Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: School Reopenings

Monday 26 April 2021 · 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 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • School attendance in state-funded schools was 94% from 15 April, higher than at any point during the autumn term.
  • The Department increased funding to support small schools from 26 million to 42 million in the latest settlement.
  • The Secretary of State congratulated the Northern Lincolnshire University Technical College for its new health, sciences, and social care course.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Sheryll Murray Con
Education
Context

As schools started to reopen following the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions, there was a need for an assessment on their progress.

Question

What assessment his Department has made of the progress made by schools on fully reopening as covid-19 lockdown restrictions have eased. The return to school from 8 March has been very successful with 99.8% of state-funded schools open just before Easter, and pupil attendance in state-funded schools was at 94% from 15 April.

Answer from Gavin Williamson

The return to school from 8 March has been very successful. Just before Easter, on 25 March, 99.8% of state-funded schools were open. From 15 April, pupil attendance in state-funded schools was at 94%. That is higher than at any point during the autumn term.

Answered
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Q2 Anthony Browne
Education
Context

School funding in South Cambridgeshire is among the lowest in the country with small village schools particularly affected. A primary school has had to make redundancies and merge classes due to insufficient funding.

Question

School funding in South Cambridgeshire has been a particular focus of mine and something that I have raised with the Department before. We have the sixth lowest funding in the country, with £400 per pupil per year less than the national average. The formula means that small village schools are particularly badly affected. Last week, I met one chair of governors of a primary school that has had to make a teacher and an assistant teacher redundant and has now had to merge the years. Will my right hon. Friend consider a change to the system to help small schools that have high fixed costs per capita but that are expected to meet the same standards as larger schools with comparatively higher funding?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

We all know the very important role that small schools play in our communities and villages right across the country. That is why we took the decision to increase the funding to support them from £26 million to £42 million in the latest settlement. That is on top of the fact that we are increasing spending on our schools right across the board, and, for this financial year, my hon. Friend's schools will receive, on average, a 3.8% increase in their funding, which goes to show that we recognise the importance of fair funding right across the country.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about considering changes in the school funding formula was not directly addressed

How: Working With Partners

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Q3 Holly Mumby-Croft
Education
Context

The Engineering University Technical College in Scunthorpe has developed a new health, sciences and social care course that aims to attract young people interested in these fields. The college is facing challenges due to the unusual circumstances of this year.

Question

I thank the Secretary of State for the work that his Department has done with the Engineering University Technical College in Scunthorpe on its new and exciting health, sciences and social care course. Will he welcome this course and encourage young people in Scunthorpe to look at everything that is on offer, because colleges have not had their usual opportunity to speak to students and visit schools during this unusual year?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

I congratulate the Northern Lincolnshire University Technical College. UTCs do an amazing job right around the country, not least in my hon. Friend's constituency. They can be truly transformative to young people's life chances. I very much look forward to working with her to make sure that that message is put out there. It is also quite right to pay tribute to the amazing work of Lord Baker who has done so much to champion the cause of UTCs, making sure that they opened up opportunities for so many young people in all of our constituencies.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific ask about welcoming and encouraging the course was not directly addressed

How: Working With Partners

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Q4 Sheryll Murray Con
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

As the country emerges from lockdown, there is a need for schools to resume educational trips and visits to places such as museums which are important for students' education.

Question

An important part of my and my children's education was visiting places such as our fantastic museums. What work is being undertaken to ensure that those visits can resume safely as our country comes out of lockdown?

Answer from Gavin Williamson

We all know that children gain so much from visiting museums and other great cultural institutions right around the country. I was delighted that the latest step out of lockdown taken by this country meant that children were able to go on non-residential visits around the country. Moving into step 3 will be another opportunity—for young people to be able to visit museums. It will be so important for them to have that experience. We look forward to working with schools and encouraging them to make such visits—not least, of course, in my hon. Friend's part of world in Cornwall.

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