Lockdown in This Issue Coronavirus N a Dramatic Television Broadcast Last Night, the Prime Minister Gave a News

EDUCATION

InJcorpOorating UChildren’Rs ServiceNs WeeklAy and EdLucation Founded in 1996 No. 407 ISSN: 1364-4505 Tuesday 24 March, 2020

Lockdown In this issue Coronavirus n a dramatic television broadcast last night, the Prime Minister gave a News. Editorial. simple order to the British people. For the vast majority of us it was “stay at Parliament. home”. Boris Johnson said: “To put it simply, if too many people become Pages 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it, meaning 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, Imore people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses 14, 40 and 41 as well.” This followed large numbers of people ignoring government advice over the weekend as they flocked to parks, beaches and other beauty spots as Governance the weather improved. News. Yesterday was the first day that all schools and colleges in the UK were Page 12 ordered to close, with a few remaining open for the children of key workers and those deemed vulnerable. Most parents respected the closure and kept their Data literacy children at home, although a few turned up at school demanding their children Research. be allowed in claiming that their work was essential when it was not. Page 15 The death toll rose to 335, a one day increase of 54. The leaders of schools kept open demanded clearer government advice on safety for staff and Reading and ITT on whether pupils needed masks. The need for this was sadly illustrated by one Research. of the day’s deaths being of primary school head Wendy Jacobs. Teachers are in Pages 16 to 20 the front line as well. On Thursday Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, made a TALIS ministerial statement in the House of Commons announcing the closure of International. schools and further education colleges and the cancelling of public examinations Pages 21 to 25 in the summer. Although it was not part of his statement, in reality the rest of the school year was cancelled. HE access Schools, colleges and universities have all been scrambling to develop Document. ways of working on-line. The BBC has cut back its production of some Page 26 programmes, including its most popular soap, EastEnders, and even some news Special needs programmes to free up resources to produce educational programmes. Parliament. Independent training providers are also trying to develop remote ways of Pages 42 and 43 working. Joe Crossley, CEO of Qube Learning, said: “Up to this point, Qube Learning have been working collaboratively with our employers to ensure that F&HE in coastal we can continue to deliver training to their employees. We are working closely and rural areas with our employers to offer solutions to ensure that we can support our Parliament. students, we have moved to a mainly remote enrolment process and our Page 44 monthly student visits are also being delivered remotely.”

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 1 C ONTENTS

Editorial 12 Governance not recognised by Ofsted 4 The role of teachers and school leaders The role that good governance plays in In a week that started with a national ensuring schools deliver a high standard of lockdown and most schools closing because education is not consistently being of COVID-19, it is important not to forget recognised by Ofsted, a report from the that today is also the day that TALIS volume National Governance Association claimed. 2 is published. It is the most important research on teacher attitudes ever 13 Testing education staff published. The NEU has called for the testing of education staff to be made an urgent News priority in efforts to tackle coronavirus. 1 Lockdown Last night the Prime Minister ordered almost NFER COVID-19 update everybody to stay at home, while most NFER has announced that it has introduced a schools closed. range of measures to help it to continue operating safely across all parts of the 5 Details on exams and grades announced organisation. The Secretary of State for Education announced the details on arrangements for UCAS update on coronavirus exams which had been cancelled to fight the UCAS will work through the implications of spread of the coronavirus. the announcements on coronavirus for students, teachers, universities and colleges. 9 Supporting pupils on free school meals Low-income families whose children are 14 Family Zone launched by Literacy Trust eligible for free school meals will be offered In response to school closures the National vouchers, food or meals to make sure that Literacy Trust has launched a free they continued receiving the support, even if comprehensive online zone for parents who they were no longer attending school due to are looking for ideas while children are off the coronavirus outbreak. school because of COVID-19.

Teaching and research during COVID-19 Free maths resources on-line A group of publishers, aggregators and National Numeracy is offering free activities suppliers of digital content and software had to help families keep up with their maths offered a range of solutions to help together during school closures following the institutions maintain their teaching and Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. research activity during the coronavirus crisis. Research 15 Inequality and data literacy 10 Ofsted suspends all routine inspections A significant proportion of young people, Ofsted will temporarily suspend all routine often identified as “digital natives”, have the inspections of schools, further education, weakest understanding of how their data is early years and social care providers. harvested online and used, according to research by the University of Liverpool. 11 Reactions to school closures Reactions from around the world of 16 Who controls reading in ITT? education to the closure of most schools In an original research article, Professor due to COVID-19. Margaret Clark notes that there has been a growing insistence by the government that in the teaching of early reading in primary schools there should be a focus on phonics.

2 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 TALIS supplement Parliament 21 Teaching and Learning Volume 2 38 Parliamentary calendar In an introduction to our TALIS supplement Parliamentary business last week and in the we look at what TALIS is and what it is trying weeks ahead. to do. Parliament - Debates 22 The launch of TALIS Volume 2 40 Education settings and coronavirus John Bangs reports from the launch of TALIS The Education Secretary made a statement volume 2. on closing schools and other measures as a result of the coronavirus. The statement was 24 Effective teaching and learning repeated in the Lords. A document review of TALIS 2018 Results. Volume 2. Teachers and School Leaders as 42 Local government and public service Valued Professionals, from the OECD. Barbara Keeley (Lab, Worsley and Eccles South) introduced a debate on the statutory Document reviews and broader local government 26 New HE restrictions could be unlucky responsibilities for public services. TALIS 2018 Results. Volume 2. Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, from Special educational needs HEPI. The former Education Secretary Lord Blunkett (Lab) asked the Government when People it expected to publish the outcome of its 27 Sir Peter Lauener departmental review into children with Sir Peter Lauener has been appointed as special educational needs. chairman of the Student Loans Company. 44 F&HE in rural and coastal areas Opinion Lord Bassam of Brighton (Lab) asked the 28 Thinking differently Government what support it planned to Professor Jan Willem de Graaf looks at the introduce, to assist universities and further way autistic people like him think differently. education colleges to address issues with higher education provision in rural and coastal areas. Consultations 29 Consultations and consultation outcomes There was one consultation outcome Parliament - Questions published last week. 45 Answers to written questions Answers to questions to the Department for Education, the Department for Digital, Education and Children statistics Culture, Media and Sport, the Department 30 Statistics from government and agencies of Health and Social Care, H M Treasury and Government statistics published last week. the House of Lords. Policy papers Publisher information 34 Policy papers published last week 62 Subscription rates Policy papers from government, parliament Writers and subscription details. and think tanks.

Delegated legislation 36 Statutory instruments There were two education statutory instruments issued last week.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 3 C OMMENT

The role of teachers and school leaders

he sad death of primary school head Wendy Jacobs, one of 54 people to die of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, is evidence if any were needed of how teachers are in the front line of dealing with the pandemic. While the decision of the government to shut most schools was correct, a number will have to stay open for the children of key workers and vulnerable children. While children are the Tleast at risk from this virus, teachers are not and the older they are the more vulnerable they are. Schools need clearer guidance on keeping teachers and staff safe. After too slow a start, the Government is trying to ramp up testing. The one key piece of advice from the World Health Organisation is “test, test, test”. Those countries in Asia that have suffered major outbreaks of COVID-19 but have limited both the death rate and the spread, have been testing at a far higher rate than the UK. South Korea, for example, has been testing 100,000 people a day. The British Government’s aim is for 25,000 tests a day. It is actually testing 8,000 a day. Yesterday, in his television address, the Prime Minister spoke of the Government buying “millions” of test kits. We are sure that it is now trying to ramp up testing as fast as it can and the numbers will increase significantly. As well as health and care home workers being a priority for testing, teachers should also have access as soon as possible. No pupil or student at heightened risk should attend school or college. No staff should attend who are vulnerable or would go home to family who are vulnerable. As with medical staff, who are of course at greater risk, teachers and support staff are still putting their lives on the line and we must extend protection to them as far and as fast as it is possible to. Schools, colleges, universities and private training providers have all scrambled to move as much learning as possible on-line. It has been easiest for universities and more of a challenge for primary schools, but all have found ways of creating some opportunities that were not there before for distance learning. Yet this creates another problem as it can increase the disadvantage of those from the poorest parts of the community who just don’t have the same internet access as their more privileged colleagues. That said, there are some silver linings to the COVID-19 cloud. A number of organisations are making various on-line resources available to schools free of charge for the duration of the crisis. Harvard University Press, for example, are giving schools free access to the entire Loeb Classical Library on-line. Loeb has over 500 volumes of virtually all the surviving works of the best Greek and Roman authors of antiquity, from Homer and Hesiod to Aristotle, Plato and Herodotus and from Virgil to Horace and Cicero. With all the drama of the Prime Minister’s television broadcast last night, which is reported on the front page of every national newspaper today, there is a risk that one of the most significant research reports on teaching and learning that is also published today may well get overlooked. TALIS isn’t on the front page of any national newspaper, and isn’t even reported in some of them, but the second volume of TALIS 2018 published today by the OECD is nevertheless highly significant. We devote a five-page supplement to it. TALIS is the Teaching and Learning International Survey, an international, large-scale survey of teachers, school leaders and the learning environment in schools. The latest round of TALIS surveyed 48 countries or territories. It was launched yesterday by Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD Directorate of Education and Skills and the man behind the OECD’s PISA research. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a virtual launch. Our man at the launch, John Bangs, a senior consultant with Education International and a former Assistant Secretary of the NUT, in his report of the launch below, wrote: “The big take-aways were the report’s focus on the importance of teacher leadership and the need to tackle teacher stress. For the first time, TALIS included questions on the sources and nature of teacher stress”. As stress is one of the biggest factors in teachers leaving the profession early, research that throws light on this is welcome. Mr Bangs observed: “It is probably the most comprehensive, international study of teachers’ views ever published. Collating all the data from both volumes of TALIS 2018, TALIS makes no less than forty- three recommendations covering every aspect of teacher policy.” In amongst our understandable concerns about COVID-19, spare more than a passing thought to what TALIS tells us about teachers and teaching.

4 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 N EWS

Details on exams and grades announced

he Secretary of State for Education announced the details on arrangements for exams which had been cancelled to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Gavin Williamson said that the exam regulator, Ofqual, and exam boards would work with teachers to provide grades for students whose exams had been cancelled in the summer. T He said that university representatives had confirmed that they expected universities to be flexible and do all they could to support students to progress to higher education. Mr Williamson said that as the summer exam series, including A levels, GCSEs and other qualifications, and all primary assessments, had been cancelled, the Government’s priority was to ensure that students could move on as planned to the next stage of their lives, including going into employment, starting university, college or sixth form courses, or an apprenticeship in the autumn. The Secretary of State said that GCSE, A and AS-level students would be awarded a grade which fairly reflected the work they have put in. He pointed out that there would also be an option to sit an exam early in the next academic year for students who wished to do so. Mr Williamson confirmed that Ofqual would develop and set out a process that would provide a calculated grade to each student which reflected their performance as fairly as possible, and it would work with the exam boards to ensure that “consistently” applied for all students. He added that the exam boards would be asking teachers, who knew their students well, to submit their judgement on the grade that they believed the student would have received if exams had gone ahead. The Secretary of State explained that “Mr Williamson said that the aim teachers would need to take into account a range of evidence and data including would be to ensure that the performance on mock exams and non-exam distribution of grades followed a assessment. He added that guidance on how to do so fairly and robustly, would be similar pattern to that in other years, provided to schools and colleges. Mr so that this year’s students did not Williamson said that the exam boards would then combine the information with other face a systematic disadvantage as a relevant data, including prior attainment, and consequence of the extraordinary use the information to produce a calculated grade for each student, which would be a circumstances.” best assessment of the work they had put in. He stressed that before finalising an approach, Ofqual and the exam boards, would speak to teachers’ representatives, to ensure that the approach was as fair as possible. The Secretary of State said that the aim was to provide the calculated grades to students before the end of July. In terms of a permanent record, he pointed out that the grades would be indistinguishable from those provided in other years. Mr Williamson said that the aim would be to ensure that the distribution of grades followed a similar pattern to that in other years, so that this year’s students did not face a systematic disadvantage as a consequence of the “extraordinary circumstances”. He said that if students did not believe that the correct process had been followed in their case, they would be able to appeal on that basis. The Secretary of State pointed out that, if they did not agree that their calculated grade reflected their performance, they would have the opportunity to sit an exam at the earliest reasonable opportunity, once schools were open again. He added that students would also have the option to sit their exams in summer 2021. Mr Williamson pointed out that the wide range of different vocational and technical qualifications as well as other academic qualifications which students had been expecting to sit exams for in the summer

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ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 5 (Continued from page 5.) were offered by a large number of awarding organisations, which had differing assessment approaches. He said that in many cases students would already have completed modules or non-exam assessment which could provide evidence to award a grade. The Secretary of State said that the organisations were being encouraged to show the maximum possible flexibility and pragmatism to ensure that students were not disadvantaged. He added that Ofqual had been working with the sector to explore options and the DfE would be working with them to provide more details shortly. Mr Williams confirmed that the Government would not publish any school or college level educational performance data based on tests, assessments or exams for 2020. Ofqual said it was “working tirelessly” to “The Secretary of State confirmed support students affected by the unprecedented and difficult circumstances to that the Government would not develop a fair and consistent process as publish any school or college level quickly as possible, as schools and colleges urgently needed to know what they would educational performance data based need to do, and when. Ofqual said that work on tests, assessments or exams was already underway with the exam boards and teachers’ representatives to develop for 2020.” proposals and more detail would be provided in the coming days. Responding to the announcement that assessments would be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Association of Colleges Chief Executive, David Hughes, said that while cancelling the 2020 summer exam series had been the right decision, it would have unsettled the many thousands of students who had been preparing for exams and assessments in the full range of qualifications and they would need reassurance about alternative arrangements to support their progression plans. He said that the AoC was working with the Department for Education and Ofqual to ensure that the particular challenges faced by colleges and students were understood. Mr Hughes stressed that any decisions about assessment and accreditation for the students affected would need to take into account the college context. The AoC suggested that the following measures may help:

• The guarantee of a place in post-16 education for every student aﬀected by the cancellation of the 2020 summer exam series.

• Additional resources to increase teaching time for all 16-19-year-olds in 2020/21, make up for the lost teaching time in 2019/20 and support catch-up classes and skills development.

• A national record of achievement and reference system for recording students’ capabilities and achievements in a common and comprehensible way as they transfer between institutions.

• The development of national online tests in English, maths and other subjects, to support receiving post-16 institutions in advising and guiding students to make appropriate choices for 2020/21.

• A revision of the English and maths condition of funding in light of the cancellation of GCSEs in the summer.

• Employer agreed skills standards and accreditation requirements for entry-level employment in various sectors and the use of nationally approved skills tests to provide the evidence of students’ skills which employers needed.

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6 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 (Continued from page 6.)

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said he was desperately sorry for students who had been building for exams, but no longer had the opportunity to take them. He argued that the teacher assessment system had left many questions unanswered and more detail would be required. Mr Barton said that teachers were experts in their subjects, they knew the qualifications inside out, they knew their students, and they had the professional skills to assess them accurately. He added that ASCL did not subscribe to the notion that exams were the only credible way of assessing qualifications, and there was an opportunity to at least point the way to a less brutal system. Mr Barton said that ASCL would be working with Ofqual on the detail of the plans, to provide the perspective “The Sutton Trust, argued of its members. He added that he had been pleased that there would be an opportunity for students who were that as coursework had unhappy with their grades to sit exams at a later date. declined as a result of recent Sir Peter Lampl, founder and Chairman of the Sutton Trust, argued that predicted grades were inaccurate in the A-level reforms, there would vast majority of cases, and they particularly disadvantaged not be as much information high-attaining poorer students. He added that he therefore welcomed the Department for Education’s plan to introduce available as there had been a combination of methods to award qualifications, which in previous years. The Trust should mitigate some of the uncertainty of predicted grades. But Sir Peter pointed out that as coursework had warned that while all declined as a result of recent A-level reforms, there would teachers wanted the best for not be as much information available as there had been in previous years. He said that while all teachers wanted the their students, teacher best for their students, teacher assessments could assessments could unconsciously disadvantage those from poorer backgrounds. Sir Peter stressed that in the current situation, universities unconsciously disadvantage would need to make greater use of contextual admissions those from poorer and think very carefully about increasing the emphasis that was given to personal statements, as they generally favoured backgrounds.” more advantaged students. The University and College Union warned that the Government’s plans to create grades for students who had seen their exams cancelled, must take into account the barriers that students from disadvantaged backgrounds faced. The union said that its research had showed that high-achieving, disadvantaged students were more likely to have their grades under-predicted than their wealthier contemporaries. The UCU said that it would be consulting with the staff tasked with working under the new system. UCU general secretary, Jo Grady, called on the Government to set out how it would ensure that all students' talent and potential would be properly recognised and rewarded. She added that the current situation highlighted the weakness of a heavy reliance on exams for key qualifications, and it should give food for thought in terms of future reform. Nansi Ellis, assistant general secretary of the National Education Union, welcome the announcement from Government, as teachers were trained to assess their students and they already did so throughout the year. She added that evidence had showed that teacher-assessed grades were reliable and valid. Researchers from the Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO) said that awarding pupils GCSEs based on predicted grades would be a better solution than rescheduling exams for later in the year, which could negatively impact children, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The academics said that the Government would probably be concerned about awarding predicted grades because they may not be able to regulate grade inflation and some students’ grades could be more inflated than others, which could negatively impact those from less advantaged backgrounds.

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ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 7 (Continued from page 7.)

