Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Disadvantaged Children: Educational Attainment

Monday 12 October 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial action includes wellbeing for education return training and world-leading mental health trials.
  • Secretary of State aims to ensure all children in the UK have the best life opportunities.
  • Oxford and Cambridge universities have seen an increase in state school pupils admissions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gareth Thomas Labour (Co-op) Harrow West
Education Children & Families
Context

The MP is concerned about the wellbeing and educational outcomes of disadvantaged children, including those receiving high-quality tuition through the national tutoring programme.

Question

What steps he is taking to (a) improve the wellbeing of disadvantaged children and (b) close the educational attainment gap.

Answer from Gavin Williamson

We are taking unprecedented action to help schools support wellbeing, including wellbeing for education return training, and world-leading trials on ways to promote mental health wellbeing. Disadvantaged pupils will receive high-quality tuition through the £350 million national tutoring programme, and we continue to provide schools with the £2.4 billion pupil premium.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps to close the educational attainment gap were not clearly outlined beyond general funding mentions.

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Q2 Debbie Abrahams Lab Oldham East and Saddleworth
Education Children & Families
Context

The MP notes that the educational attainment gap between disadvantaged and advantaged children, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities, has widened over the past decade and during the pandemic.

Question

What is the Secretary of State's assessment of the impact of covid on levelling up for SEND children?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

I think the hon. Lady and I have a shared passion to make sure that we close that gap, making sure that children, wherever they are born anywhere in the United Kingdom, have the very best opportunities in life. In an earlier answer to my hon. Friend, I touched on the fact that there is a three times weighting for children with special educational needs in terms of the covid catch-up fund, and we announced £1.5 billion-worth of extra funding being channelled into high need funding over this year and next.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The assessment of impact was not clearly provided; only actions were mentioned without direct address to the question's specific concern.

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Q3 Mohammad Yasin Lab Bedford
Education
Context

The MP highlights that programmes encouraging and inspiring bright pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have been impacted this year, especially due to reduced teaching time and mentoring.

Question

What action is the Secretary of State taking to ensure state school pupils get a fair chance in accessing top universities?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

I am sure that the hon. Gentleman welcomed the news this year that Oxford and Cambridge welcome more state school pupils than they have ever done before. We want to continue to build on that. Every higher education establishment should ensure all opportunities are available to every child, whatever background they come from.

Not addressed: The questioner asked about specific actions for the current year's state school pupils, but the response shifted to general goals and historical improvements without addressing immediate support measures.

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Q4 Gareth Thomas Labour (Co-op) Harrow West
Children & Families
Context

The MP argues that tackling rising levels of food poverty would improve wellbeing and educational attainment for disadvantaged children, questioning why the government does not extend the holiday hunger food vouchers to cover more periods.

Question

Why will Ministers not extend the holiday hunger food vouchers programme to the half-term holiday and Christmas holidays?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

As well as the incredibly successful holiday activity programme rolled out across many areas, we are looking at what more we can do in these areas while recognising the important role that schools play in supporting pupils and their families.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific reasons for not extending the programme were not provided; only general statements about considering further actions were mentioned.

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