schools – Page 2 – The Church of England in Parliament

Bishop of Chelmsford asks about access to breakfast clubs for children with special education needs and disabilities

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question on ensuring children with special educational needs and disabilities can access school resources such as breakfast clubs on 27th February 2025, during following a government statement on school breakfast club provision:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, like many other noble Lords, I welcome this Statement. How will the Government ensure that breakfast clubs will be accessible to learners with special educational needs and disabilities who may usually be supported by one-to-one staff during the school day?

Education (Assemblies) Bill: Bishop of Chelmsford raises concerns on efficacy

The Bishop of Chelmsford spoke at the second reading of the Education (Assemblies) Bill on 7th February 2025, affirming the benefits of collective worship while expressing reservations on the efficacy of the bill:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, I warmly welcome this debate. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Burt, for her introduction, as well as the other noble Lords who have spoken. I look forward to the Minister’s response.

Although I understand the intention of the Bill, it may not surprise your Lordships to hear that I will express some reservations about the proposals and say that I believe the current legislation already affords sufficient flexibility. I suspect that I may well be a lone voice in the Chamber today. I was interested to hear the noble Baroness quote my esteemed friend, the noble and right reverend Lord, Lord Harries, formerly the Bishop of Oxford. Perhaps it is good to know that there are differences of opinion among Bishops in this House.

Collective worship is a vital part of school life. It is key to fostering a sense of fellowship and cohesion; to celebrating festivals, and not just Christian ones; and to strengthening religious literacy. Importantly, the current legislation already allows schools to tailor their provision to suit their pupils’ spiritual needs, and allows schools and academies to develop their ethos and values.

Bishop of Norwich asks about confidence in the Armed Forces Covenant

The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on the impact of changes to school fees on armed forces personnel on 5th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, as the father of a soldier, I am particularly interested in this topic, particularly where both parents are serving in the Armed Forces, often in different locations. What assessment has the Minister made of confidence in the Armed Forces covenant with this change?

Bishop of Lincoln asks about improving mental health provision in smaller and rural school settings

The Bishop of Lincoln asked a question on improving mental health provision in primary schools, particularly schools in small, rural settings, on 4th February 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lincoln: My Lords, the Rural Mental Health report produced in the other place highlighted that

“NHS mental health services are often not fairly accessible for rural communities”,

with services largely centred in towns and cities,

“creating barriers to access, compounded by the limitations and weaknesses of rural public transport and digital connectivity”.

Bishop of Derby asks about bullying in schools

The Bishop of Derby received the following written answer on 19th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the success of Anti-Bullying Week 2024, and what initiatives they have in place to eradicate bullying.

Bishop of Derby asks about combatting bullying in schools

The Bishop of Derby received the following written answer on 2nd November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Derby asked His Majesty’s Government, as part of Anti-Bullying Week, what steps they are taking (1) to collect, record and monitor data on reports of bullying in schools and subsequent responses, and (2) to improve the availability and quality of anti-bullying training and support for teachers.

Bishop of St Albans asks about impact of VAT on school fees on SEND pupils

The Bishop of St Albans asked a question on the impact that imposing VAT on school fees would have on pupils with special educational needs and disabilities on 10th October 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: I wonder if I might press the Minister on SEND pupils. The majority of SEND pupils, who were mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Black, do not have an education, health and care plan, and therefore there is a genuine worry that this policy might mean that their education is interrupted. What mitigating factors are His Majesty’s Government putting in place to ensure that this particularly vulnerable group is supported?

Bishop of Southwark speaks on risks posed by changes to VAT exemption for independent schools

The Bishop of Southwark spoke in a debate on the impact of changes to the VAT exemption for independent schools on 5th September 2024, raising the issue of unintended effects on SEND provision and potential ramifications for cathedral and choir schools:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, the Government’s intention to levy value added tax in this area was a manifesto commitment at the general election. The Government entertain a well-evidenced belief that parents purchase an economic and social benefit for their children’s future through private schooling. Whatever the experience any of your Lordships have had of such schooling, the undoubted premium placed on forming character or the excellence in pastoral care that some of these schools exhibit, the Government nevertheless have a mandate for change. The noble Baroness, Lady Ramsey, underlined the pressing need for more teachers in our state schools.

However, who will and who will not be affected by this change is a worthy subject of debate. I am happy to say that both the boys’ and girls’ choirs at Southwark Cathedral are almost entirely drawn from state schools, and are consequently unaffected by the VAT change. Furthermore, a number of schools in my diocese offering provision for special educational needs and disabilities have their places funded by the local authorities. But there are cathedral and choir schools, and private schools, with provision for special educational needs that will be severely affected by the change that the Government intend. Many of these are small schools, and therefore the impact will be disproportionately severe.

Bishop of Chichester speaks in debate on education in the UK

The Bishop of Chichester spoke in a debate on a report from the Education for 11 to 16-year olds Committee, ‘Requires improvement: urgent change for 11–16 education (Session 2023–24, HL Paper 17)’ on 26th July 2024, welcoming the report and highlighting the importance of religious education and the Church of England’s role as an educational provider:

The Lord Bishop of Chichester: My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Aberdare, and the noble Baroness, Lady Blower, who have participated in the excellent report chaired by the group led by the noble Lord, Lord Johnson.

I welcome the priority that has been given to the review of the curriculum for 11 to 19 year-olds at an early stage of the Government coming into office. In particular, I welcome the report of the review group and how it will “refresh” the curriculum,

“build on the hard work of teachers and staff”,

and seek “evolution and not revolution”.

These are important indications that education will not be driven by ideology that leads to it becoming a political football, as sometimes has happened in the past.

In particular, the promise that the review will not

“place undue burdens on education staff”

will need to be delivered ostentatiously, particularly if the Government wish to improve the recruitment and retention of top-quality teachers. To that end, I greatly welcome also the acknowledgement of

“the innovation and professionalism of teachers”.

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asks about effects of COVID-19 pandemic on educational attainment

The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked a question on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the educational needs of SEN children on 22nd May 2024, during a discussion on the effects of the pandemic on educational attainment for UK schoolchildren:

The Lord Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: My Lords, head teachers in my diocese in Nottinghamshire are reporting that the adverse impacts of the pandemic include a dramatic increase in attendance concerns, parental anxiety and pupils’ mental health difficulties. At the same time, they are reporting severe pressures on schools funding, leading to staff reductions, which cannot be in the best interests of children, especially where SEN provision is reduced. What assessment have His Majesty’s Government made of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the educational needs of SEN children, and what more can be done to mitigate this?

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