The researchers said that while previous research has provided evidence to show that equally able children from poor backgrounds would be predicted lower grades than their peers from richer backgrounds, to avoid this issue, education experts had suggested that there were statistical ways of identifying schools with suspiciously high or low grades by looking at how pupils had performed in GCSEs in the previous year. The added that making clear that there would be such checks on schools, would greatly reduce any temptation to game the system. The academics said that one of the benefits of England having a very data driven system was that almost all Year 11 students would have taken either mock exams or standardised tests, and schools could be asked to justify the predicted grades that they assigned based upon such information, and they could even try to do some moderation where necessary. The researchers said that alternatives such as “Nicola Dandridge, Chief taking exams in September were not as credible as no one knew what the situation will be and because Executive of the Office for children may have been out of school for six months, Students, pointed out that those from lower socio-economic families would be less likely to benefit from private tutoring. They because some universities and added that many young people would also have colleges had recently been progressed to A-Levels or into jobs and they may not be able to return to school and there would be a making unconditional offers that question as to who would be available to do the may not be in students’ best marking of all the tests, in the middle of a busy academic year. interests, the OfS has called for Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of the Office all universities and colleges for Students, said that the Secretary of State’s statement had provided useful and important to pause unconditional or information, which should offer reassurance for other offers that could students during what was an exceptionally challenging time. She added that it was essential that disadvantage students.” A-level students were fairly assessed on their academic attainment. Ms Dandridge assured students that their grades would be equally valid to those in previous years, and their hard work would be rewarded and fairly recognised. She explained that the OfS was working with universities, colleges and UCAS to ensure that students were supported throughout the unique admissions cycle, and made aware of their higher education course options. Ms Dandridge stressed that particular consideration would need to be given to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, to ensure that their potential was properly recognised as the new system was rolled out. She pointed out that because some universities and colleges had recently been making unconditional offers that may not be in students’ best interests, the OfS has called for all universities and colleges to pause unconditional or other offers that could disadvantage students. Ms Dandridge said that, given the Secretary of State’s reassurances, there was no reason to depart from the normal admissions processes, and all universities and colleges should put the student’s interest first. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said that there was no easy or perfect solution when it came to awarding grades in the absence of exams. But he added that a solution must be found that would give the group of pupils the qualifications that they had worked so hard for. Mr Whiteman said that the Government’s plan appeared to be a sensible approach in the circumstances, as teachers, who knew their students well, would draw on a wide range of sources when making their judgement about the grade a student would have achieved. He said that the review and appeals system would be even more critical this year and further thought would need to be given to how it would work, including the possibility for students to sit an exam in the next academic year. But Mr Whiteman stressed that any approach must not inadvertently disadvantage any groups of pupils.

8 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Plans set out to support pupils eligible for free school meals

ow-income families whose children are eligible for free school meals will be offered vouchers, food or meals to make sure that they continued receiving the support, even if they were no longer attending school due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Government has published guidance for schools which gives them the flexibility to provide meals or shop vouchers to the 1.3 million Ldisadvantaged children who are entitled to free school meals. The Government confirmed that the total value of vouchers offered to each eligible child per week would exceed the rate it paid to schools for free school meals, in recognition that families would not be buying food in bulk and they may therefore incur higher costs. The guidance for schools states that they can choose to support eligible children in the most appropriate way and headteachers can decide which of the available options will be best for families in their area. Schools can order vouchers directly from supermarkets or shops in their communities, which can be emailed or printed and posted to families, and costs will be covered by the Department for Education. A national approach to providing the supermarket and shop vouchers is being developed. The DfE said that further details, including the total values being provided, will be provided shortly via the published guidance. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said that for many children, lunch at school was their only hot meal of the day and, in some cases, their only meal. He said that while there was no perfect or easy answer, the Government was doing the right thing in stepping forward and providing a solution.

The implications for teaching and research during the COVID-19 outbreak

n a joint statement: Jisc; the AoC; Universities UK; The Society of College, National and University Libraries; The British Library; Research Libraries UK; and the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium, said that publishers, aggregators and suppliers of digital content and software had offered a range of solutions to help institutions maintain their teaching and research activity during the Icoronavirus crisis. On behalf of their members, the organisations thanked the suppliers for providing open access to research in support of Coronavirus/Covid 19 and putting introducing options that removed limitations on use and users. The group urged all providers of digital content and software to follow the example to help their members reduce the impact on their communities and manage with reduced staff. The group listed the actions that publishers, aggregators and vendors could take to support institutions and colleges to maintain teaching and research activity: • Make any relevant content and data sets about COVID-19, Coronaviruses (regardless of species affected), vaccines, antiviral drugs, etc. currently behind subscription-only paywalls Open Access immediately to facilitate research, guide community public health response, and accelerate the discovery of treatment options. The removal of technology that limits text and data mining is also requested in support of research.

• Remove and waive all simultaneous, concurrent user or credit limits to an institution’s licensed digital content during this period when universities are going all online in order to allow research, discovery, and learning to proceed.

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ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 9 (Continued from page 9.) • Remove, waive or pause triggers associated with evidence based or demand driven models in recognition that there will be a higher use of online content as courses are being delivered online.

• Lift existing contractual Inter Library Loan restrictions or photocopying limits temporarily so that universities and colleges may assist their students to complete their studies.

• Temporarily waive costs associated with the digitisation of second extracts under the CLA licence and engage with the CLA and other collective management organisations to increase extent limits to ensure teachers can provide students with the content they require.

• Extend trial access periods to 90 days in the ﬁrst instance to provide institutions and colleges with a monitored and managed route to access content they may require but have been unable to subscribe to previously.

• Lift any restrictions on remote access, so that teaching activities and research can continue online and remotely, despite institutional closures.

Ofsted suspends all routine inspections

he Secretary of State has announced that Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector will temporarily suspend all routine inspections of schools, further education, early years and social care providers. However, urgent inspections where specific concerns had been raised will go ahead. Ofsted said that as far as possible, it would continue to undertake its important regulatory work to help maintain social care Tprovision for the most vulnerable children, and the registration of vital childcare services. The Inspectorate said that it would operate as a proportionate and responsible regulator, in challenging times, and the focus would be on children’s safeguarding and well-being. Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said that suspending routine inspections was the right thing to do when teachers and social workers were under pressure as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. She said that Ofsted would monitor what was happening across education and social care and it would reserve the right to inspect where it believed that the safety of children could be at risk, or where there were other serious concerns. Ms Spielman confirmed that Ofsted would continue to register and regulate social care providers, childminders and nurseries, so that the vital services could continue to support children and their families. Responding to the announcement that routine Ofsted inspections will be suspended in response to coronavirus, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that ASCL had been very pleased with this decision, as it would be one less thing for schools and colleges to worry about amidst the plethora of problems they faced in trying to deal with the current crisis. He said pointed out that ASCL was also pressing for performance tables to be suspended this year because of the disruption that was being caused by coronavirus and the fact that it was likely to become much worse. Mr Barton stressed that schools and colleges must be free to focus on supporting their students rather than worrying about an accountability system which was not a priority in a time of national emergency. Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said that the announcement was as welcome as it was overdue, as schools were operating in extraordinary circumstances and they must be able to focus on what was essential, which did not include Ofsted inspections. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said that the Government had placed a significant responsibility on schools to stay open to keep other areas of society functioning, at least in the short term. He added that it would be entirely wrong to hold schools to account in the normal way when the situation was far from normal.

10 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Reaction to school closures

ollowing the announcements on school closures, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that the question now was, what schools were expected to do. He said that ASCL believed that the coming weeks and months, should be viewed in three distinct phases, which were: F Phase 1 - First, schools would need to get ourselves to Easter by providing some semblance of education for the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. While it would be somewhat “messy” to define who the cohort was, the early stage would involve core teams of pastoral staff/SENCO to identify the pupils who should stay in school, before communicating with their parents. Phase 2 - There had been rumours about trying to keep provision going for some young people over Easter, which would be wholly uncharted territory, and everyone would need some respite. Phase 3 - Beyond Easter the idea would be to build a more joined-up form of provision, which would mean collaboration across schools and colleges, strategically deploying teachers, teaching assistants and other staff with a programme of learning. Local headteacher groups, or their existing locality partnerships, would try to work together to create a sustainable service for children and young people. Mr Barton said that while there would be criticism from some that schools were merely babysitting other people’s children, schools needed to do what was necessary to allow key workers to work and to keep the most vulnerable children safe amid the social turbulence. Turning to children at home Mr Barton said that the BBC would help to coordinate resources and teachers had been producing packs of resources, links to online materials, or other approaches to keep young people engaged in learning if they had online access at home. He added that a group of edtech experts had begun to coordinate resources. Mr Barton said that, most important, schools should try to establish a link with parents and students, such as a twice-weekly email newsletter to explain what was happening, suggestions for activities for pupils, and building a sense that the school or college remained committed to helping children to stay engaged in learning. Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said in closing schools, the Government had quite rightly taken drastic steps to control the epidemic. But he warned that the decision would have a particularly significant impact on low income children and young people, in terms of their attainment and in accessing the wider support that schools provided. Sir Peter welcomed the Government’s has pledge to provide vouchers to make up free school meals and he stressed the need to join together to make sure that disadvantaged pupils had access to high- quality support and learning in the coming months, as well as access to basic necessities and a safe place to be. He said that the EEF would be providing practical support and guidance to help schools support all of their pupils, particularly those that needed it most. Sir Peter added that the EEF would also be working with organisations and schools across the sector, to make sure that they had access to the right programmes and support. He pointed out that the Sutton Trust was working with its partners to make sure that the young people on its programmes had access to information online about university choices and applications, so that they would not lose out without face-to-face support. Rachel Dickinson, ADCS President, said that local authorities and schools would have been preparing for school closures for some time and local authorities would be working hard following their business continuity plans to ensure that vulnerable children and their families were safe and provided for, including children with special educational needs and disabilities and pupils on free school meals. Ms Dickenson stressed that it would be important to recognise that schools provided much more than education to children, as they were a vital safety net for the most vulnerable learners. She said that the ADCS was pleased that schools would be open for the cohort and for children of key workers throughout the outbreak. But Ms Dickenson argued that social workers and members of the wider children's workforce must be included in the list, as the most vulnerable children and families could not be supported without supporting the social workers, residential care workers and many others who worked with them.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 11 Governance not consistently recognised in new Ofsted inspections

he role that good governance plays in ensuring schools deliver a high standard of education is not consistently being recognised by Ofsted. A report from the National Governance Association, A View from the Board: Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework , explored how governance was recognised in the new education inspection framework. The NGA argued that simplistic reports and Tinstances of rushed inspections had led to a decrease in visibility of governance in an otherwise well- received process. The NGA warned that, as a result, governance was being increasingly side-lined within the inspection process and subsequent report. A notable number of respondents had also highlighted how the “deep dive” nature of the inspection meant that some sections of staff in their school felt that the inspection process had had no bearing on their own department, and therefore it could not be viewed as a school wide judgement. The report argued that in changing the format of the inspection report to meet the perceived needs of parents, an official public record of substantial feedback which could be used by those governing and executive leaders for school improvement was no longer available. It added that flexibility afforded to inspectors to mention governance in reports “if appropriate” had also led to a sharp reduction in meaningful references. The NGA pointed out that compared to reports under the previous framework, the new format did not contain a consistent or distinctive overview of governance that set out what was working well and what needed to be improved. It added that 34% of reports that had been scrutinised had not mentioned any of the terms “governance”/“governor”/“trustee” at all. The NGA said that where mentions had been given in the remaining 66%, they had largely conflated governance with executive leadership; referred to one specific governor/ trustee in relation to one area rather than the effectiveness of the whole board; and they had offered no indication of whether governance had been strong or weak. The NGA called on Ofsted to review the format of reports to either return to a discrete paragraph on the quality of governance or alternatively produce a separate report for those with oversight of the school. The NGA pointed out that attendance at the feedback meeting was currently the main way in which governors/trustees gained a full picture of the findings to help them deliver oversight of the school. Eighty- three per cent of those who said that they had attended the meeting had found it valuable in understanding the improvements that should be made and to identify where inspectors gathered evidence that supported their judgements. Although most respondents had stated that they had already known much of what they had been told about the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, 79% had been satisfied with the feedback meeting. Just 7% of respondents had said that the meeting had been recorded by an independent clerk and 35% had said that notes had been taken by a member of staff who may act as clerk and 23% had been taken by a governor/trustee. The NGA pointed out that governing boards were reminded that the feedback meeting could be clerked and that there was no reason why the clerk should not also be involved in the earlier substantive meeting with the inspector. Almost half (48%) of boards had told the NGA that the inspection had not helped them at all in terms of improving governance, as only 17% had said that it had helped to a great extent. In terms of overall usefulness, 63% had said that the inspection had helped the board to understand the strengths of the school and 23% respondents had said that it had helped them to understand the school’s weaknesses, which 72% had said that the inspection had to some extent helped their school develop an improvement plan. The NGA’s report also detailed how inspectors examined that the three core functions of governance were being carried out and how the information had been relayed in the reports. It explored how governance had been linked by inspectors to areas including internal data, staff workload and wellbeing and the curriculum. The report’s findings and recommendations were drawn from feedback submitted to NGA by 132 governing boards and an analysis of 844 Ofsted reports released between September 2019 and January 2020.

12 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Testing education staﬀ

he National Education Union has called for the testing of education staff to be made an urgent priority in efforts to tackle coronavirus. Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary, said it was “absolutely crucial” for the efficient and safe functioning of the education service that Covid-19 testing was introduced for those working in schools. T She argued that there would simply not be enough education staff available for work on school sites if all members with symptoms were forced to self-isolate. Dr Bousted stressed that staff needed to know whether or not they had the virus so that they would know whether they could safely go into work and offer crucial support to families of key workers.

NFER COVID-19 Update

he NFER has announced that it has introduced a range of measures to help it to continue operating safely across all parts of the organisation, based on the latest Government advice, which included changes to its internal ways of working, how it collected data on projects and its engagement with schools. The NFER offices in York and Llanelli have been temporarily closed and all staff are continuing to Twork remotely. The NFER Head Office in Slough is open for essential office-based activity, and staff are working from home where possible. The NFER said that it was not conducting fieldwork in schools and following recent government announcements, it would be holding any NFER Tests orders that were yet to be despatched until schools confirmed that they were able to accept delivery.

LGA responds to school closures announcement

esponding to the announcement that schools in England would close due to the coronavirus outbreak, Cllr Judith Blake, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said that schools had been struggling to stay open because of staﬀ shortages and the Government’s decision had provided much needed clarity for head teachers, parents and families. R But she added that it would be important for schools to be kept partially open to provide childcare for parents who were unable to work at home because they were leading local eﬀorts to tackle the coronavirus crisis. Cllr Blake said that councils and schools would continue to do all they could to ensure that vulnerable pupils, including those on free school meals and those with special educational needs and disabilities, could continue to be provided for.

UCAS update on coronavirus

lare Marchant, UCAS’ Chief Executive, said that UCAS would work through the implications of the announcements for students, teachers, universities and colleges. She said that flexibility within the admission process would be enhanced and extended to deal with the coronavirus outbreak and the announcement that there would be no exams this year. C Ms Marchant said she was confident that the UCAS team and systems were ready to adapt throughout the spring and summer. She added that UCAS would continue to work closely with colleagues across the education sector including Ofqual, the Department for Education, the Scottish government, Office for Students and Universities UK. Ms Marchant said that as soon as any changes had been confirmed, students would be emailed to explain how they might be affected. Updates will also be posted online: www.ucas.com/undergraduate/after-you-apply/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 13 Family Zone launched to help parents during school closures

n response to school closures across the UK, the National Literacy Trust has launched a free comprehensive online zone for parents who are looking for ideas and guidance for activities that will engage their children at home, whilst also beneﬁting their reading, writing and language development. Family Zone (accessible at literacyfamilyzone.org.uk) draws on the Trust’s expertise and Ipartnerships with teachers, authors, publishers, educational organisations and corporates. On Family Zone the Trust had brought together some of the UK’s most exciting literacy resources and activities all in one place. Families can access engaging reading and writing activities, book lists, videos, audiobooks, competitions and reading challenges, curated for early years to early teens. New activities, resources and features will be regularly added over the coming weeks and months. Some of the resources and activities available for families to enjoy together at home include:

• Simple and fun Small Talk videos to help parents chat, play and read with their young child.

• Top tips for enjoying audiobooks as a family.

• A Reading Miles Global Challenge to encourage children to read around the world.

• Activity sheets based on popular children’s books, including Where’s Wally? as well as playful learning activities featuring CBeebies characters.

• Exciting author videos, including live stories with author Steve Antony, draw-along sessions with illustrator Rob Biddulph and poetry workshops with Sarah Crossan.

Free maths activities and online resources

ational Numeracy is oﬀering free activities to help families keep up with their maths together during school closures following the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The pack, which contains 28 activities for children aged between 4 and 11, can be accessed and used by anyone. The activities are aligned to the 2014 English National Curriculum and they support children's learning at school, but Nthey do so through a unique emphasis on everyday maths. Parents don’t need to be numbers experts to enjoy the activities, as they encourage families to have fun together by discovering real-life maths. The activities are sorted by age group and there are tips and activities to support children to learn maths at home. For older children and grown-ups, the National Numeracy Challenge is a free website to help check and improve numeracy, through the maths that people use in daily life and at work. The Challenge has been recently updated so that a new quick check only takes around ten minutes to check skills and videos. The website is suitable for secondary school children and above.

