Coronavirus: Education Setting Attendance and Support for Pupils

Question

Thank you for granting this urgent question, Mr Speaker. Although I am sorry that the Secretary of State is not in his place, I warmly congratulate the Minister on his appointment. I know he will agree with me that nothing is more important than our children’s futures. But during the pandemic the Government have treated children and young people as an afterthought, failing to take the action that teachers, parents, pupils and the Labour party have been calling for to keep children in school. Some 122,000 children were out of school last week. Yesterday, the chief medical officer warned that covid is spreading fastest among secondary-age pupils. When will the Government act to improve ventilation in schools, colleges and universities? Will the Minister explain the Government’s rationale on masks, which saw them required in schools in March but not now, when covid rates are more than 400 times higher?

Question

We welcome the advice of the chief medical officers to roll out the vaccine to 12 to 15-year-olds, but already there are reports of pressure on school nursing services. Will the Minister guarantee that all first doses will have been administered by October half-term?

Question

Shockingly, there are reports that some schools are experiencing anti-vaccination protests. What action is being taken to ensure that no school faces threats and intimidation?

Question

In Education questions on 6 September, the then Secretary of State hinted at ceasing twice-weekly home testing recommendations. Will the Minister reconfirm these plans? How will he ensure that testing is carried out?

Question

Even before the latest surge in absences, children had missed an average of 115 days of school. The Conservatives’ recovery plan is inadequate compared to Labour's proposals which include extending the school day for activities and training staff. Will the Minister match this ambition?

Question

I am pleased to see the Minister, my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour, in his place. As I understand it from our discussions with the chief medical officer at the Education Committee yesterday and from the Government, the key purpose of the vaccination programme is to keep our children in school. However, I have been sent a letter by parents about the Teddington School in Middlesex that shows all students will be sent home on Friday 24 September after a day of vaccinations today. Therefore, despite Government guidance, there are examples of schools doing this, or of whole year groups being grounded at home or even closed down completely. Will my hon. Friend make sure that schools follow Government guidance to the letter and do not send children home? He should ring the headteachers himself to make sure that we keep our children learning. Will he also ensure that the catch-up fund reaches the poorest and most disadvantaged students, because we know that 44% of students receiving the pupil premium are being missed, and there are huge regional disparities as well?

Question

The Minister rightly recognises the toll on the mental health of children in this country over the past year. In Waltham Forest, many schools dug deep and paid for external counselling services for the children and are now facing big gaps in their budgets. Having said how important it is that no school in this country should be out of pocket, will the Minister commit today to fully reimburse those schools for the cost of counselling over the past 18 months to help our children get through the pandemic?

Question

I find the irony of this urgent question being called by those on the Labour Front Bench somewhat mystifying, because they went missing throughout the pandemic and there was silence on the issue of schools. It is not just me who thinks this. Let me quote: 'Labour’s silence on closing schools is completely ridiculous.' That was Corbynista Owen Jones saying that, so it is not just we on the Conservative Benches who think it. The NEU—or the ‘not education union’ as we should refer to it—continually wanting to shut schools, and Labour keeping silent despite the donations running into its party coffers tell us everything that we need to know. Can my hon. Friend confirm to me that, no matter what happens this winter, schools will be kept open, pupils will be learning face to face and, in that way, they will catch up exactly as they need to.

Question

Erdington is one of England’s poorest constituencies, but it is rich in talent. I pay tribute to the headteachers who do an outstanding job in the most difficult circumstances. In a survey I conducted of schools in my area, I found that 60% expect to set a deficit budget next financial year and 100% said they do not have sufficient support for their pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Of the schools that applied for exceptional costs funding, 75% received funding amounting to less than half the costs. Is it not the simple reality that school spending by the Government is still lower than in 2009-10, and that after tearing up the catch-up recommendations made by their own adviser, they have allocated to schools a fifth of what was asked for? Is it not the simple truth that a whole generation of children and young people are growing up without the support that they deserve from their Government?

Question

Will my hon. Friend confirm that keeping children in school and educational settings is an absolute priority? Does he agree that children with special educational needs and those on education, health and care plans should be given the bespoke support that they need to maximise attendance and thrive in the school environment—a shining example being Hoyle Nursery School in my constituency?

Question

We know how important good ventilation is to protect staff and students from the spread of covid, and to keep schools safe and open. The Welsh Government are funding better ventilation in schools. Why are this Government not doing the same?

Question

I recently met the impressive young people from Milton Keynes Youth Cabinet who highlighted to me the difficulties with mental health that children suffered during the pandemic, and of course we discussed catch-up. It is great that the Department have announced the consultation on discipline and behaviour in schools. Does the Minister agree that discipline, behaviour and structure are key to good mental health, and to catching up on what we have lost over the last few months and years?

Question

I welcome the Minister to his place and look forward to him appearing in front of the Education Committee later in the autumn. I declare an interest in that I am the chair of governors of a primary school and a member of an academy trust board. Disruption is still occurring because even vaccinated people and children can contract and transmit the infection. Headteachers and their staff, as the Minister has outlined, are continuing to work above and beyond but are struggling in many places to keep their schools going as they would want to. What more can he do to give schools the support they so desperately need so that they can effectively educate the children while also safeguarding those children and the staff? I am afraid that in many places the measures that he has outlined are proving to be far from adequate.

Question

It is great to see my hon. Friend in his place at the Dispatch Box. I welcome the work this Government have done to make it a priority to keep schools open for face-to-face learning. In contrast, Labour equivocated over whether they were even safe to reopen. Does he agree that if Labour were in power, our schools would probably be closed for face-to-face learning and our children left behind?

Question

The roll-out of the national tutoring programme has been shambolic, as evidenced across the country. Will the Minister consider allocating money to local authorities for expedient additional support?

Question

Will the Minister review routine testing for asymptomatic children, as suggested by the Royal College of Paediatrics?

Question

Will the Minister commit to necessary catching-up budget proposed by Sir Kevan Collins?

Question

What support is being given to combat anti-vaxxers misleading people about the benefits of vaccination?

Question

How will the Minister ensure mental health funding reaches frontline providers like TADS?

Question

Will the Minister confirm commitment to keep children in school when Opposition calls for closures?

Question

What more is the Minister going to do to help the covid cohort catch up on missed work?

Question

Could we have specialised support from Public Health England and the Department to help schools facing rising covid rates?

Question

Does the Minister agree that focus on early years intervention for lagging behind children is necessary?

Question

Will investment continue for disadvantaged pupils who received laptops during the pandemic?

Question

Can the Minister ensure proper information about vaccine validity is given to parents and children?

Question

Will my hon. Friend celebrate Rother Valley's Wales High School's efforts during the pandemic?

Question

Does my hon. Friend agree it is important to provide proper information about vaccine eligibility?