have heard today about the national
tutoring programme, which is going at pace and will deliver real
differences in levelling up to those who most need it. I hope
that in future the hon. Lady will continue to look at evidence
rather than worry about inputs.
(Bolsover) (Con)
T2. I was grateful to the Minister for Further and Higher
Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chippenham () for meeting me last week
to discuss the lack of post-16 educational opportunities in the
Bolsover constituency. Does she agree that in order for the next
generation of young people in Bolsover truly to reach their
potential, it is vital that they can access the full suite of
educational choices locally?
The Minister for Further and Higher Education ()
I absolutely agree that it is important for people of all ages to
have access to higher education and training wherever they live.
Learners in Bolsover are served by three general further
education providers in the surrounding area, but I shall work
with my hon. Friend on this issue and urge him and the Derbyshire
local authority to use the published process to bring it to the
attention of the Education and Skills Funding Agency for
consideration. In addition, secondary schools rated good or
outstanding by Ofsted can put forward proposals for the addition
of sixth-form provision.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
I associate myself and the rest of us on the SNP Benches with the
Secretary of State’s remarks about little Arthur.
Reports that the student loan repayment threshold will be lowered
are most concerning for those who are already experiencing
graduate debt. Will the Minister detail the discussions she has
had with Treasury colleagues? Will she confirm whether any
proposed threshold change would be applied retrospectively?
As the hon. Member knows well, we will not comment on
speculation. We will shortly respond in full to the Augar review,
and the best interests of students, taxpayers and universities
will be at the heart of that report.
(West Aberdeenshire and
Kincardine) (Con)
T3. Even before the pandemic hit we knew that getting more
young people into science, technology, engineering and maths
subjects was vital. Now that we seek to build back better, what
are my right hon. and hon. Friends on the Front Bench doing to
get more young people, and especially more young women,
throughout the United Kingdom into STEM subjects?
Ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has the
opportunity to pursue STEM subjects is a key priority of this
Government. We fund multiple programmes to boost STEM uptake,
particularly among girls—that includes providing £84 million to
improve computing teaching and participation at GCSE and A-level
and £76 million for maths teaching for mastery—and we have more
than 20,000 STEM ambassadors, of whom 40% are women.
(Glasgow Central)
(SNP)
T5. The post-Brexit Nobel laureate scheme was touted as a
way to get the best and brightest scientists into the UK but has
failed to attract a single application. Will the Secretary of
State explain the reason for this complete failure? Could it be
the Home Secretary’s hostile environment?
The prize route is just one option under our global-talent route,
through which we have received thousands of applications since it
was launched in 2020. As the hon. Member knows, the prize route
has a high bar: only those who are at the pinnacle of their
career and who have already received and accepted prestigious
prizes in their field qualify. The list of awards was drawn up in
consultation with the relevant global talent-endorsing bodies and
we continue to keep it under review.
Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con)
T4. The Government are taking necessary and precautionary steps
to deal with the omicron variant, but can my hon. Friend reassure
the House that, whatever happens with this virus, he will not
shut primary schools and nurseries? It is impossible for children
this young to learn properly online and the damage that it does
to their education and wellbeing is immense.
The Minister for School Standards ( )
In-person education remains our absolute priority. Our guidance
is clear that settings should do everything possible to keep
children in face-to-face education safely. We are working across
the sector to ensure that face-to-face education and childcare
are prioritised and I will do everything in my power to keep
schools and nurseries open. I was particularly pleased to see
some of the excellent work that is going on with academic mentors
at Dunton Green Primary School in my hon. Friend’s constituency
recently.
(Newcastle upon Tyne
North) (Lab)
On Friday, I met with a fantastic group of students from Gosforth
East Middle School who have been inspired by COP26 to make
changes in their own school. They want to cut emissions, so they
surveyed their teachers to find out why more of them do not have
electric cars. Hearing that the main barrier is cost and that
there is no access to a salary sacrifice scheme, the students
want to know what the Government are going to do, given that it
would boost manufacturing, support them with the cost-of-living
crisis and significantly cut emissions in all our towns and
cities.