14 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 R ESEARCH

Why inequality determines young people’s data literacy

significant proportion of young people, often identified as “digital natives”, have the weakest understanding of how their data is harvested online and used, according to research by the University of Liverpool. The preliminary results of the University’s: Me & My Big Data project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, suggested that more than half of the demographic (54%) widely Aregarded as being among the most savvy online operators were actually in one of the two groups with the lowest levels of data literacy; alongside “Limited Users” of the internet, who were usually over the age of 55. The study found that the vast majority (70%) of “Social and Media Users”, 51% under the age of 24, who mostly engaged with social and entertainments media, did not want to share their data, but they felt that they had no choice but to do so to access services and social media, despite the finding that only 18% trusted platforms to protect their personal information. Among the group, the study also found that: • 90% did not trust online news sites or apps they used regularly. • 95% did not trust information they had read offline. • 85% said it was not acceptable to track online behaviour. • 90% said it was not acceptable for companies to sell their data to other companies. • 70% believed that internet providers did not make it easy to change privacy settings. • 50% believed that there was no point changing settings as companies would find a way around anyway. • 55% trusted their friends’ social media content, but only 10% had explained or shown others how to stay safe online. “As the group represented Report author and lead investigator, Professor Simeon Yates, said that the report suggested that social and media users had almost 17% of all users and it as limited an awareness of the use of their data by platforms as consisted mainly of young limited users. He said, given that the group represented 17% of all users and it consisted mainly of young people, with lower people, with lower educational attainment from lower income households, the educational attainment concern was that they would remain disadvantaged in their data literacy in later life. from lower income The survey had been carried out between August and households, the concern September 2019, to investigate what previous studies had shown to be UK citizens’ lack of robust understanding of how their data was that they would was being shared with digital platforms, and the uses to which it remain disadvantaged was being put. It had identified six distinct groups: General Users, Extensive Users, Extensive Political Users, Social and in their data literacy Media Users, Limited Users, and Non-users. Each group’s in later life.” proficiency was ranked across three key areas. Data Thinking relates to critical understanding of data, such as implementing privacy settings; Data Doing included everyday engagements with data and activity, for example, citing data sources; and Data Participation concerned each proactive engagement with data and the accompanying networks of literacy, such as helping others with data literacy or the ability to utilise data for civic action. Professor Yates pointed out that although both of the Extensive Users had shown relatively high levels of data thinking and data doing, they had showed low absolute levels of data participation. He pointed out that none of the groups had showed evidence of deep engagement with data as part of their personal and civic lives, and crucially, differences in digital literacy appeared to mirror other indices

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 15 The future of early reading courses in initial teacher education institutions in England: Who controls the content?

By Margaret M. Clark OBE

The education policy discussed here is mandatory only in England, not the United Kingdom, as education is a devolved power. The Department for Education and Ofsted are responsible only for schools in England. Since 2010 there have been ﬁve Secretaries of State for Education. However, Nick Gibb, has recently been reappointed Minister of State for School Standards. He has over many years promoted the government systematic synthetic phonics policy, for which he has been complimented publicly in parliament by both the Chairman of the Education Select Committee and the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Nick Gibb has claimed the success of this policy in debates, in written answers to MPs’ questions, in articles and at conferences around the world (including in Australia). It is for this reason that quotations I have selected are from him, not the Secretaries of State.

here has been a growing insistence by the government since 2012 that in the teaching of early reading in primary schools in England there should be a focus on phonics, not just as one of a range of strategies, but that synthetic phonics should be adopted as the only way to teach all children to read. This policy is claimed to be based on research evidence that synthetic phonics only is the best way Tto teach all children to read. None of the research that challenges the government statements and those of Ofsted is cited in government policy documents (Clark, 2019). This policy has had a major impact on practice in schools, removing the freedom of practitioners in England to include other approaches they consider to be appropriate for their individual children. The introduction of the Phonics Screening Check (PSC) in 2012 as a mandatory assessment for all children at the end of year 1 when the children are around six years of age has had further, even possibly unintended consequences, in narrowing the children’s literacy experience in the early years. Teachers and parents have expressed concern at the eﬀects of the check, including on children who can already read (Clark and Gazzard, 2018). As early as in many nursery and reception classes in many schools, children repeatedly practice real and non-words (pseudo words) in anticipation of the check, this continues for those who fail and are required to re-sit the check. This has become a high stakes test where schools are expected to achieve a higher percentage pass each year, and children who fail to read 32 of 40 words correctly are required to re-sit the check at the end of year 2. Now the school’s percentage pass on the PSC tends to be a major focus in Ofsted judgements and is frequently cited by the Schools Minister Nick Gibb as evidence of improvement in reading, and, as a consequence of the government’s insistence on synthetic phonics. We now see this policy also being required by Ofsted in institutions involved in initial teacher education, and from September 2020 Ofsted may enforce this policy even further, requiring that tutors present systematic synthetic phonics as the method of teaching early reading.

Eﬀects of government phonics policy on primary schools in England There is research evidence on the eﬀects of the government’s policy on classroom practice from observation, showing grouping for phonics as distinct from reading, even in nursery and reception classes (Bradbury and Russell-Holmes 2017). Carter in her research presents evidence through the voices of children (Carter, 2020a) and in a further article, Carter reports on the voices of the teachers, ‘those closest to the implementation of the PSC…’(Carter 2020b). She supports her own research with evidence from other authors, who ‘found that teachers had lost sight of why phonics is taught, and that phonics is not a subject in its own right but a means to an end’. To quote from her Conclusion: ..these practices presented a tension between teaching to the test and reading development …….

(Continued on page 17.)

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Carter, 2020b) There is little evidence of any improvement in attainment other than on the actual check that can clearly be attributed to this policy, though the government does cite the results of PIRLS 2016, a claim that may be exaggerated (See Teaching Initial Literacy: Policies, evidence and ideology, Clark ed., 2018 Part II). At no time has Nick Gibb referred to lessons that England might learn from either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland, both countries ranked statistically higher than England in PIRLS, yet both countries take a very diﬀerent approach to reading-pedagogy and to collaboration with teachers. Nor does the minister reference the cautions in the reports on PIRLS against drawing causal relationships from the data, nor possible alternative explanations for this rise in ranking (Clark, 2018). While consulting on other aspects of assessment policy, the Department for Education has not consulted either teachers or parents as to whether they regard the PSC as providing valuable information, or about whether the PSC should remain statutory (see Appendix I in Clark and Glazzard, 2018). Children, if they are to read with understanding, need to develop strategies for speedy recognition of words they have not met before. Like most academics I do not deny the importance of phonics in learning to read. However, there is evidence that this is better practised within context rather than in isolation. Time spent decoding words in isolation, or as in many schools in England on practising pseudo words to enable schools to achieve a high percentage pass on the PSC, might be better spent studying the features of real written English. In a recent valuable guidance publication for teachers, the Education Endowment Foundation lists key recommendations for the teaching of literacy at Key Stage 1 (EEF, 2017). Three of the key recommendations are: 1. Develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills and wider understanding of language. 2. Use a balanced and engaging approach to developing reading, which integrates both decoding and comprehension skills. 3. Eﬀectively implement a systematic phonics programme. Note the emphasis is on ‘integration of decoding and comprehension’ and that the reference is to a systematic phonics programme, not to synthetic phonics as the only approach as currently required in England.

Ideology rather than consultation? In written answers to questions and in his speeches, Nick Gibb repeatedly claims that current policy is ‘evidence-based’. Until recently the research cited by the Minister in support of synthetic phonics as the only method for initial teaching of reading was that conducted in Clackmannanshire in Scotland around 2005 and this is still cited also by Ofsted. When considering this ‘evidence’ it is important to note that: • The research cited was conducted in 2005 • Its methodology has been seriously criticised (see for example Ellis and Moss, 2014) • As early as 2006 a report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate in Scotland expressed concern at low standards of literacy in Clackmannanshire and in 2016 Clackmannanshire commissioned an independent enquiry which produced a damning report on literacy standards, as a consequence of which the county now has in place a diﬀerent policy to improve the county’s standards of literacy.

In an interview in 2018 Nick Gibb added a reference to research conducted in 2000 in USA by the National Reading Panel. Readers are referred to an edited book by Allington (2002) which includes a critical appraisal of the phonics aspect of the National Reading Panel Research by members of the panel who raised concerns about claims made in and for that report. A summary of the evidence is available (in Clark, 2019: 11-12). The themes referred to by Allington have been analysed in work which has sought to investigate the connections between the political espousal of a strong emphasis on ‘phonics first’ and the rapid growth of both commercial programmes and of consultancy in schools. Such work identifies the power and ideological influences of consultants within policy and practice in the realm of reading, in particular of

(Continued on page 18.)

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 17 (Continued from page 17.) early reading in England (Ellis and Moss, 2014; Gunter and Mills). These themes and their influence on the perceptions of professionals and on practice in initial teacher education will be further explored in our research report in Chapter 5 (Clark et al, 2020 in press). It should be noted that a similar pattern can be identified within early reading policy in Australia as reported by several professional organisations there. In Reading the Evidence: synthetic phonics and literacy learning these developments in both England and in Australia are outlined, In the appendices the relevant documents, including those issued by UKLA, and ALEA and PETAA in Australia, are reprinted, showing that these associations were not opposed to the teaching of phonics as was being claimed by both governments (See Clark, 2017 including the Appendices, and Appendix III in Clark and Glazzard, 2018). In our independent survey of the views of teachers and parents on the Phonics Screening Check we found that many expressed disquiet at the effects of the pass-fail nature of the check, the requirement to re-sit the check should a child ‘fail’, the fact that half the words are non-words and the consequent emphasis on practising such words. Even many parents whose children had passed the check, or who could read, were disturbed at the negative effects on their children’s reading as a consequence of the dominance of decoding in classrooms, particularly of non-words in preparation for the check. Many teachers thought the check should cease as it told them nothing they did not already know and both many teachers and parents thought that at least it should no longer be mandatory (Clark and Glazzard, 2018). In view of this evidence it seems important to call for a consultation on the future of the Phonics Screening Check involving parents and teachers rather than allow this expenditure to continue unchallenged (see Appendix II in Clark and Glazzard, 2018).

Initial teacher education in England since 2012 In 2012 Chief Inspector of Education Sir Michael Wilshaw issued an edict that: “Ofsted will sharpen its focus on phonics in routine inspections of all initial teacher education provision – primary, secondary and Further Education. Ofsted will start a series of unannounced inspections solely on the training of phonics teaching in providers of primary initial teacher education.” (Clark, 2016: 127) Evidence from professionals involved in initial teacher education and from newly qualified teachers reveals that many institutions involved in initial teacher education have narrowed their literacy courses to comply with this edict. Gardner who taught in a university in England from 2004 to 2012 as a teacher educator, experienced the government’s determination to enforce this policy within universities involved in initial teacher education (see Gardner: 28 in Clark, 2017). Hendry in a recent article reports a study in which she observed teachers in training and interviewed them as they became newly qualified teachers (Hendry, 2020). Her study commenced in 2013 which she claims marked an important change in the delivery of ITE in England: “University-led postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) routes were required to increase the number of days that student teachers spent in school from 90 to 120 in their 38 week courses.... This change reflected government scepticism about universities’ contribution to teacher preparation…and an emphasis on school led professional training rather than education for future teachers… As a consequence, university based time to engage with theory and pedagogy for teaching early reading was limited and the role of the school-based mentor became increasingly significant.” (Hendry, 2020: 58) In her study she found that: “The participants’ experiences highlighted the focus on phonics teaching as the main priority in the teaching of reading in the 20 schools involved in the study. As a consequence the student teachers received limited examples of wider pedagogy and a rich environment for teaching reading….With one or two exceptions reading experiences were focused on phonetically decodable texts and phonics schemes.” She concluded that: “In essence when assessment and curriculum guidance prioritise one method for teaching reading, universities must work with schools, students and NQTs to re-establish a broader understanding of what it means to be an effective teacher of early reading.” (Hendry: 67) Government policy with regard to synthetic phonics is likely to have been prioritised since at least 2012 in courses of initial teacher education in England. We have been investigating this in our current (Continued on page 19.)

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research by an independent online survey which had responses from 38 professionals involved in initial teacher education in England and with interviews of ten of those who completed the online survey. We hope that our research will be available to read and download from the Newman website by April 2020 (Clark et al, 2020). Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook from 2020: Consultation Document issued January 2020 with responses by 3 April 2020 Since the completion of our research, in January 2020, Ofsted issued a consultation document on initial teacher education with the new policy to be implemented in September 2020 (Ofsted. 2020). It is stated: that: “36. We will judge fairly partnerships that take radically different approaches to the ITE curriculum. We recognise the importance of partnerships’ autonomy to choose their own curriculum approaches. If leaders are able to show that they have built a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing, then inspectors will assess the partnerships curriculum favourably.” (9) “91. Ofsted does not advocate that any particular teaching approach should be used exclusively with trainees…..” (22) “The ITE curriculum is designed to equip trainees with up-to-date research findings, for example as outlined for primary and secondary phase trainees in the ITT core content framework.” (40) However, there are numerous quotations in the document referring to the need for institutions to require systematic synthetic phonics as the only way to teach early reading. Two examples of such statements are: For primary phase, training will ensure that trainees learn to teach early reading using systematic synthetic phonics as outlined in the ITT core content framework and that trainees are not taught to use competing approaches to early reading that are not supported by the most up-to-date evidence…39) An institution will be deemed Inadequate if: Primary training does not ensure that trainees only learn to teach reading using systematic synthetic phonics (44) Under Leadership and management, on page 46, and again on page 47, reference is made to the need in the primary phase for: ‘Thorough training in the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics’. On page 53 It is stated that leadership and management are likely to be inadequate if one or more of the following apply: For early years and primary programmes mentors do not support the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics. Some trainees (it is claimed) are being poorly prepared to teach systematic synthetic phonics after the completion of their course. (Ofsted, 2020) There are no such edicts for any other subjects in primary or secondary schools in the document. No references are cited in the consultation document to justify this policy, removing as it does from professionals any freedom of choice in their presentation of literacy. Associated Ofsted/ DfE documents have long, and in some cases dated reference lists. None of the references refer specifically to evidence on synthetic phonics (DfE, 2019). Yet it would appear that following the recent Ofsted report Bold Beginnings, decoding, and in particular synthetic phonics, and preparation for the Phonics Screening Check may dominate reading in reception classes and years 1 and 2 in England and recently trained teachers will have had their initial teacher education courses in the institutions, and their observations in schools, dominated by synthetic phonics. Should the proposed changes in initial teacher education be implemented in England in September 2020: • Will tutors involved in literacy courses in initial teacher education retain any control over the content of their literacy courses? • Will teachers in primary schools be equipped to critique this government mandated policy? • Will teachers have any awareness of the approach to literacy teaching in other countries, or even that these may be different (even in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland)?

(Continued on page 20.)

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 19 (Continued from page 19.)

