Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Independent Schools

Monday 17 April 2023 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Independent schools are an important part of the school system in England, offering innovation and supporting social mobility.
  • The Government will ensure other members show enthusiasm for the independent schooling sector's work and achievements.
  • Families who pay for independent school fees contribute significantly, with about 8% of ISC school pupils receiving around 480 million in bursaries and means-tested assistance.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Christopher Chope Con Christchurch
Education
Context

The MP is concerned about the assessment of the quality and value of education from independent schools in his constituency.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the quality and value of education provided by independent schools in England?

Answer from Nick Gibb

Independent schools, including those in my hon. Friend's constituency, are an important part of our school system, giving parents choice. Independent schools drive innovation, support social mobility through bursaries and attract significant international investment. The diverse independent sector includes schools that serve small faith communities and that create special school capacity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific assessment requested was not provided.

How: Gave General Statements About The Importance Of Independent Schools

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Q2 Christopher Chope Con Christchurch
Context

The MP wants to ensure other government members show similar support for the achievements of the independent school sector and acknowledges families who pay high fees as acting in public interest.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for that response. Can he ensure that other members of the Government show similar enthusiasm for the work and achievements of the independent schooling sector? Will he take this opportunity to thank all the families who make significant financial sacrifices to pay the fees of those schools for acting in the public interest and saving taxpayers quite a lot of money?

Answer from Nick Gibb

I am very happy to do that. My hon. Friend will be interested to know that approximately 8% of pupils attending Independent Schools Council schools receive around £480 million of bursaries and means-tested assistance.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not ensure other government members' enthusiasm or thank families explicitly.

How: Provided Statistics About Bursaries Instead

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