As a former Minister at the Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy, I can tell the hon. Lady that it is about
ensuring that we deliver affordable transport that is green: not
only cars but other forms of transport.
(Heywood and Middleton)
(Con)
T6. Some schools have not received an inspection for more
than a decade, and material changes during that time, such as a
new senior leadership team, could have had a significant impact
on the quality of education being provided. Does my hon. Friend
agree that it is vital that parents have access to the most
up-to-date picture of their children’s education?
My hon. Friend is right that parents should have up-to-date
assessments of the quality of education at their child’s school,
which is why, from the start of this term, Ofsted resumed routine
inspections of the full range of schools, with the aim of each
school having at least one inspection by summer 2025.
(Twickenham) (LD)
Covid-related pupil absences have risen by about 47% over the
past fortnight and many schools are struggling with staff
absences, too. Given that we know that good ventilation is key in
schools, can the Minister give us an update on the Bradford pilot
that was started earlier this year? What is going on with regard
to air purifiers, when will that trial report and will he
implement its findings?
Mr Walker
The hon. Lady is right about the importance of this issue. As we
heard in the Secretary of State’s update, CO2 monitors are being
rolled out successfully across the school estate. The Bradford
pilot is owned by the NHS, so, of course, we will work closely
with it on interpreting, and implementing action on, its
findings.
(Keighley) (Con)
T7. Last month, I hosted a mental health forum in my
constituency, which was attended by local headteachers, including
Jon Skurr of Carlton Keighley and Carly Purnell of Ilkley Grammar
School. They made it clear to me that, in addition to providing
great education, they must also provide counselling and pastoral
care. Can my hon. Friend outline the Government’s plans to
further support mental health provision in schools?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
I am pleased to join my hon. Friend in thanking those providing
these important services in his constituency. The Government are
providing additional support through establishing mental health
support teams in 35% of schools and colleges in England by 2023
and enabling all schools and colleges to train senior mental
health leads by 2025.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
The biggest issues that children with special educational needs
face in York is not only the coming together of the
multi-disciplinary team in a timely way, but inadequacy. When the
Minister is looking at his SEN review, will he ensure that there
is a multi-agency workforce plan in place to meet the needs of
all children with additional needs?
The hon. Lady is right in this regard. The SEN review will, of
course, be looking at that and it will report in the first
quarter of next year. I would be very happy to meet her to
discuss the issue further.
(Clwyd South) (Con)
T8. My recent visit to Ysgol y Grango and Ysgol Rhiwabon in
Clwyd South brought home to me the huge interest there is among
students in Parliament and its workings. Given covid
restrictions, will my right hon. Friend and the Ministers work
with the House authorities to look at new, virtual and
interactive ways to bring Parliament to schools and colleges
across Wales and the UK?
Mr Speaker, I am sure that you will agree that democracy and the
role of Parliament are central to citizenship education, which
prepares pupils to take an active role in society. Parliament’s
excellent free education service offers a range of resources,
including the resumption of school visits to Parliament, outreach
visits to schools and online workshops.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
Three months ago, I raised the appalling conditions at Russell
Scott Primary School in Denton, which the Daily Mirror dubbed
“Britain’s worst built school where pupils paddle in sewage and
get sick from toxic fumes”,
after a botched £5 million refurbishment by Carillion. What
progress have Department for Education officials made with
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to get the school urgently
rebuilt?
I remember well the hon. Gentleman’s Westminster Hall debate on
this issue. We continue to work with Tameside Metropolitan
Borough Council. In that debate, he put in a bid for the next
round of the priority school building programme, and, as I
mentioned earlier, we are consulting on our approach to that.
(Penistone and Stocksbridge)
(Con)
T9. Across the country, many local directors of public
health are going far beyond the Department’s covid guidance in
their recommendations to schools, and the recent reintroduction
of masks in communal spaces has turbo-charged this trend.