References Allington, R.L. (ed.) (2002) Big Brother and the National Reading Curriculum: How ideology trumped evidence . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Bradbury, A. and Roberts-Holmes, G. (2017) Grouping in Early Years and Key Stage 1 “A necessary evil”? Final Report. National Union and UCL Institute of Education. NEU 279/1117. Carter, J. (2020a) ‘Listening to the voices of children: an illuminative evaluation of the teaching of early reading in the light of the phonics screening check`. Literacy Today. 54(1): 49-57. Carter, J. (2020b) ‘The assessment has become the curriculum: teachers’ views on the Phonics Screening Check in England’. British Journal of Educational Research . DOI:10-1002/berj.3598. Clark, M.M. (2016) Learning to be Literate: Insights from research for policy and practice . Abingdon: Routledge. Revised edition. Clark, M.M. (ed.) (2017) Reading the Evidence: Synthetic phonics and literacy learning. (editor and contributor) Birmingham: Glendale Education. Ebook downloadable from Amazon.co.uk and paperback. (This has six additional contributors from UK and Australia). Clark, M.M. (ed.) (2018) The Teaching of Initial Literacy: Policies, evidence and ideology (editor and contributor). Birmingham: Glendale Education. Ebook and paperback from Amazon.co.uk. (This has twelve additional contributors from USA, Australia, The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and UK). Part II Evidence from PIRLS 2016. Clark, M.M. (2019) ‘What determine literacy policies: evidence or ideology? The power of politicians over policy and practice’. Special Issue. Education Journal. Issue 379: 15-30. (Originally published in the Education Journal Review 2018. 25(1). Clark, M.M. and Glazzard, J. (eds.) (2018) The Phonics Screening Check 2012-2017: An independent enquiry into the views of Head Teachers, teachers and parents. Final Report 2018. Downloadable with recent articles from https://www.newman.ac.uk/knowledge-base/the-phonics-screening-check-2012-2017. Clark, M.M., Glazzard,J., Mills, C., Reid, S., and Sloan, J.C. (2020) Independent Research into the impact of the government systematic synthetic phonics policy on literacy courses at institutions delivering initial teacher education in England . Final Report April 2020 . https://www.newman.ac.uk/knowledge- base/independent-research-into-the-impact-of-the-systematic-synthetic-phonics-government-policy-on-lite racy-courses-at-institutions-delivering-initial-teacher-education- in-England. Department for Education (2019) Initial Training Core Content Framework . https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ﬁle/84367 6/initial_teacher_training_core_content_framework. Education Endowment Foundation (2017) Improving Literacy in key stage 1. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools//guidance-reports/literacy-ks1. Ellis, S. and Moss, G. (2014) ‘Ethics, education policy and research: the phonics question reconsidered’. British Educational Research Journal. 40(2): 241-2. Gardner, P. (2017) ‘The policing and politics of early reading’. Chapter 3 in Clark, M.M. (ed.) Reading the Evidence: Synthetic phonics and literacy learning . Birmingham: Glendale Education. Gunter, H.M, and Mills, C. (2017) Consultants and Consultancy: the case of Education . Cham: Springer. Hendry, H. (2020) ‘Becoming a teacher of early reading: charting the knowledge and practice of pre- service and newly qualiﬁed teachers’. Literacy Today. 4(1): 58-69. Ofsted (2017) Bold Beginnings. The reception curriculum in good and outstanding schools. DfE No. 170045.assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/publications//reception-curriculum-in-good-and-outstanding- primary-schools-bold-beginnings. Ofsted (2020) Initial teacher education inspection framework and handbook. Consultation Document January 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/initial-teacher-education- inspection-framework-and-handbook

20 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 T ALIS S UPPLEMENT

Teaching and Learning Volume Two

he trouble with any OECD research project, and TALIS is no exception, is that they are so vast. Trying to cover everything in this second volume of results from TALIS and its launch event yesterday in the space of a few pages is impossible. TALIS, the Teaching and Learning International Survey, is an international, large-scale survey of teachers, school leaders and the learning environment Tin schools. Its main goal is to generate internationally comparable information relevant to developing and implementing policies focused on school leaders, teachers and teaching, with an emphasis on those aspects that affect student learning. It gives a voice to teachers and school leaders, allowing them to provide input into educational policy analysis and development in key areas. It is also a collaboration between participating countries and economies, the OECD, an international research consortium, teachers’ unions and their global body Education International and the European Commission. TALIS must serve the goals of its three main beneficiaries: policy makers, education practitioners and researchers. First, it must help policy makers review and develop policies that promote the teaching profession and the best conditions for effective teaching and learning. Secondly, TALIS must also help teachers, school leaders, and education stakeholders to reflect upon and discuss their practice and find ways to enhance it. Thirdly, TALIS must build upon past research while informing the future work of researchers. As with the OECD’s other major global research project, PISA, TALIS has grown with each round of the project. The first cycle of TALIS was in 2008 and was conducted in 24 countries. The second cycle came five years later, in 2013, and involved ten more countries than 2008. In 2014 four more countries joined. For TALIS 2013 the programme was broadened to include primary school teachers and also involved some schools that had participated in PISA. The current round, known as TALIS 2018, now involves 48 countries and economies. Some include primary schools as well as secondaries, although not all countries are involved in the full programme. Nine main themes were selected for inclusion in the TALIS survey: teachers’ instructional practices, school leadership, teachers’ professional practices, teacher education and initial preparation, teacher feedback and development, school climate, job satisfaction, teacher human resource issues and stakeholder relations, teacher self-efficacy. Two cross-cutting themes were added to this list: innovation, and equity and diversity. TALIS results are based exclusively on self-reports from teachers and school leaders and, therefore, represent their opinions, perceptions, beliefs and accounts of their activities. No data imputation from administrative data or other studies is conducted. Giving a voice to teachers provides insight into how they perceive the learning environments in which they work and how policies that are put in place are carried out in practice. But, as with any self-reported data, this information is subjective and may, therefore, differ from data collected through other means. The same is true of school leaders’ reports about school characteristics and practices. In addition, as a cross-sectional survey, TALIS cannot measure causality. The analyses presented in this report are conducted with an emphasis on the following aspects: 1) reporting of results about both teachers and school leaders throughout the report; 2) meaningful international comparisons; 3) trends; 4) contextualisation of results and 5) cross-theme analyses. The TALIS research shows that while 90% of teachers are, on average, satisfied with their job, only 26% think that society values their work. 18% of teachers suffer a lot of stress and 49% report that excessive administrative work causes stress. On average, only 39% of teachers are satisfied with their pay. However, averages across participating countries conceal a great deal of variation between countries. There are a record 17 ‘goals’ and 43 ‘policy pointers’ within which there are further detailed recommendations. For the first time TALIS explores the severity of stress among teachers. Eighteen per cent of teachers experience a lot of stress with only 9% of teachers saying that they experienced no stress. Over thirty percent of teachers experience a great deal of stress in Portugal, England (UK) and Hungary with the US and Iceland at around 25%.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 21 The launch of TALIS 2018

By John Bangs Special Consultant at Education International and Chair of the OECD’s trade union working group on education

he education world had its own seismic upheaval this Monday triggered by Covid 19. For the first time the OECD’s Andreas Schleicher presented a major report in a webinar. There was no delicious mix of Education TDepartment officials, reporters, policy wonks and teacher union officials gathered somewhere in an inner London school or a discrete think tank in the West End. The only two actual appearances were Andreas himself and host, ex Schools Minister, Jim Knight - both in casual teleworking mode. You could only guess at who the other seventy-five participants were. The OECD had rightly taken the tough no- win decision to release its report now before things got worse. Which is a shame because in normal circumstances TALIS deserves a much higher profile. For the first time the John Bangs OECD has looked at the data from teachers in forty-eight countries and come out fair and square in favour of the teaching profession. It is probably the most comprehensive, international study of teachers’ views ever published. Collating all the data from both volumes of TALIS 2018, TALIS makes no less than forty-three recommendations covering every aspect of teacher policy. Despite the obvious drawbacks of viewing it as an off-the peg teacher policy for adoption for all countries, it is hard to resist that conclusion. Yet Schleicher’s presentation didn’t just focus on the report. Entitled ‘Teacher Professionalism in the face of Covid 19’, he said that this was not a time for despair. We have agency, he said, and only mindful behaviour could avoid a breakdown of our education systems. Highlighting the fact that the move to online education could actually accentuate “The big take-aways were the report’s student disadvantage, he argued that empowering teachers to innovate and to focus on the importance of teacher take control of their professional lives was leadership and the need to tackle the best way of narrowing the gap. Far from the pandemic making TALIS teacher stress. For the first time, TALIS irrelevant, he said, it contained many included questions on the sources and pointers on how education systems could adapt- and the agency that renewal was nature of teacher stress.” the teaching profession itself. His presentation prompted questions from Tim Brighouse, David Puttnam and Alison Peacock. Puttnam made a sharp point. Why hadn’t anyone thought of scaling up the Open University to cover primary and secondary schools? After all they had the experience. I asked why hadn’t a single country, not even England, shown any interest in the OECD’s proposed special project on linking teacher well-being to student achievement? Schleicher responded by saying that teacher autonomy and collaboration had to be strengthened and that he hoped countries would return to the project. The big take-aways were the report’s focus on the importance of teacher leadership and the need to tackle teacher stress. For the first time, TALIS included questions on the sources and nature of teacher stress, largely at the insistence my own organisation, Education International. It revealed that only 9% of

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teachers reported that they suffered no stress while 18% reported experiencing a great deal of stress. So how did England (UK) fare in the findings? In many findings England appeared as an outlier: the highest percentage of teachers expressing dissatisfaction with the profession; with Portugal, the highest percentage experiencing a lot of stress and a country with one of the highest percentages of teachers feeling that they did not have control of their work. Yet, TALIS found that teachers in England had a much higher expectation of their students’ achievement than most countries. During his presentation Schleicher shared his anxiety that school communities could be fractured by prolonged closure. What is obvious from TALIS is that if classroom teachers are given much greater voice and influence, not only in their teaching but in the running of schools and education systems themselves, it is much more likely that school communities will not be irrevocably damaged by Covid 19. Significantly, the report recognises the importance of teacher union support for TALIS. It acknowledges Education International’s importance in developing and implementing TALIS. Indeed in its final comment the report suggests that the reason Andreas Schleicher why teachers in some countries in South America believe that their governments both fail to value their views yet are influenced by them is because teachers, ‘may still have alternative mechanisms or pathways, (e,g, Union representation, industrial action), through which they are able to shape policy development’. Inevitably there are a small number of proposals in TALIS which raise eyebrows which are not well thought through. Trading small group teaching off for larger classes is one example. However, they are minor points compared to TALIS’ optimism for the future of education at a time of great crisis. It’s a very necessary report if education is to recover.

“For the ﬁrst time the OECD has looked at the data from teachers in forty-eight countries and come out fair and square in favour of the teaching profession. It is probably the most comprehensive, international study of teachers’ views ever published. Collating all the data from both volumes of TALIS 2018, TALIS makes no less than forty-three recommendations covering every aspect of teacher policy.”

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 23 The skillset required to be an eﬀective teacher is expansive and complex

TALIS 2018 Results. Volume 2. Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals. TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, France. Published on Tuesday 24 July 2020. ISBN 978-92-64-44129-3 (print) ISBN 978-92-64-80597-2 (pdf). https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en

n top of being knowledgeable about their subject and how to teach it, teachers are also expected to be experts in child development, classroom management, administration, and even psychology, and to update their knowledge base throughout their career. It is for these reasons that teaching is referred to as a “profession” rather than simply a “job”. Likewise, the expectations for Oschool leaders have gone beyond their traditional role as administrators, and now include team leadership, instruction, networking and effective communication with parents and other stakeholders. But the “professionalism” of teachers and principals varies in its forms across countries and contexts, and can be influenced both by policy and the behaviour of teachers and school leaders themselves. The extent to which teachers and school leaders live up to this status of professionals in the 48 countries surveyed is the main focus of the 2018 cycle of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). TALIS aims to give teachers and school leaders a voice on this issue by asking them about their working life in school, covering everything from the characteristics of their school environment and how they interact with colleagues, to teaching practices and participation in continuous professional development. Teacher professionalism is analysed in TALIS 2018 by looking at five pillars: the knowledge and skills required to teach; career opportunities and working regulations; the collaborative culture among teachers; the responsibility and autonomy afforded to teachers; and the status and standing of the profession. This second volume, Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, addresses the final four pillars: prestige, career opportunities, collaboration and autonomy.

How do society and teachers view the teaching profession? Whether a career is seen as prestigious or not can have an impact on both the kinds of candidates that enter the profession and the job satisfaction of those already in it. The majority of teachers in OECD countries and economies in TALIS (90%) are satisﬁed with their job, and most of them (91%) do not regret becoming a teacher. Despite this, an average of only 26% of teachers in OECD countries and economies participating in TALIS think that the work they do is valued by society. Longer-serving teachers are also more likely than their younger colleagues to say that the profession is undervalued, suggesting a degree of professional disillusionment as teachers progress along the career path. Furthermore, 14% of teachers aged 50 years or less express a desire to leave teaching within the next ﬁve years, i.e. well before they reach retirement age. Acute stress at work is also strongly associated with teachers’ job satisfaction and their intention to continue teaching: 18% of teachers report experiencing a lot of stress in their work, and 49% report that having too much administrative work is one of the main sources of stress.

What are the main features of teachers’ employment contracts and how do they feel about it? The majority of teachers in OECD countries and economies in TALIS are employed on permanent contracts, with only 18% reporting that their employment contract is temporary. But this figure jumps to 48% for teachers under the age of 30. While temporary contracts offer some flexibility, teachers working under contracts of less than one year also report feeling less confident in their ability to teach in roughly one third of the countries surveyed. In terms of salaries, 39% of teachers and 47% of principals are satisfied with the pay they receive, on average across OECD countries and economies in TALIS. It is not particularly common for appraisal

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processes to be tied to career progression in the form of pay increases or a bonus, with an average of only 41% of teachers reporting that this happens in their school. However, the proportion of teachers working in schools where this does happen has increased significantly since the last cycle of TALIS in over half the participating countries and economies. It should also be noted that this practice is more likely to occur when the school management team has some authority over teachers’ salaries. Teachers who report that their school provides staff with opportunities to actively participate in school decisions and supports their professional development are also more likely to say that they are satisfied with the conditions of their employment contract (apart from salaries).

How do teachers work together as professionals and what impact does this have? Central to many professions is a core network of practitioners who collaborate regularly. In teaching, such professional collaboration takes the form of team teaching, providing feedback after classroom observations, engaging in joint activities across different classes, and participating in collaboration- based professional development. Teachers in OECD “Central to many professions is countries and economies in TALIS are quite likely to a core network of practitioners employ basic collaborative practices like discussing the development of specific students with colleagues (61% who collaborate regularly. In of teachers on average do this) and, to a lesser extent, teaching, such professional exchanging teaching materials with colleagues (47%). However, far fewer teachers engage in the deeper collaboration takes the form of forms of professional collaboration, which involve more team teaching, providing interdependence between teachers, with only 9% of teachers saying they provide observation-based feedback after classroom feedback to colleagues, and 21% engaging in observations, engaging in joint collaborative professional learning at least once a month. activities across different Such low instances of professional collaboration classes, and participating in may be worrisome, considering the impact collaboration can have on promoting 21st century collaboration-based teaching: teachers who regularly collaborate with peers professional development.” in this way also tend to report using cognitive activation practices more frequently in class). Professional collaboration is also associated with higher job satisfaction and teacher self-efficacy. Feedback from peers is a unique form of collaboration that puts teachers at the centre as experts of their own practice. On average across OECD countries and economies in TALIS, 71% of teachers who received feedback from colleagues found it useful for their teaching. Feedback appears to be most effective for teachers when it is delivered in a variety of ways, rather just one repeated method.

How much control do teachers and school leaders have over their practice and working environment? The practice of teaching in class remains at the teacher’s discretion: over 90% of teachers say that it is up to them to select teaching methods, assess students’ learning, discipline students and set the amount of homework to assign. Determining the overall course content, however, appears slightly less commonly within the teacher’s purview, with only 84% of teachers reporting that they have some control over this. More efforts should be made to involve teachers in the decision-making processes of their schools. On average across OECD countries and economies in TALIS, only 56% of principals report that teachers have a role in the school management team. In addition, only 42% of principals report that their teachers have a significant responsibility over a large share of tasks related to school policies, curriculum and instruction. Teachers also have little responsibility over staffing and budgets; but budget allocation appears to still be within the school’s control, with 68% of principals reporting that schools have significant responsibility in this area.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 25 D OCUMENT R EVIEW

New restrictions on university places could create “unlucky generations”

TALIS 2018 Results. Volume 2. Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, by Professor Andrew Norton, Higher Education Policy Institute, HEPI Report 128, published on Thursday 19 March, 2020. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/03/19/after-demand-driven-funding-in-australia-competing-models-for- distributing-student-places-to-universities-courses-and-students/

n a new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, After Demand Driven Funding in Australia: Competing models for distributing student places to universities, courses and students (HEPI Report 128), Professor Andrew Norton has warned against controlling student numbers when the population of young people was rising. I The number of school leavers in the UK, which has been falling for years, will soon start rising again and Australia’s 18-year old population will increase rapidly from the mid-2020s. The report pointed put that the “demand driven” funding system in Australia, which had been introduced a decade ago, had removed limits on the number of bachelor-degree students in public universities and England had followed suit by abolishing student number controls in 2015. Professor Norton of the Centre for Social Research and Methods at the Australian National University (ANU), said that in both England and Australia, universities had responded by recruiting more students and while the policy had achieved many of its objectives, drop- out rates had grown as universities had enrolled students who may previously have been shut out. The report pointed out that in late 2017, cost concerns had seen the Australian Government freezing its bachelor-degree funding for two years. It added that the number of student places was now likely to fall and in England, there was a growing interest in introducing new restrictions on student numbers. Professor Norton warned that that reducing the proportion of people who could find a university place would hit under-represented groups hard. He said that universities rationed scarce student places by awarding them to applicants with the strongest past academic performance. Professor Norton pointed out that in Australia and elsewhere, school students from disadvantaged backgrounds on average received the lowest grades and fewer university places inevitably meant more disadvantaged applicants missing out on university offers. The report acknowledged that demand driven funding was not the only way to respond to demographic change and Professor Norton concluded that block grant systems were less effective overall as they required “activist ministers” to push reform through government processes, while demand driven systems automatically responded to demographic and labour market changes. He argued that block grant systems could create “unlucky generations” who missed out on university because policy could not respond effectively to population growth. Professor warned that it had happened before in both Australia and England and it could well happen again in the 2020s. He stressed that the systems that responded to students were better at adjusting to changes in demand for universities and courses and under Australia’s demand driven funding, three universities had more than doubled their enrolments. Professor Norton added that health-related courses had increased enrolments more than any other, as they responded to strong student interest and labour market needs. Nick Hillman, HEPI’s Director, said that England was at an earlier point in the policy cycle than Australia, but while policies discouraging extra student places remained a historical artefact for now, a close reading of recent political announcements would suggest that student number controls could be on the way back, just as a demographic bulge had started to approach higher education, which could be a disaster for social mobility. Professor Alec Cameron, Vice-Chancellor of Aston University and previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Western Australia, said that in England, there were pressures from both sides of politics, which had elevated the likelihood that the current system may not survive in the medium term. As the experience of Australia had demonstrated, if governments wished to limit the cost of higher education to the public purse, the options were to either restrict numbers or restrict funding per student.

