Contributions
1,336 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you for coming. I have some short questions that do not need particularly long answers. Have you found evidence that academy schools are not teaching a broad and balanced…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Is there anything else that you would like amended in the schools section of the Bill? Julie McCulloch: I have two other thoughts, just to finish my point about the context…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q Is there a major problem with schools employing teachers without qualified teacher status? Are non-QTS teachers not up to scratch? Would you regard it as a red flag if a school…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q I have follow-up questions specifically about some of the measures in the Bill about family group decision making—a thing that a lot of people generally are very supportive of.…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q What I am getting at is that we need to change the Bill as it is currently drafted by officials, in order to achieve those things. Leora Cruddas: Yes, I would say that was true.21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q On pay and conditions, you might think that the idea of a floor, not a ceiling, is a decent direction of travel, but to be clear, that is not where the Bill is now and it needs…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q But in adjusting to that, some schools might face severe adjustments or even need new capital, facilities and stuff— Leora Cruddas: That is exactly right. Under this…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Do you share, Dr Homden, the concern that we should be very clear that this should not delay decision making? Dr Homden: Absolutely.21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q So you will have two tiers. What is your understanding of the position on secondary school breakfast clubs? Have you had any undertakings on the future of the free school…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Would you like to see resourcing clearly specified in this Bill? Ruth Stanier: You are absolutely right that the new burdens doctrine must be applied in the usual way. There are…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q The hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) has raised some concerns, as has the Confederation of School Trusts, about the end of academy orders and the fact…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q You would welcome greater certainty about those things, presumably. Julie McCulloch: We absolutely would, and continued funding.21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Thank you for coming. We have an important principle in local government called the new burdens doctrine, which is that if the Government put a burden on local government, they…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Are there any other ways in which you would like to see the Bill amended? Andy Smith: I think some things are missing from the Bill. There are some things that will be positive;…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q Would an amendment to that effect be helpful to preserve those freedoms? Leora Cruddas: It would be very helpful to have clarity on that position. Obviously, we have not had the…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q That is very helpful and specific. Another thing you have raised concerns about is clause 50, which will give local authorities the ability to challenge a school’s PAN, even if…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Second sitting)Q You said: “We accept current arrangements are fractured: introducing the Schools Adjudicator worsens rather than improves this”. What do you mean by that? Leora Cruddas: We are…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Is a number of weeks a potentially dangerous thing? Jacky Tiotto: For very young children when you are concerned, if they are still with the parents, which is sometimes the…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q You can be a good teacher even if you do not have QTS. You can be the right person. Julie McCulloch: Yes. We absolutely in principle think that there should be qualified teacher…21 Jan 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (First sitting)Q Do you think it is sometimes better to have a good professional person whom the head thinks is a good teacher, rather than no teacher at all? Julie McCulloch: In some cases,…21 Jan 2025