Headteachers, who are not public health professionals, are being
put in an impossible position. We are now seeing the cancellation
of important events, the isolation of—and denial of education to—
healthy children, forced mask wearing in lessons, punitive
measures for forgetting to follow arbitrary rules, and children
subjected to dangerously cold classrooms. Does my right hon.
Friend agree that this is an unethical and frankly inhumane way
to treat our children? What can he do to ensure that schools do
not go beyond the Government’s guidance?
My hon. Friend is a passionate advocate for ensuring that any
mitigation is proportionate. The most important thing is that we
prioritise face-to-face education. Keeping children in school is
my absolute priority, and I have said from the Dispatch Box today
that I will do everything in my power to maintain that situation.
Of course, directors of public health can advise temporary
additional measures, but they should always be proportionate. As
long as schools continue to be open, they should be holding
nativities, and delivering every other one of their important
functions.
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
Earlier I made the case to the Minister for School Standards, the
hon. Member for Worcester (Mr Walker), for a new school at
Lydiate Primary School. His answer was to talk about maintenance,
but that is just a make-do-and-mend approach that really is not
going to cut it for the children of Lydiate Primary School; it is
very short-sighted and would be poor value for money. Since 2010,
the school capital programme has been cut from £9.1 billion to
£4.3 billion. If the Government are serious about levelling up,
will they put the money back in and rebuild schools such as
Lydiate Primary School?
The Prime Minister announced the new school rebuilding programme
in June 2020. We have confirmed the first 100 schools as part of
a commitment to 500 projects over the next decade, including
Deyes High School in Sefton. We are investing a total of £5.6
billion of capital funding to support the education sector in
2021-22.
(West Suffolk) (Con)
Will the Secretary of State welcome tomorrow’s ten-minute rule
Bill, which proposes universal screening for dyslexia in primary
schools, and stronger support for teaching and assessment? I know
that the Secretary of State, with his extraordinary life story,
shares my passion for this agenda, so will he put his full weight
behind it?
My right hon. Friend is a passionate champion and advocate for
the technology behind screening for dyslexia. I will certainly
take a close look at his Bill tomorrow.
Mr Speaker
After the sad news that he has announced— that he is stepping
down at the next election—I call .
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Is the Secretary of State aware that in the 10 years that I
chaired the Select Committee on Education, one point came through
really strongly—that every bit of money that we put into early
years is the best investment that we can possibly make? When are
we going to take that seriously and have good, accessible and
cheap pre-school care, and the best Sure Start and children’s
centres, like those we created under ?
I know that I can call the hon. Gentleman my friend because he is
a passionate champion of education and of early years, and has
been for a long time. In fact, he showed me around his
think-tank, with which he did such tremendous work. He will be
pleased to hear that we are delivering family hubs, which are not
just about investing in bricks and mortar, but are evidence based
when it comes to what can be done in the early years for families
that need the most help.
(North West Durham)
(Con)
Storm Arwen has killed a load of the electricity supplies not
only to homes across my constituency but to schools. Will the
Minister ask the Department to feed into the Ofgem review to
ensure that if there are power issues in future, schools such as
the small schools in Weardale or schools like St Bede’s in
Lanchester are not cut off and children are not cut off from
education as they have been over the past two years because of
covid?
I would certainly be happy to meet my hon. Friend further to
discuss this while we also discuss the situation at
Witton-le-Wear.
(Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
(SNP)
It is a fact that hungry children cannot learn. The Scottish
Government have implemented the Scottish child payment of £10 a
week, which has already been described by charities as a game
changer in supporting families across Scotland. It is getting
doubled to £20 per week in April. Is it not time the UK
Government did more to support vulnerable families and looked at
reinstating the £20 a week universal credit uplift?
I am very proud of the work we do on breakfast clubs and on the
holiday activities and food programme, which I helped to set up
when I was a Minister in the Department, and where there is now
£200 million-plus a year.
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