26 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 P EOPLE

New chairman for Student Loans Company

ir Peter Lauener has been appointed as chairman of the Student Loans Company, an organisation that he was interim Chief Executive of from November 2017 to September 2018. Sir Peter is the Department for Education’s go to man for difficult jobs. He has been Chief Executive Officer of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFSA) and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for SApprenticeships (IFA). He is currently chairman of the Construction Industry Training Board, chairman of Newcastle Colleague Group (NCG) and a Non- executive director at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Paula Sussex, SLC Chief Executive said: “I am thrilled to be welcoming Peter back to the organisation as we work to fulfil our vision to be widely recognised as enabling student opportunity and delivering an outstanding service to our customers”. Sir Peter commented: “I am delighted to once again support the Student Loans Company, this time as Chair of the organisation. SLC plays a vital role in enabling almost 2 million students each year to invest in their futures through higher and further education by providing trusted, transparent, and accessible student finance Sir Peter Lauener services. I am particularly looking forward to reacquainting myself with colleagues from across the organisation, whose dedication to their roles enables SLC to deliver finance services for students, graduates and higher and further education institutions.” Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said: “I am pleased to welcome Peter as the new Chair of the Student Loans Company. His knowledge and experience of the sector means he is well placed to lead the organisation as it continues to provide its important services for students and graduates.”

LITERACY Today

The latest issue published yesterday.

“An impressive wide-ranging issue.”

For more information email [email protected]

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 27 O PINION

Diﬀerent direction: people like me

By Professor Jan Willem de Graaf Professor of Brain and Technology, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Deventer, Netherlands

y brain is strongly biased to “think” the other way. Since I started to write a weekly column, I have regularly questioned our mass mobility and all its environmental and sustainability challenges. As we try to contain the spread of the Corona virus, there is a unique opportunity to turn the tide: stop air traffic, move significantly less. We are going to work en masse from home, Mconnected via smart technology. Nice. But what‘s wrong with me? I always look in a different direction. Right now, I’m especially concerned that we will allow a virtual and largely fake world of connectedness to take even more control over us ... Of course I understand that this moment can bring about an essential and necessary disruption, which we must seize en masse to safeguard both our own lives in the short term, and the sustainability of our planet in the longer term. Even (or especially) my autistic brain sees the pattern: the untenability of globalized human machinations can only (or especially) be changed by a radical event. However, at the very same time, there is also my autistic adherence to regularity and safety. That means I want everything to be exactly the same as yesterday. And so I am full of contradictions. To me, working at home is already quite common. In my current job I can review theses, read literature, write publications and consult colleagues and students in a virtual meeting room at home. But I am shocked because our university board states that lectures should also be given from home. Does my university board realize that this requires a new coordination and work ethic from everyone? Did they really think about this? Of course not! We neither. After all, we’re all just people, with very limited scopes and short-term visions. Nothing is quite what it seems, things are always different, just like me. Especially as a child, I hated this, it felt as if I had already disappointed the entire world in advance, especially myself. In the meantime I know that “my” way of perceiving, thinking and reacting to the world is not inferior or disturbed at all. In fact it’s a variation on the more common (neurotypical) way of responding, nowadays referred to as neurodiverse, or a-typical, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Only at times when everyone is a bit lost, such as at the moment when drastic measures are needed to control the Corona virus, the neurodiverse (autistic) person is at increased risk of being perceived as disruptive. This makes me a bit anxious. But I wanted to make myself heard, I am “programmed” to look the other way!

Not alone Fortunately, I am not alone, many people look the other way, stating the Corona crisis is a “wake-up call”, a disruption that paralyzes air traffic and shows us that we can still live on. Change is possible and this is very encouraging. We will overcome the coronavirus, but if the climate change and the environmental pollution stop our daily reality in the future, there will be no turning back. It is precisely for this reason that it is hopeful to see that we can really change, restrict air traffic and, more generally, our mobility. Our digital connection has also connected us organically as people all over the world, and even without technology we may have become stronger as a species. Perhaps we can even learn to connect and communicate over a long distance without the many tools, just like people who temporarily used a Free-belt learned to navigate without a compass by using invariants like the incidence of natural light connected to their baked-in sense of time of day. Sometimes, looking in a different direction seems crazy. Sometimes a maverick, an outsider or an antagonist. Sometimes it is in the different direction where beauty can be found!

28 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 C O N S U L T A T I O N S

Consultations and consultation outcomes published last week

There was one consultation outcome on education published last week, and no consultations.

Early Years Childcare Fees Regulations: Government consultation response There were 1,012 responses to this consultation, 91% of which were from early years childcare providers. Most of these (42%) were childminders, followed by full day care providers (30%) and then sessional providers (18%). The consultation sought views on a proposed increase (in line with inflation since 2010) to the application fee and annual fee paid to Ofsted by early years settings on the Early Years Register. Just over half (56%) did not agree that uprating fees in this way was a reasonable approach to implementing a fee increase in April 2020. However, a quarter (25%) of respondents agreed this would be a reasonable approach, and 18% of respondents said they were neutral. In terms of a revised Early Years Register fee model from April 2021, nearly three quarters of respondents (73%) supported the principle of varying fees based on different categories. Of these, the strongest support was for a variable based on the type of early years setting – i.e. childminders vs groups- based provision. This was followed by the size of the early years setting based on number of places, and whether the setting operated on a single site or as part of a chain. Reference: DFE-00063-2020 Department or agency: Department for Education Geographical coverage: England Document type : Consultation outcome document. This consultation response published: Tuesday 17 March 2020 The original consultation ran from 18 July to 9 October 2019 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/87285 1/Ofsted_Fees_Review_Government_Response_March_2020.pdf

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 29 S TATISTICS

Education and children statistics

very week the Government publishes a wide range of statistics about every aspect of its many activities. We list here those reports that are relevant to education and children’s services. This will cover oﬃcial statistics, national statistics, statistical data sets, transparency data and guidance about statistics. Information will be taken from the Department for Education, the devolved Eadministrations, other Government departments and Government agencies involved in education. In the table that follows, the title of the document is given in red, followed by the date of publication, the issuing authority, the classiﬁcation of information covered and, where there is one, a reference code. On the next line is a brief description of the data, followed by a web link to the statistics.

University Fees EU Students: FOI release 20 March 2020 SGALSD Scottish government statistics This ﬁle gives information from a Freedom of Information Act request on the number of EU students at Scottish universities, the cost and the impact on Scottish students allowed places at Scottish universities under the cap on numbers. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000017313/

Graduate Outcomes (LEO): 2017 t0 2018 19 March 2020 DfE Official statistics These ten files give employment and earnings outcomes of higher education graduates broken down by subject studied and graduate characteristics. The longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) data includes information from the: • Department for Education. • Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs. This release uses LEO data to look at employment and earnings outcomes of higher education graduates from English HE providers 1, 3, 5 and 10 years after graduation. The outcomes are categorised by subject studied and graduate characteristics. They update previously published figures by including data for the 2017 to 2018 tax year. This publication also includes separate tables showing outcomes for EU and overseas students. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-2017-to-2018

Shared Parenting Scotland (Formally Families Need Fathers) Funding: FOI release 19 March 2020 SGCFD Scottish government statistics This ﬁle gives information from a Freedom of Information Act request on the funding given to Shared Parenting Scotland and related information. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000017450/

Post-compulsory Education and Training (National Survey of Wales): April 2018 to March 2019 19 March 2020 WG and SfW National statistics This report looks at peoples’ plans to start new learning programmes and the reasons why for April 2018 to March 2019. Main points: • 31% of people (aged 16 and over) said that they had received some formal education or training in the previous twelve months. • 27% of people had deﬁnite plans to start new learning or training within the next three years, and a further 13% would like to do so in the future. • 84% of people who have plans to start an education or training course (either within three years or

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30 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 (Continued from page 30.) further in the future) say that the course will lead to a qualiﬁcation at the end. https://gov.wales/post-compulsory-education-and-training-national-survey-wales-april-2018-march-2019

Student Support Applications for Higher Education: February 2020 19 March 2020 SW Welsh government statistics These monthly statistics, published on StatsWales, present information on applications for student support and Tuition Fee Loans, and Tuition Fee Grants, which include data for Welsh domiciled students (wherever they study) and EU domiciled students studying in Wales. https://gov.wales/student-support-applications-higher-education-february-2020

Parental Conflict Indicator 2011/12 to 2017/18 18 March 2020 DWP Official statistics These two files provide statistics on the proportion of children affected by parental conflict in families, 2011/12 to 2017/18. The parental conflict indicator is comprised of 2 measures: • The proportion of children in couple-parent families living with parents who report relationship distress. • The proportion of children in separated families who see their non-resident parents regularly. These statistics are published once every 2 years (biennial) in line with the availability of underlying data. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/parental-conflict-indicator-201112-to-201718

Employment, Unemployment and Inactivity for Young People (16-24 Years): Scotland and UK – January 2019 to December 2019 18 March 2020 SGCED Scottish government statistics These two ﬁles give relevant statistics from the Annual Population Survey January 2019 to December 2019. https://www.gov.scot/publications/employment-unemployment-and-inactivity-for-young-people-16-24- years-scotland-and-uk---january-2019-to-december-2019/

Wales Children Receiving Care and Support Census: As at 31 March 2019 18 March 2020 SfW and WG Welsh government statistics This annual release presents ﬁgures on children receiving care and support from local authority social services on the census date of 31 March. Main points: • There were 16,421 children receiving care and support included in the Children Receiving Care and Support Census at 31 March 2019. This was a rate of 261 per 10,000 children aged under 18 years. Of these, 6,677 (41%) were looked after children and 2,214 (13%) were on the Child Protection Register. • 9,091 (55%) were boys and 7,330 (45%) were girls. • Just over a ﬁfth (22%) of children receiving care and support were disabled. • Parental mental ill health was recorded as a capacity factor present for just over a third (35%) of children receiving care and support. • The attainment of children receiving care and support at the Foundation Phase and each Key Stage assessment was much lower than the average for all pupils in Wales. https://gov.wales/wales-children-receiving-care-and-support-census-31-march-2019

Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA) Awarded in Wales: February 2020 18 March 2020 SW National statistics This report gives statistics on the number of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) awarded to students in further education in Wales. https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Education-and-Skills/Post-16-Education-and-Training/Student- Support/Educational-Maintenance-Allowances-Further-Education?_ga=2.217255318.1089315466.1584918 267-1623920247.1575669881 (Continued on page 32.)

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Apprenticeships and Traineeships: January 2020 16 March 2020 DfE National statistics This single file provides statistics covering apprenticeships, including the apprenticeship service, and traineeships from August to October 2019, reported to date. This release presents apprenticeships and traineeships statistics reported to date for the first quarter (August to October 2019) of the academic year 2019 to 2020 for England. It also includes monthly apprenticeship statistics, and registrations and commitments on the apprenticeship service. Final data for earlier years is also available, along with data for apprenticeships broken down by: • learner characteristics including: o gender o ethnicity o learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities • different geographical areas Additional breakdowns of this data are available in the FE data library. Commentary and statistics specific to the last full academic year can be found in the Further education and skills: November 2019 statistics publication. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-january-2020

Further Education and Skills Statistics: January 2020 16 March 2020 DfE Official statistics These 14 files provide information on learner participation and achievements in England (August to October 2019, reported to date). This document contains further education and skills statistics in England, including learner participation and achievements, covering the first quarter (August to October 2019) of the 2019 to 2020 academic year (reported to date). This comprises adult (aged 19 and over) government- funded further education (excluding schools and higher education) comprising: • education and training • English and maths • community learning Further breakdowns of these data are available in the FE data library. Commentary and statistics specific to the last full academic year can be found in the Further education and skills: November 2019 statistics publication. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-january-2020

Education and Training 16 March 2020 DfE Statistical data set This multi-file set provides management information aggregated and published monthly, and a one- off publication of inspections and outcomes from 2005 to 2015. This statistical data set includes information on education and training participation and achievements broken down into a number of reports including sector subject areas, participation by gender, age, ethnicity, disability participation. It also includes data on offender learning. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-education-and-training

Students Receiving Financial Support from SAAS at Glasgow Kelvin College: FOI release 16 March 2020 SG Scottish government statistics This ﬁle gives information from a Freedom of Information Act request on the number of students in receipt of ﬁnancial support from SAAS, for academic years 2015-2016 to present, whose institution of study is or was the institution known as West George College/Kelvingrove College. https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202000020920/

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Abbreviations

BEIS Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy DEFRA Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DfE Department for Education DfE(NI) Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland) DfI(NI) Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland) DoE(NI) Department of Education (Northern Ireland) DoJ(NI) Department of Justice (Northern Ireland) DWP Department for Work and Pensions ESFA Education and Skills Funding Agency HESA Higher Education Statistics Agency HMPPS Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service NHS National Health Service NICTS Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service NISRA Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency Ofqual Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills ONS Office of National Statistics PHE Public Health England QW Qualifications Wales SfW Statistics for Wales SGALSD Scottish Government Advanced Learning and Science Directorate SGCFD Scottish Government Children and Families Directorate SGLD Scottish Government Learning Directorate SLC Student Loans Company SQA Scottish Qualifications Authority STA Standards and Testing Agency SW StatsWales YJANI Youth Justice Agency for Northern Ireland YJBEW Youth Justice Board for England and Wales WG Welsh Government

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 33 P OLICY P APERS Policy papers published last week and this

The 2020 Spending Review Author : Philip Brien Source : House of Commons Library Document type : Research briefing note. Published: Thursday 19 March, 2020 Reference: CBP-8855 Geographical coverage : England Description: An overview of the spending envelope for the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, as announced in the March 2020 Budget. In the 2020 Spring Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the official start of the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review. This was originally intended to be the second of this year’s trilogy of big financial events (the other two being the Spring Budget we have just had, and the autumn Budget). However, given the rapidly changing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, it now seems likely that the plans will have to change. The timings of these events may be affected, and there may be a series of further financial measures to help to cope with the impact of the outbreak, in addition to the ones already announced at the Budget and on 17 March. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8855/

Relationships and Sex Education in Schools Author : Robert Long Source: House of Commons Library Document type : Commons Research Briefing Published: Tuesday 17 March, 2020 Reference : SN 06103 Geographical coverage: England. Description: This House of Commons Library briefing provides an overview of the current rules and recent reforms to relationships and sex education in English schools. Local authority maintained schools in England are obliged to teach sex and relationships education (SRE) from age 11 upwards, and must have regard to the Government’s SRE guidance. Academies and free schools, the majority in secondary education in England, do not have to follow the National Curriculum and so are not under this obligation. If they do decide to teach SRE, they also must have regard to the guidance. Parents are free to withdraw their children from SRE if they wish to do so. The only exceptions to this are the biological aspects of human growth and reproduction that are essential elements of National Curriculum Science. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06103/

The Review of University Admissions Authors : Paul Bolton and Susan Hubble Source: House of Commons Library Document type : Commons research briefing Published: Monday 16 March, 2020 Reference: CBP-8538 Geographical coverage: United Kingdom Description: This House of Commons briefing paper discusses the university admissions system and the review of admissions practices which was announced by the Education Secretary on 5 April 2019. The Office for Students launched this review later on 27 February 2020. On 22 July 2019 Universities UK

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launched its own separate review of admissions. The paper focuses on the use of predicted grades for university admissions, the increase in unconditional offers by universities, contextual admissions and issues around a post qualification admissions system. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05871/

After Demand Driven Funding in Australia: Competing models for distributing student places to universities, courses and students Author : Professor Andrew Norton Source: Higher Education Policy Institute Document type : Policy and research report. Published: Thursday 19 March, 2020 Reference: HEPI Report 128 Geographical coverage : United Kingdom Description : In 2012, Australia removed student number controls or, in the local terminology, introduced a ‘demand driven system’ based on student choice. In 2015, England followed suit. In both places, entry to higher education was opened up but non-completion rates rose. The report is reviewed in the document review section above. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/03/19/after-demand-driven-funding-in-australia-competing-models-for- distributing-student-places-to-universities-courses-and-students/

TALIS 2018 Results (Volume 2): Teachers and school leaders as valued professionals Author: - Source : OECD Document type : Policy report. Published: Tuesday 24 March, 2020 Reference: ISBN 978-92-64-44129-3 (print) Geographical coverage : International Description: TALIS is the OECD research project Teaching and Learning International Survey, and is the biggest international survey of teachers in the world. The publication features results on teachers and school principals working in schools providing lower secondary education (ISCED Level 2) in 48 countries and economies, as well as in 2 sub-national entities (the Flemish Community of Belgium and the French Community of Belgium) that opted for their data to be adjudicated. It also features results on primary teachers and school principals in 15 countries and economies (ISCED level 1) and on upper secondary teachers and school principals in 11 countries and economies (ISCED level 3). The report is reviewed as a document review and other articles in the TALIS supplement above. https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 35 D E L E G A T E D L E G I S L A T I O N

Statutory instruments issued last week

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children's Homes etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 Year and number: 2020/253 Enabling power: Children Act 1989, ss. 87D (2), 104 (4) (a) and Care Standards Act 2000, ss. 12 (2), 15 (3), 16 (3), 118 (5) (6). Issued : 16.03.2020. Sifted : -. Made: 09.03.2020. Laid: 10.03.2020. Coming into force: 01.04.2020. Effect: S.I. 2015/551 amended. Geographical coverage : England. Classification : general. Price of print edition: £4.90. (The electronic edition is free.) ISBN: 9780111193983. Details : Regulation 2 and the Schedule increase certain fees payable under Parts 2, 3 and 4 of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Fees and Frequency of Inspections) (Children’s Homes etc.) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/551) (‘the 2015 Regulations’). In particular, they increase the fees that are payable to the Chief Inspector in respect of registration of voluntary adoption agencies, adoption support agencies, children’s homes and residential family centres; and variation of registration of those establishments and of fostering agencies. They also increase the annual fees payable by the above establishments and agencies as well as those payable by boarding schools, residential colleges and residential special schools. Regulations 3 and 4 amend the approved places threshold (see regulation 2 of the 2015 Regulations for the definition of “approved place”) set out in the 2015 Regulations. Once this threshold has been exceeded, the relevant institution is obliged to pay a higher annual fee. Regulation 3(a) to (c) lowers the approved places threshold for residential colleges from between 4 – 11 places to 4 – 10 places. Regulation 3(d) to (f) lowers the approved places threshold for residential special schools from between 4 – 17 places to 4 – 15 places. Regulation 4 lowers the approved places threshold for children’s homes from between 4 – 29 places to 4 – 25 places. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen.

The Inspectors of Education, Children's Services and Skills (No. 2) Order 2020 Year and number : 2020/278 Enabling power: Education and Inspections Act 2006, s. 114 (1). Issued : 18.03.2020. Sifted: -. Made : 11.03.2020. Laid : -. Coming into force: 12.03.2020. Eﬀect : None. Geographical coverage : England.

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Classiﬁcation : general. Price of print edition: £4.90. (The electronic edition is free.) ISBN : 9780111194164. Details: This Order appoints the person named in the Schedule as Her Majesty’s Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 37 P A R L I A M E N T

Parliamentary calendar

Debates and answers to oral questions that took place in Parliament last week and yesterday

Date Chamber Event Subject

16.3.20 Commons Oral questions, DfE The Military and young oﬀender rehabilitation 16.3.20 Lords Oral question debate Skills required for a successful economy 17.3.20 Lords Oral question debate Review into children with special needs 18.3.20 Commons 10 Minute Rule motion Children (Access to Treatment) 18.3.20 Commons Ministerial Statement Education settings and the coronavirus 18.3.20 Commons Debate Local government and public services 18.3.20 Lords Ministerial Statement Education settings and the coronavirus 18.3.20 Lords Oral question debate F&HE provision in rural and coastal areas 19.3.20 Lords Ministerial Statement Education settings and the coronavirus 23.3.20 Lords Oral question debate BAME students referred to Pupil Referral Units

Future debates and oral questions sessions

Date Chamber Event Subject

31.3.20 Commons Recess At close of business House rises for Easter break 1.4.20 Lords Recess At close of business House rises for Easter break 21.4.20 Commons Recess House returns from the Easter recess 21.4.20 Lords Recess House returns from the Easter recess 27.4.20 Commons Oral questions, DfE Education and children questions 6.5.20 Commons Recess At close of business House rises for May break 6.5.20 Lords Recess At close of business House rises for May break 11.5.20 Commons Recess House returns from May Day recess 11.5.20 Lords Recess House returns from May Day recess 21.5.20 Commons Recess At close of business House rises for Whitsun 21.5.20 Lords Recess At close of business House rises for Whitsun 2.6.20 Commons Recess House returns from the Whitsun recess 2.6.20 Lords Recess House returns from the Whitsun recess 21.7.20 Commons Recess At close of business House rises for the summer 21.7.20 Lords Recess At close of business House rises for the summer 8.9.20 Commons Recess House returns from the Summer recess 8.9.20 Lords Recess House returns from the Summer recess 17.9.20 Commons Recess At close of business House rises for conferences 17.9.20 Lords Recess At close of business House rises for conferences 13.10.20 Commons Recess House returns from conferences recess 13.10.20 Lords Recess House returns from conferences recess

Note: The above include dates for recesses. These are the recess dates that have been agreed, but either House can change these dates and may do so in the light of the coronavirus COVID-19.

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Committee meetings that took place in Parliament last week and yesterday

Date Chamber Committee Subject or type of activity

16.3.20 Commons PAC UTCs

Future committee meetings

Date Chamber Committee Subject

25.3.20 Commons Education Not yet announced

Abbreviations

BAME Black and Minority Ethnic DfE Department for Education DfID Department for International Development F&HE Further and Higher Education PAC Public Accounts Select Committee Comms Communication and Digital Technology Committee (Lords) UTCs University Technology Colleges

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 39 P ARLIAMENT - D EBATES

Educational settings and the coronavirus

ast Wednesday the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson (Con, South Staffordshire) made a statement regarding changes to the operations of educational settings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (House of Commons, Ministerial oral statement, 18 March 2020.) He said that because the spike of the virus was increasing at a faster pace than anticipated, the public health Lbenefits of schools remaining open as normal were shifting. Mr Williamson added that schools were also finding it increasingly difficult to continue as normal, as illness and self-isolation had impacted on staffing levels and pupil attendance. He said that to provide parents, students and staff with the certainty they needed, after schools had closed their gates on Friday afternoon, they would remain closed until further notice. The Secretary of State said that that would be the case for all children except for those of key workers and the children who were most vulnerable. He explained that the scientific advice had shown that the settings would be safe for a small number of children to continue attending, but others were being asked to stay away to help slow the spread of the virus. Mr Williamson said that some schools would remain open for children of key workers included NHS staff, police and delivery drivers, and vulnerable children including those who had a social worker and those with education, health and care plans. He added that early years providers, sixth forms and further education colleges were expected to do the same and his Department would work with Her Majesty’s Treasury on the financial support that would be required. Mr Williamson said that he was also asking independent schools and boarding schools to follow the same approach. Schools would be given the flexibility to provide meals or vouchers to children who were eligible for free school meals, which would be reimbursed by the Government. The Secretary of State explained that as soon as possible, the Government would introduce a national voucher system for every child who was eligible for free school meals. The Government would also ask educational settings to remain open to children of key workers and to vulnerable children during the Easter holidays as well. Mr Williamson said that to enable schools and other settings to focus on the new operational model and the support they could give to the young people, various duties would be removed. He explained that Ofsted had ceased all routine inspection of early years, schools, colleges and children’s social care services. The Secretary of State confirmed that assessments and exams would not take place, and the Government would not publish performance tables for the academic year. He added that his Department would work with the sector and Ofqual to ensure that children would get the qualifications they needed. Mr Williamson stressed that his Department was working closely with local authorities, representatives of early years, schools and headteachers, regional school commissioners and bodies such as Ofsted and Ofqual to deliver the change as effectively as possible. He stressed that his Department would do whatever was necessary to support local authorities, schools and teachers through the weeks and months ahead. The Secretary of State said that many universities and other higher education institutions were already taking necessary steps to keep their staff and students safe and, where possible, keep providing education. He said that he was confident that vice-chancellors were making the right decisions and his Department would continue to support them in doing so. Mr Williamson said that to ensure that every child received the best education possible, his Department would be working with the BBC and others to provide resources for children to access at home. The Shadow Education Secretary, Angela Rayner (Lab, Ashton-under-Lyne) asked the Secretary of State how the reduced service provided in schools would work, particularly in terms of free school meals. She also asked whether free school meals would be extended to breakfasts and over the school holidays. Mrs Rayner warned that children with disabilities and underlying health conditions were at particular risk and there was no guidance for the parents of such children. She also asked what advice and support was being offered to special schools that served children with particularly serious physical conditions, which

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were often residential. Mrs Rayner pointed out that those on casual contracts or insecure terms, and supply teachers were concerned that they would not be paid. She said that there was widespread concern about the exams and clarity was required in terms of pupils who were due to sit their SATS, GCSEs or A- levels and would now not do so. Ms Rayner said that while the Secretary of State had mentioned that he expected childcare providers to close, many were already close to collapse. Gavin Williamson said that to ensure that no child would be in a situation where they would not receive free school meals, schools had been given the authority and the ability to issue vouchers to every child immediately for the following week. In terms of serious disability guidance, he said that guidance would be produced, with help from Public Health England. The Secretary of State pointed out that guidance for children who were absent, would be included in the Bill that was being brought forward to the House, to give clarity and assurance to parents and schools as to what the situation was. Turning to exams, he said that every child would receive the recognition they deserved for the work they had put in towards their GCSEs, A-levels or other applied general qualifications. He added that his Department was working closely with Ofqual on a detailed set of measures to make sure that no child was unfairly penalised. Mr Williamson pointed out that early years providers would be properly supported through business rates. He said that it would be important to keep educational settings open, not just for key workers but for the most vulnerable children, as school was often the safest place for them. Edward Timpson (Con, Eddisbury) asked whether the definition of “vulnerable children” included children in need, of whom there were about 400,000, and children on a child protection plan, of whom there were about 50,000. If it did, it would significantly increase the number of children who were expected to continue schooling. Mr Williamson said that all children with a social worker would be covered.

In the Lords The statement was repeated the following day in the Lords by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade, Baroness Berridge (Con). (House of Lords, Ministerial Statement, 19 March 2020.) Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Lab), the Opposition spokesman in the Lords on education, said that the Opposition had supported the decision to close schools, which had been made on safety grounds. He asked the minister what steps the Government was taking to facilitate co-operation between nurseries, schools and childcare providers and local communities, and in particular, could she offer clarification on childminders, who had not been mentioned in the Statement. Lord Watson asked whether education providers would need to pool resources, including staff and premises, to care for vulnerable children and the children of key workers. The former Education Secretary Baroness Morris of Yardley (Lab) pointed out that, given the move to end-of-course assessment, without exams, there was no national, universal, commonly agreed coursework that had been assessed and moderated and could be put towards the final grade. She warned about using predicted grades as a decisive factor in determining whether a child went to university, as all the evidence showed that children from working-class backgrounds were constantly underpredicted in their A-level grades. Baroness Berridge reiterated that the Government would ensure a fair and just situation for all students and factors such as underpredictions were being taken into consideration. The Archbishop of Canterbury (Ind) pointed out that the Imperial College analysis model that had been recently published, had showed that in certain circumstances, there would be several waves of Covid- 19, which could continue for 18 to 24 months. He asked the minister at what point the Government would move towards a longer-term view of what needed to happen, as schools could not be closed for two years. Baroness Berridge said that currently, the Government was responding step by step to the scientific evidence that it had, because unlike many situations, it was not possible to predict what might happen in the medium and longer term. Baroness Blower (Lab), the former general secretary of the NUT, asked the minister to confirm that the schools would decide which children were in the vulnerable category. She also asked for confirmation that teachers were also key workers and that their children would also have to go to school. Baroness Berridge said that in terms of vulnerable children, the EHC plan process and the needs assessment, head teachers were expected to collaborate with the local authority, and there would be discretion for them in terms of who was considered to be a vulnerable child. She confirmed that teachers were key workers. ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 41 Local government and public services

arbara Keeley (Lab, Worsley and Eccles South) introduced a debate on the statutory and broader local government responsibilities for public services, including social care. (House of Commons, debate, 18 March 2020.) She said that during the coronavirus crisis, young carers may need more support than others in managing the changing situation in their lives, especially if their local Bsupermarket or pharmacist did not have supplies. Ms Keeley stressed that if schools closed, it would be important to identify children who were young carers, as it was often the case that a school or a teacher within a school may be the only person who knew that one of their pupils was looking after someone at home. She suggested that schools could nominate a lead person to make regular contact with young carers during the time when they were not in school. Ms Keeley pointed out that for many children, school was a place where they could get breakfast and free school meals. She warned that if children needed to stay at home, they may go hungry. Ms Keeley asked what support would there be to protect such children if schools were closed, whether that meant providing food for them or ensuring that social services were monitoring their condition. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Luke Hall (Con, Thornbury and Yate) did not address any of Ms Keeley’s concerns about young carers or free school meals.

Special educational needs

he former Education Secretary Lord Blunkett (Lab) asked the Government when it expected to publish the outcome of its departmental review into children with special educational needs, which had been announced on 6 September 2019, and whether it would include a response to other recent reviews and consultations on the subject. (House of Lords, oral question debate, 17 March T2020.) The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade, Baroness Berridge (Con) stressed that the Government was committed to carrying out a SEND review. She said that while the 2014 reforms had supported more children, for too many children and parents the vision had yet to become a reality. The minister added that the Government would take the time to get it right, drawing on evidence from the relevant reviews. Lord Blunkett pointed out that the review of the education high-needs block for local government had “Baroness Penn (Con) asked started between May and July 2019 and the review what the focus of the review of that the minister had referred to, had been announced in September 2019. He said that the the autism strategy would be, House of Commons Select Committee report of in and whether it would focus in October 2019, had not yet been responded to, and the Budget on 11 March, had failed completely to particular on providing more deal with the challenges that children with special support for girls with autism.” educational needs and their parents faced on a daily basis. Lord Blunkett argued that it was time for action rather than another review. Baroness Berridge said that the comprehensive review, which was being led by the Department for Education across government, incorporated last year’s call for evidence on the funding of schools. But she added that it was not possible to give a speciﬁc timetable for the publication of the review. Baroness Penn (Con) asked what the focus of the review of the autism strategy would be, and whether it would focus in particular on providing more support for girls with autism. Baroness Berridge said that under the 2009 Act, the Government was required to review the autism strategy every three

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years. She pointed out that for the first time, the strategy would include children and young people and one of the areas that would be addressed within the review would be the misdiagnosis, and the underdiagnosis, of girls with autism, who often presented later and were better at camouflaging the condition. Lord Addington (LDP) argued that huge numbers of people who had moderate problems, were being left until they entered the high-needs category, because of a lack of classroom support. Baroness Berridge said that most young people who had special educational needs and disabilities, were accommodated within mainstream schools and without an EHCP, which had been part of the 2014 reforms. Labour’s Shadow Education spokesman in the “Lord Blunkett pointed out Lords, Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Lab, Life) warned that that the review of the when all the schools in England had been closed, the impact would be profound for SEND children and their education high-needs block for families. He asked what plans the Government had to local government had started ensure that the vital support that SEND children and their families relied on would be prioritised in the weeks and between May and July 2019 months ahead. Lord Watson specifically asked whether and the review that the local authorities and other agencies would be properly funded to enable them to deliver support. Baroness minister had referred to, had Berridge said that the Government was “acutely” aware been announced in September that there were groups of young people, particularly within the SEND population, such as those in special 2019. He said that the House residential schools, where there were implications in of Commons Select Committee having any kind of household-type isolation. She said that there were also profound implications for the families as report of in October 2019, had the children were in residential special provision for very not yet been responded to, good reasons. The minister added that guidance was being worked on. and the Budget on 11 March, The Conservative Party’s historian, Lord Lexden had failed completely to deal (Con), who has had a long association with the independent sector, argued that it was important to try to with the challenges that reduce the large sums of public money that were being children with special spent by local authorities as they attempted to resist legitimate requests by families for special educational educational needs and their needs. What he meant was that the local authorities parents faced on a daily basis. were reluctant to buy places from private providers. Baroness Berridge said that since 2014, the percentage of Lord Blunkett argued that it decisions that had been taken to the tribunal as a was time for action rather proportion of the overall number of plans was the same. But she pointed out that the numbers were going up than another review.” because the number of plans were going up. The minister explained that there were currently five different decisions, or combinations of decisions, that parents could appeal. She said that the local authorities had been given £365 million of capital to build more spaces because it was cheaper for local authorities to provide the spaces themselves, rather than using private or independent providers. Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl) asked whether the Government’s review would consider ring-fencing the money for special educational needs, which had always been a problem, especially as local authorities and other institutions were facing extreme cuts and pressures. Baroness Berridge said that currently the funding went out to local authorities and schools now received a proportion of the money within the national funding formula., a proportion of that money. She added that the £7 billion was given to local authorities and it was for them to determine locally what the needs of their population were.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 43 F&HE in rural and coastal areas

ord Bassam of Brighton (Lab) asked the Government what support it planned to introduce, to assist universities and further education colleges to address issues with higher education provision in rural and coastal areas. (House of Lords, oral question debate, 18 March 2020.) The Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State, Department for Education and Department for International Trade, Baroness Berridge L(Con) said that the Government planned to expand technical and vocational provision at higher levels through the institutes of technology, of which there would be 20 spread across all regions of England. Lord Bassam asked the minister to explain what additional sustainable support the Government would provide for further and higher education institutions in seaside towns and other left-behind parts of the country, to redress the education inequalities they experienced. Baroness Berridge said that the Government’s opportunity areas programme had been extended and the funding would be £90 million. She pointed out that the programme was also in Opportunity North East, where there was specific funding. The minister said that a number of factors affected access to the best education provision, and the Government was particularly looking at the transport offer. She added that a discounted rail ticket had been introduced for 16 and 17-year-olds and from 2021, apprentices and jobseekers would benefit from discounted bus travel. Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (Con) urged the minister to look into coastal towns provision for disabled students in terms of Higher Education. Baroness Berridge said that universities were bound by the Equalities Act and they should make provision for students with special education needs and disabilities, as funding was available for them to do so. Baroness Garden of Frognal (LDP) asked what provision the Government was making to ensure that disadvantaged students from rural and coastal areas had access to the work experience that was a key part of the untried and untested T-levels. Baroness Berridge said that in terms of the first three T-levels that would be introduced later in the year, there had been specific investment of capital to ensure that they would be 80% classroom and 20% work placements. She added that providers had been given funding to establish good-quality work placements, which were an essential part of T-levels. The former Education Secretary, Lord Blunkett (Lab) asked the minister to speak to the Secretary of State and return to the House in relation to the survival of the further and higher education institutions across the country, which may be affected detrimentally in the months ahead by the final incremental payments of fees, which would leave them with a considerable shortage of funds. He also asked the minister to find out whether the Secretary of State would discuss with the Office for Students how it should approach the issue as a supportive mechanism, not as a critic. Baroness Berridge said that the issue of early years providers and further education colleges were similarly funded by the activity “through the door”, which was currently on the Department’s radar. Baroness Hooper (Con), a former junior education minister and honorary president of the British Educational Suppliers Association, argued that ed tech offered a valuable opportunity for international co- operation between institutions in other countries. Baroness Berridge said that ed tech was just beginning to show what was possible in relation to education in international collaboration and particularly in flexible and distance learning, which could help students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access education further away from home, if they had caring responsibilities, and particularly in relation to special educational needs. She added that the Department was having a rapid evidence assessment, because teachers needed to understand fully what technology was currently available to best apply it to the students they were trying to teach. Baroness Blackstone (Ind Lab), a former Minister of State for Education and deputy director of the Inner London Education Authority, said she had been gratified to hear that consideration was being given to supporting students with transport costs. She asked the minister for more detail, particularly in relation to students over the age of 19, and whether part-time students would be included in any support that had been planned. Baroness Berridge said that the support covered both bus and rail, but the bursary funding given to institutions could also be given to disadvantaged students. She added that she would need to come back to Baroness Blackstone in terms of her part-time question.

44 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 P ARLIAMENT - Q UESTIONS

The following written questions were answered in Parliament last week.

House of Commons Department for Education

Children: Lung Diseases

Dame Cheryl Gillan : [28115] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the situation relating to covid-19, what plans his Department has to arrange for children with chronic lung conditions to be taken out of school.

Nick Gibb : COVID-19 is an unprecedented situation and the Department’s highest priority. We are working closely with colleagues across Government to ensure that all appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all Department for Education sectors – from early years and childcare, schools and children’s social care – and for vulnerable groups including children with long-term medical conditions. Schools should continue to support their pupils’ health needs as normal and let staﬀ and parents know that there is NHS guidance available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19- information-for-the-public.

Monday 16 March 2020

Specialist Maths Schools

Angela Rayner : [28083] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the (a) revenue of and (b) capital expenditure on specialist maths schools in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb : Revenue expenditure:

ACADEMIC YEARS TOTAL REVENUE

2010/11 £0 2011/12 £0 2012/13 £180,000 2013/14 £420,000 2014/15 £1,754,415 2015/16 £1,992,761 2016/17 £1,906,776 2017/18 £1,847,182 2018/19 £2,259,094 2019/20 £2,386,860

Total £12,747,087

Both before and after opening, maths schools receive core funding in line with other new post-16 schools. Maths schools receive some additional funding in return for delivering key aspects of the maths school

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 45 model, which includes significant outreach work with teachers and students in schools in their surrounding areas to increase both maths A level participation and maths GCSE and A level attainment. Details are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm ent_data/file/822102/20190723_-_Proposer_guidance_-_maths_schools_- _update.pdf. In order to serve the whole of the south west, Exeter Mathematics School also provides boarding accommodation for a small number of students and receives a residential accommodation grant in order for students from financially disadvantaged/low income backgrounds who live too far away for a daily commute to attend. All core and additional revenue expenditure is included in the table above. The Department publishes overall capital costs for all free schools, including maths schools on GOV.UK once all works are completed and costs are finalised. Given that these can be large and complex projects, this can take some time between first opening and publication. Additional finalised capital costs for individual free schools and maths schools will be published in due course. Final capital costs are published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm ent_data/file/863262/Capital_Funding_for_Free_Schools__UTCs_and_Studio__Scho ols_.ods.

Angela Rayner : [28084] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many universities have made a commitment to sponsor a specialist maths school in each region of England.

Nick Gibb : Seven universities have made a commitment to sponsor a specialist maths school: University of Cambridge, Durham University, University of Exeter, King’s College London, Lancaster University, University of Liverpool, and University of Surrey. The Department is working to open 11 maths schools, with at least one in every region.

Monday 16 March 2020

Union Learning Fund

Emma Hardy: [28017] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to continue to provide ﬁnancial support to the Union Learning Fund beyond the end of March 2020.

Gillian Keegan : We plan to continue providing ﬁnancial support to the Union Learning Fund in the next ﬁnancial year. Funding beyond that is dependent on the outcome of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Monday 16 March 2020

Academic Year and Free School Meals

Paul Maynard : [27573] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to announce the locations that will receive funding through the Holiday Activities and Food scheme in 2020.

Vicky Ford : School summer holidays can be a particularly diﬃcult time for some families due to increased food and childcare costs and reduced incomes. That is why we have announced funding for the 2020 summer school holidays to again support children and their families with free access to holiday clubs across the country. This follows our £9 million investment in 2019 which explored a model of local coordination of free holiday provision in 11 local authority areas. We held a competitive bidding round for the summer 2020 fund which closed on 13 December. All bids were assessed against our published criteria and applicants needed to demonstrate that they could

46 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 coordinate high-quality holiday clubs for children across their areas. We will contact all bidders both successful and unsuccessful in the very near future.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Free School Meals

Dan Jarvis : [28657] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2020 to Question 2542, what support is available to parents of children eligible for free school meals who have medical dietary requirements that the school cannot guarantee to meet.

Vicky Ford: Schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, including to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs. In exceptional circumstances, it may be considered reasonable for the school not to make special provision for particular children – for example, where this would be very difficult and costly to achieve. In the rare event that schools are unable to accommodate the dietary requirements of a student, schools are not required to provide additional support. Guidance for schools is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-forschools with additional supporting information on allergies at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food- standards-resources-forschools/allergy-guidance-for-schools.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Mathematics: Primary Education

Selaine Saxby: [26180] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the grid multiplication method in maths teaching at key stage 2; and whether he plans to publish revised guidance to encourage that method in the curriculum.

Nick Gibb: [Holding answer 16 March 2020]: The mathematics national curriculum was reformed in 2014. It was developed by the Department with advice from subject experts, to ensure that it provided the knowledge to progress in education and employment. The national curriculum requires pupils in state- maintained schools to be taught a formal written method of multiplication and ‘Mathematics Appendix 1’ provides a set of examples for this. There are no current plans to published revised guidance on this matter.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Music: Education

Dan Jarvis : [28658] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 24 January 2020 to 7627, what plans he has to ring-fence funding in the National Plan for Music Education to provide support for talented young musicians from low-income families. Dan Jarvis: [28659] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2020 Question 7627, what plans he has to increase funding for the In Harmony music programme.

Nick Gibb : The Government recognises that music is an important subject and that all pupils should receive a high-quality music education. The subject is compulsory in the national curriculum up to age 14. To

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 47 support schools to deliver high quality music education for all their pupils, the Government has provided funding of over £300 million for music education hubs across England between 2016 and 2020. We have already announced funding of £85 million for music and arts education in 2020-21. This includes a further year of the music education hub programme, to help thousands more children learn to play musical instruments, and further funding for initiatives, including In Harmony, that support pupils from a range of backgrounds to learn about diﬀerent styles of music. The Government has conﬁrmed that an arts premium will be provided to secondary schools to fund enriching activities for all pupils. Work is underway to develop the arts premium and we will be making further statements on this in due course. The Department recently held a Call for Evidence on music education to inform our refresh of the National Plan for Music Education. We will be undertaking further work on this ahead of publication of the Plan in the autumn. Funding beyond 2021 will be subject to the 2020 Spending Review.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Primary Education: Assessments

Rupa Huq: [27606] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of Reception Baseline Assessments.

Vicky Ford: The purpose of the reception baseline assessment (RBA) is to form the starting point for reception to year six progress measures in primary schools. The RBA has undergone a thorough review process to ensure that it is ﬁt for purpose, including a national pilot. Data from over 340,000 assessments has now been analysed and shows that the assessment is valid and ﬁt for purpose. The department has recently published the reception baseline assessment validity report, demonstrating the evidence that has been gathered throughout the assessment development process, showing the assessment to be an accurate assessment of children’s starting points. The report can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reception-baseline-assessment- validityreport.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Breakfast Clubs: Finance

Paul Maynard : [27572] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in (a) Blackpool and (b) Lancashire local authority areas have received funding through the National School Breakfast Programme.

Vicky Ford : The department is investing up to £35 million in the National Schools Breakfast Programme (NSBP) to kick-start or improve sustainable breakfast clubs in up to 2,450 schools in disadvantaged areas. This includes the recently announced extension to the NSBP which will support up to an additional 650 schools with up to £11.8 million being invested in 2020-21. Please ﬁnd the list of participating schools from Blackpool and Lancashire attached. Prior to the launch of the National Schools Breakfast Programme there was already a successful local authority scheme operating within Blackpool. The scheme, run through Blackpool Council, entitles all primary school children to a free breakfast. Attachments: 1. List of Participating Schools [Breakfast Clubs PQ 27572.xlsx]

Wednesday 18 March 2020

48 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Educational Visits: Coronavirus

Steve McCabe: [29198] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to make ﬁnancial support available to schools that have cancelled international school trips and not been able to issue a refund due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb : The Government advises against any overseas trips for children under 18 organised by educational settings. Affected schools should check with their travel providers and credit card companies regarding securing refunds in the first instance. If unable to recoup their full costs, academies signed up to the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) for schools should then submit their claims as per the RPA membership pack and other affected schools should contact their individual insurance providers. The Government’s COVID-19 travel guidance for the education sector is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-aboutcovid-19/covid-19- travel-guidance-for-the-education-sector.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

Free School Meals: Coronavirus

Emma Hardy: [29261] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to continue to provide children eligible for free school meals with meals in the event that schools are closed due to the outbreak of covid-19.

Vicky Ford : The guidance from Public Health England remains that childcare facilities and schools should stay open, unless advised otherwise. However, the department is aware that pupils eligible for free school meals will miss out if their school is closed, or they are asked to self-isolate. We are reviewing this issue as a matter of urgency, working closely with other government departments to consider what action can be taken. We recognise the challenge this could place on families, schools and other education providers. The department has launched a dedicated telephone and email service to allow quick access to the latest help and support for schools and parents. The purpose of the helpline is to ensure consistent and accurate information reaches education providers and should help ensure providers feel well supported. Details of the helpline: Phone: 0800 046 8687 (8am to 6pm Monday to Friday and weekends 10am to 4pm.) Email: [email protected]

Wednesday 18 March 2020

National Retraining Scheme

Emma Hardy: [27618] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on the roll-out of the national retraining scheme in 2020; and on what date that scheme will commence.

Gillian Keegan : The government has started to roll out Get Help to Retrain, the ﬁrst part of the National Retraining Scheme. This service helps users to understand their current skills, explore alternative occupations that they could work in and ﬁnd and sign up to the training that they need to access opportunities for a broad range of good jobs. Since the start of the roll-out of Get Help to Retrain in the Liverpool City Region in July, more features have been added to the service and it has been rolled out to users in a further 5 areas. The service

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 49 will be further tested and improved in 2020, using user research and feedback to inform future development. Over the course of this Parliament, the government are also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion including indicative Barnett consequentials), for a new National Skills Fund to help people learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future. We are planning to consult widely on the overall design and we will provide updates on the National Skills Fund and planned consultation.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

Obesity: Health Education

Andrew Rosindell : [27514] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the health risks of obesity among schoolchildren.

Nick Gibb : Childhood obesity is a signiﬁcant health challenge for this generation, and tackling it is an important priority for the Government. Our cross-Government childhood obesity plan, launched in 2016, represents the start of a long journey and focuses on the actions that are likely to have the biggest impact. Many policies of the Department for Education, which complement those of other Departments, are expected to make a direct contribution to reducing the incidence of childhood obesity. These include free school meals, the school food standards, the addition of food education in the national curriculum, and the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium. The healthy schools rating scheme celebrates the positive actions that schools are delivering in terms of healthy living, healthy eating and physical activity, and supports schools in identifying further actions that they can take in this area. In addition, the new subject of health education which will be taught to all pupils in state-funded schools from September 2020, alongside relationships education (for primary aged pupils) and relationships and sex education (secondary aged pupils) covers the issue of healthy eating. Pupils will learn about the characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health). The Department will publish an updated school and sport activity plan following the Comprehensive Spending Review and will consider what more can be done to promote physical activity. Ahead of that, the Budget has conﬁrmed that £90 million will be provided over the next four years to support primary school PE teaching and help schools make best use of their sports facilities.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

Pupils: Attendance

Christopher Chope : [29195] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to deﬁne exceptional circumstances for the purpose of grant of leave of absence from schools so that greater consistency can be established.

Nick Gibb : Head teachers have the discretion to grant a pupil a leave of absence in exceptional circumstances. Our guidance is clear that they should consider each application individually taking into account the speciﬁc facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. In relation to the current pandemic, the Department for Education has updated our guidance on this issue to ensure that schools will not be penalised for the impacts of COVID-19 on their attendance ﬁgures. Parents and head teachers should act in accordance with latest information and advice from Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England. This advice is being updated regularly as

50 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 the situation develops, and more in---formation can be obtained from the dedicated Department for Education helpline, open seven days a week. Where a pupil is in self-isolation, in accordance with the latest advice, the Department for Education has made it clear to all schools that the pupil should be recorded in the attendance register as ‘unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances’. Code Y – unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances – should be used in this instance. Schools have also been advised that where a pupil does not attend school and is not self-isolating, the pupil will be recorded as absent but we expect headteachers will authorise absence where a pupil is not able to attend because of an underlying health condition that means they, or a family member in their household, are particularly vulnerable to the virus. Recording a pupil as unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances and authorising absence will not lead to enforcement action being taken.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

T-levels

Emma Hardy: [27563] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students are enrolled on T Level courses due to commence in September 2020.

Gillian Keegan : We estimate that there will be between 1500 and 2000 places available for students across the first 3 T levels being taught from September 2020. Providers are currently recruiting students and we will be working with them to understand more about enrolment patterns over the coming months. We have taken a phased approach to T level delivery, working closely with providers to ensure a smooth and high-quality rollout. The first 3 T levels will be delivered by around 50 providers across the country. We are encouraging providers to make decisions about their curriculum offer based on a range of factors, including the availability and needs of local employers, demand from students and the availability and expertise of staff within their institutions. T levels are part of a 10-year change programme to transform the technical education system. The funding that has been invested to support their roll out will also support this wider change for the long term.

Emma Hardy: [27564] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department has allocated for the introduction of T Levels.

Gillian Keegan : In March 2017, the government announced that extra funding would be made available for the additional costs of T levels, rising to an additional £500 million per year when T levels are fully rolled out. Programme funding has now been allocated to educational institutions to prepare for the introduction of T levels through the capacity and delivery fund for industry placements and through the early adopter development fund for initial T level providers. Funding allocations totalled £57 million in academic year 2018/19 and £57 million in 2019/20. Allocations for 2020/21 will include funding for a further year of these preparation funding streams as well as funding for the initial delivery of T levels from September 2020. However, the total allocation amounts for 2020/21 are not yet available. The government is also investing in continuing professional development for the workforce in providers of T levels and making available capital funding for the providers of T levels to invest in their facilities and equipment. This includes £38 million in capital funding for providers delivering T levels in 2020 and £95 million for providers delivering T levels in 2021.

Wednesday 18 March 2020

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 51 Educational Visits: Coronavirus

Louise Haigh: [29992] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure (a) schools and (b) families are reimbursed for school trips cancelled as a result of covid-19.

Nick Gibb: On 12 March 2020, the Government advised all schools and other education settings in England against undertaking any overseas trips for children under 18. More recently, on 16 March, the Government advised against anyone making non-essential domestic trips. All travel guidance is available on GOV.UK and all educational settings in England have been alerted to the existence of, and directed to, this advice via the daily Covid-19 education sector update they receive directly from the Department for Education. With regard to insurance matters, all schools should check with their travel providers and credit card companies regarding securing refunds in the ﬁrst instance. If unable to recoup their full costs, those academies signed up to the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) for schools should then submit their claims as per the RPA membership pack and other aﬀected schools should contact their individual insurance providers. Government Covid-19 travel guidance for the education sector can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-aboutcovid-19/covid-19- travel-guidance-for-the-education-sector. FCO Covid-19 travel guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Food Technology: Schools

George Howarth : [27952] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the provision of cooking classes in schools to ensure that all pupils are taught cookery until the end of key stage 3.

Nick Gibb: Cooking and nutrition are compulsory in state-maintained schools for Key Stages 1 to 3, from ages 5 to 14. It is a discrete strand of the design and technology programme of study within the national curriculum, which can be used as an exemplar for free schools and academies. The programme of study for cooking and nutrition aims to teach children how to cook and apply the principles of healthy eating and good nutrition. It recognises that cooking is an important life skill that will help children to feed themselves and others healthy and affordable food, now and in the future. By the end of Key Stage 3, pupils should be able to cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes and be competent in a range of cooking techniques. A food preparation and nutrition GCSE is also available for pupils who are interested in continuing to study cookery. It requires pupils to understand and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating when preparing and cooking food. This was introduced in 2016, with the first exams in this qualification taken in summer 2018.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Foreign Students: Coronavirus

Wes Streeting: [30107] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his department is taking to support international students with (a) accommodation, (b) visas, (c) ﬁnancial hardship and (c) access to healthcare during the covid-19 outbreak.

Michelle Donelan : Urgent work is underway in the Department for Education and the Oﬃce for Students to ensure that we have the appropriate policy response in place to respond to the impact of Covid-19 on the

52 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 higher education sector and its students, including international students. Our priority is preventing the spread of Covid-19 while doing everything possible to mitigate the impact on learning and attainment and to protect the sustainability and capacity of the provider base and colleges for the future. We recognise that this is an unprecedented situation and that it will require an unprecedented response. I have been working closely with representatives of the sector in developing this, including joining representatives from a sector coordination group on 16 March, convened by Universities UK, where we discussed a number of the issues raised by the hon. Member for Ilford North. With respect to visas specifically, the Home Office published Covid-19 visa guidance for overseas nationals in February, and international students are invited to contact the Home Office’s Coronavirus Immigration Helpline if they have any specific concerns regarding their own visa status. Details are easily accessible on the Home Office’s website, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirusimmigration-guidance-if-youre-unable-to-return-to-china-from- the-uk.

Thursday 19 March 2020

School Meals

George Howarth: [27953] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to (a) increase the take-up of school meals and (b) improve compliance with school food standards.

Vicky Ford : The government encourages all schools to promote healthy eating and provide healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools. We also expect all academies and free schools to comply with the standards, and since 2014 we have made this an explicit requirement in their funding agreements. School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure that the school is meeting its obligations. Should parents feel that school food standards are not being met at their child’s school, they may choose to make a complaint using the school’s own complaints procedure. In particular, we want to ensure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals (FSM) and we also want to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this, we provide an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities. We have also developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM. Additionally, we provide guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider beneﬁts, including FSM.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Schools: Coronavirus

Darren Jones : [28068] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that vulnerable people, in the event that they are advised to self-isolate are not penalised if they have to remove their dependents from school in order to do so.

Nick Gibb : Parents will not be penalised for absence that results from following government guidance on self-isolation. Where a pupil is in self-isolation, in accordance with the latest advice from Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England, schools have been advised to record the pupil as being unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances in the attendance register.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 53 Schools have also been advised that where a pupil does not attend school and is not self-isolating, the pupil will be recorded as absent but we expect headteachers will authorise absence where a pupil is not able to attend because of an underlying health condition that means they, or a family member in their household, are particularly vulnerable to the virus. Recording a pupil as unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances and authorising absence will not lead to enforcement action being taken.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Sex and Relationship Education

Louise Haigh: [29980] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to review sex and relationships education in schools and academies to ensure it includes age-appropriate guidance on online pornography.

Nick Gibb: From September 2020, relationships education will become compulsory for all primary-aged pupils, relationships and sex education (RSE) compulsory for all secondary-aged pupils, and health education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools. These subjects are designed to ensure pupils are taught the knowledge and life skills they will need to stay safe, build confidence and resilience, and develop healthy and supportive relationships. In relationships education and RSE, teachers need to address online safety and appropriate behaviour in a way that is relevant to pupils’ lives. Teachers should include content on how information and data is shared and used in all contexts, including online. This should include, for example, how specifically sexually explicit material such as pornography presents a distorted picture of sexual behaviours, can damage the way people see themselves in relation to others and negatively affect how they behave towards sexual partners. Teaching should also cover relevant aspects of the law so that pupils understand that sharing and viewing indecent images of children (including those created by children) is a criminal offence which carries severe penalties, including custodial sentences.

Thursday 19 March 2020

Breakfast Clubs

Christian Wakeford: [28768] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential eﬀect of the National School Breakfast Programme on the educational attainment of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Vicky Ford: The department is investing up to £35 million in the National Schools Breakfast Programme to kick-start or improve sustainable breakfast clubs in up to 2,450 schools in disadvantaged areas. This includes the recently announced extension to the programme which will support up to an additional 650 schools with up to £11.8 million being invested in 2020-21. An Education Endowment Foundation evaluation between 2014 and 2017 found that supporting schools to run a free of charge, universal breakfast club before school delivered an average of 2 months of additional progress for pupils in Key Stage 1. Breakfast club schools also saw an improvement in pupil behaviour and attendance. We monitor management information from the programme on an ongoing basis and will review the eﬀectiveness of the programme fully once it concludes.

Friday 20 March 2020

54 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Children: Health

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [28621] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the reasons why the UK ranked 40th for children’s well-being out of the 44 countries that took part in the OECD’s PISA 2018 rankings; and what steps the Government is taking to improve its position in those rankings.

Nick Gibb : Good mental wellbeing is a priority for this Government. The Department is looking carefully at the evidence about children and young people’s mental wellbeing and how to support it. In October 2019, we published the first ‘State of the Nation’ report on children and young people’s wellbeing to bring together the evidence for England, which has shown a slight fall in recent years. The full report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2019-children-andyoung-peoples- wellbeing. The Department is taking forward a wide range of work to ensure that wellbeing is at the forefront of our approach to supporting children and young people in schools. This includes teaching pupils about looking after their mental health and wellbeing through the introduction of the new subjects of relationships, sex and health education. This will include the importance of sleep, understanding the benefits of rationing time online and the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices, including how the content can affect their own and others’ mental and physical wellbeing. The Department is also improving collaboration with external agencies, to ensure those pupils that need specialist support and treatment get it quickly. In particular, we have a major joint programme of work with NHS England to introduce new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges, and to support schools and colleges to put in place senior mental health leads. The Department has several further initiatives in place to support schools to develop and implement whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. These include trialling approaches to promoting positive mental wellbeing to ensure pupils have access to evidence based early support and interventions – the largest trial in the world of its kind, piloting different approaches to peer-to-peer support, and rolling out Mental Health Awareness Training to all state-funded secondary schools, to improve capability to identify potential issues. The Public Health England Rise Above programme in schools and online provides advice for children and young people on coping strategies for modern life. These strategies include dealing with difficult emotions and situations that can lead to problems such as stress, bullying and self-harm. Details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/phe-launches-rise-above-for-schoolsprogramme.

Friday 20 March 2020

Domestic Abuse: Sex and Relationship Education

Liz Twist: [28654] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether content on domestic abuse will be included in the new Relationships education, relationships and sex curriculum.

Nick Gibb : The Department wants to support all children and young people to be happy, healthy and safe. Through the new subjects of relationships, sex and health education, we want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. These subjects will help in ensuring all young people, at age appropriate points, know the signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships, and that violence in relationships and domestic abuse is unlawful and never acceptable. Throughout these subjects there is a focus on ensuring pupils know how to get further support. The guidance can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/relationships-and-sex-education-andhealth-education.

Friday 20 March 2020

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 55 Ministerial Responsibility: Children

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: [28620] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the potential merits of having a Minister responsible for the eﬀect of all Government policies on children; and which Department is responsible for Government policies that relate to children not connected to health, education or social care.

Vicky Ford : This Government is committed to levelling up opportunity for all children. Responsibility for this rightly falls across a number of government departments – to ensure that all policies affecting children receive the focus and dedication they deserve. The provision of high-quality education and care services is one part of the work this government is doing to unlock the potential of all children and there is a dedicated Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families. The Cabinet Office plays a critical role in supporting this collective and coordinated effort and ensuring that government policy delivers for society as a whole, including children. In addition, the government supports a number of arms-length bodies – such as the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Social Mobility Commission – to consider the effect of policies on children and young people.

Friday 20 March 2020

School Meals: Standards

Paul Maynard: [28605] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance on nutritional standards his Department issues to private contractors providing school meals.

Vicky Ford : The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. Schools are responsible for their school meals service and how and where they choose to buy their produce. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools. We expect all academies and free schools to comply with the standards, and since 2014 we have made this an explicit requirement in their funding agreements. Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations. Guidance on the Standards, and further resources for schools, are available on GOV.UK.

Friday 20 March 2020

Sex and Relationship Education

Liz Twist: [28655] To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours of training each teacher will receive to deliver the new Relationships education, relationships and sex curriculum.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to supporting schools to deliver high-quality teaching of relationships education, relationships and sex education, and health education. Many schools are already teaching aspects of these subjects as part of their sex and relationships education provision or their personal, social, health and economic education programme. Schools have ﬂexibility to determine how to deliver the new content, in the context of a broad and balanced curriculum. To support schools in their preparations, the Department is investing in a central package to help all schools to increase the conﬁdence and quality of their teaching practice. We are currently developing a new online service featuring innovative training materials, case

56 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 studies and support to access resources. This will be available from April 2020 with additional content added through the summer term, covering all of the teaching requirements in the statutory guidance. We will also publish an implementation guide which will be provided to all schools as part of this service, and face-to-face training will be available for schools that need additional support. The Department is currently working with lead teachers, non-specialist teachers, schools and subject experts to develop this central programme of support to help ensure it meets the needs of schools and teachers. It will complement the wide range of training opportunities that are being provided by local authorities and sector organisations.

Friday 20 March 2020

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Arts: Children

Antony Higginbotham: [28109] To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access for children to music, ﬁlm, dance and theatre.

Caroline Dinenage : Arts Council England (ACE) funds a number of national music and cultural education programmes across the country focused on children and young people. For example, DCMS works closely with DfE to deliver Music Education hubs which help hundreds of thousands of young people learn to play an instrument in whole classes every year. Alongside this, ACE supports a range of organisations that provide cultural programmes speciﬁcally aimed at children. DCMS has also committed £2m to the Creative Careers Programme: an industry-designed and led initiative to raise awareness amongst children and young people of opportunities for work across the creative economy.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

Department of Health and Social Care

Eating Disorders

Scott Benton : [26986] To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what statutory responsibilities the General Medical Council has to ensure that doctors have suﬃcient (a) knowledge and (b) clinical skills to (i) identify and (ii) treat patients with eating disorders.

Helen Whately : Undergraduate training is set by individual Medical Royal Colleges against standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC) and the curricula for postgraduate specialty training. The GMC’s General Professional Capabilities Framework sets out the essential generic capabilities needed for safe, eﬀective and high-quality medical care in the United Kingdom. The framework, which the GMC requires colleges to embed in all curricula, covers the knowledge, skills and behaviours that a doctor must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients. Diagnosing and treating eating disorders is an important area of medical practice. It is included within the curriculum for all doctors, including for general practitioners (where most eating disorders initially present) and in more depth within training for psychiatry, particularly child and adolescent psychiatry.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 57 Eating Disorders: Children and Young People

Scott Benton : [26987] To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS report entitled Stepping forward to 2021, the mental health workforce plan for England, published in July 2017, what assessment his Department has made of the progress made by (a) Health Education England and (b) the partners of that organisation on meeting the target of recruiting 30 consultant psychiatrists for community eating disorder services for children and young people by 2020-2021.

Nadine Dorries: The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health set out the improvements expected in mental health services by 2021. This is underpinned by the report Stepping Forward to 2021 – the mental health workforce plan for England. As at November 2019, there are 661 consultants working in child and adolescent psychiatry 1 this is 33 (or 5.3%) more than in 2010. Data are not collected on the number of consultant psychiatrists working within children and young people’s eating disorder services. Through their program of work, Enhancing Junior Doctors Working Lives, Health Education England (HEE) is promoting the beneﬁts of psychiatry training. HEE has also increased the number of Psychiatry placements available for junior doctors undertaking foundation training. Note: 1 Data taken from NHS Hospital and Community Health (HCHS) data set.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

H M Treasury

Pre-school Education: Non-domestic Rates

Tulip Siddiq: [28678] To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether nursery schools in England with a rateable value below £51,000 will be eligible for the expanded business rate relief announced in Budget 2020.

Tulip Siddiq : [28680] To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many nurseries in England successfully applied for small business rate relief in each of the last ten years.

Jesse Norman: The Government is increasing the business rates retail discount to 100% for 2020-21 and expanding it to include the leisure and hospitality sectors. Private childcare providers may be eligible for up to 100% Small Business Rate Relief. The Government has taken repeated action to reduce the burden of business rates for all ratepayers, worth more than £13 billion over the next five years. Local Authorities continue to have powers to offer business rates discounts beyond pre-defined reliefs at their discretion.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

58 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 House of Lords

Children in Care

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth : To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the life chances of children taken into care. [HL2039]

Baroness Berridge : The government is committed to ensuring that all children taken into care have the best possible chances in life. We have given looked after children top priority in school admissions to ensure they have access to the very best schools and their education is supported through the expertise and leadership of local authority Virtual School Heads (VSHs). VSHs are directly accountable for the educational outcomes of looked-after children and receive pupil premium plus funding to work with schools to support the education of individual children and the cohort as a whole. Pupil premium plus funding is £2,300 per child in 2019/20 rising to £2,345 in 2020/21. In addition, in recognition of the importance of ensuring that the mental health and wellbeing needs of looked-after children are identiﬁed, we are investing over £1 million to pilot high quality mental health assessments for children entering care. The support does not stop when children leave care. Building on the measures already introduced through the cross-government care leaver strategy, in October 2019 we announced a further £19 million in 2020/21 to improve care leavers’ outcomes, including £10 million to expand Staying Put, so more care leavers can continue to live with their former foster carers until age 21 and £6 million to begin rolling out Staying Close, which provides extra support for young people leaving residential care. We are also providing £3 million to improve support for care leavers in further education. The announcement also set out plans to establish a cross- government ministerial board to drive improved support for care leavers and a target to secure 1,000 public sector internships for care leavers by 2022. The government also conﬁrmed in February that it would carry out an independent review of the care system to make sure that all care placements and settings are providing children and young adults with the support they need so that they have the best possible chance to succeed in life.

Monday 16 March 2020

Free School Meals

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many pupils took up free school meals in England and Wales in each year since 2015. [HL2136]

Baroness Berridge: The Department for Education publishes ﬁgures for the number of pupils taking a free school meal on the day of the January census in schools in England. The ﬁgures from 2014/15 to 2018/19 are shown in the table below. All infant pupils are eligible for free school meals (FSM) under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy. Meals delivered under the universal eligibility are presented separately in the table. ‘FSM eligible meals taken’ includes those infant pupils who would already have been eligible for FSM under the income-related criteria.

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 59 FSM UIFSM

Academic year FSM eligible FSM taking a meal UIFSM meals taken on census day

2014/15 1,195,600 1,000,200 1,375,300

2015/16 1,142,000 926,600 1,417,700

2016/17 1,128,400 899,000 1,466,200

2017/18 1,106,600 872,700 1,472,900

2018/19 1,270,900 1,000,900 1,433,700

Free school meals provision in Wales and the associated data is the responsibility of the administration in Wales.

Monday 16 March 2020

Primary Education: Free School Meals

Lord Storey : To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of universal free school meals for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. [HL2234]

Baroness Berridge: A key success measure for Universal Infant Free School Meals is take-up of the meal, which has been consistently strong. We monitor this through the schools census. 1.4 million infants receive a free meal through this programme which is a take-up rate of 87%.

Monday 16 March 2020

Pupils: Gender

Lord Lucas : To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address sex stereotyping in schools. [HL2221]

Baroness Berridge: From September 2020, it will be compulsory for all primary schools to teach relationships education and for all secondary schools to teach relationships and sex education. Health education will be compulsory in all state-funded schools. These subjects directly support the government’s ambitions to end discrimination against women and girls. Pupils will be taught about stereotypes, consent, mutual respect, management of conﬂict, sexual violence and laws relating to sex, relationships and young people in an age-appropriate way. The department’s careers strategy is clear that positive steps are being taken to tackle gender stereotypes in schools. For example, we are exploring how to close the gender divide in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across educational and professional routes, such as through STEM apprenticeships and the new T levels. We are funding gender balance programmes in physics and computing which aim to identify practical interventions that schools can implement to improve girls’ participation in these subjects. We are also funding research that will help us to better understand what works to improve girls’ mathematics and physics A-level participation.

Monday 16 March 2020

60 EDUCATION JOURNAL 24 March 2020 ISSUE 407 Schools: Transport

Lord Taylor of Warwick : To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of poor transport infrastructure on the results of secondary schools students. [HL2239]

Baroness Berridge: The department has not carried out research into the impact of transport infrastructure on the results of secondary school students. We recognise the complex relationships and connections between the strength of an area’s infrastructure and the performance of public services. This government is committed to levelling up across the country. Driving up educational standards are central to our determination to ensure that opportunities to succeed do not depend on where you live. Therefore, we are delivering a number of policies to address regional and local inequalities in education standards. These include fair funding for schools, our Opportunity Areas and Opportunity North East programmes, encouraging strong academy trusts to extend their reach and transform failing schools, reinvigorating the free schools programme to challenge low standards, spread best practice and increase choice for parents, and ambitious investment and reforms in teacher recruitment and retention.

Monday 16 March 2020

Schools: Sanitation

Lord Lucas : To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy for schools to provide separate (1) changing rooms, and (2) toilets, for boys and girls; whether all or any of such facilities can be gender neutral under their policy; and what action a parent can take if a school is in breach of any such policy. [HL2180]

Baroness Berridge : The department publishes advice to support schools in England to meet the standards set out in school premises regulations. For both maintained schools and academies (including free schools), the regulations state that suitable toilet and washing facilities are provided for the sole use of pupils. It also requires separate toilets for boys and girls aged 8 years or over to be provided except where the toilet facility is provided in a room that can be secured from the inside and that is intended for use by one pupil at a time. Suitable changing accommodation and showers should be provided for pupils aged 11 years and over at the start of the school year who receive physical education. The department’s advice indicates that schools should take into account the age, number and sex of pupils, and any special requirements they have, when determining whether provision is suitable. It also advises that where there is unisex provision of toilet facilities the privacy of the occupant needs to be ensured, for example, by having adequate enclosure and a full height door. We trust schools to work with parents to determine what is in the best interests of pupils, where there may be concerns. In the rare cases where this is not the case, parents should register their complaint by following the school’s complaint policy.

Tuesday 17 March 2020

ISSUE 407 24 March 2020 EDUCATION JOURNAL 61 EDUCATION JOURNAL Issue Number 407 24 March 2020 Annual subscription rates Individual subscription, worldwide: £120

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