Speeches by Asato.

“That goes on to the next question, but I want to really focus on those children who have a disability rather than SEMH, for example. We know that parents may have their child out of school because they disagree with the named school on the EHCP, and they feel that sending their child to the current school is damaging t…”

“The point is that if you have families who are already going through a lot of stress and trouble, adding a fine on top of that can be the final problem for them. The maximum fine was increased from £60 to £80 in August last year. Does anyone have any evidence about whether that has impacted school attendance either neg…”

“We have heard that pupils with SEND have much higher absence rates than their peers who have no identified SEND needs. Do school attendance policies currently strike the right balance between encouraging high attendance where possible, while taking into account the additional barriers to attendance faced by pupils with…”

“I want to move on to some of the legal interventions, such as fines. We have heard that fines are not necessarily effective, particularly for those who are most persistently absent. A number of you have focused on that. In particular, 83% of people who have been sent to prison for a truancy conviction are women, accord…”

“I want to move on to some of the legal interventions, such as fines. We have heard that fines are not necessarily effective, particularly for those who are most persistently absent. A number of you have focused on that. In particular, 83% of people who have been sent to prison for a truancy conviction are women, accord…”

“The point is that if you have families who are already going through a lot of stress and trouble, adding a fine on top of that can be the final problem for them. The maximum fine was increased from £60 to £80 in August last year. Does anyone have any evidence about whether that has impacted school attendance either neg…”

“Gerald, there have been 487,000 penalty notices issued. That does not necessarily sound like support first. How do you think that needs to change going forward?”

“Gerald, there have been 487,000 penalty notices issued. That does not necessarily sound like support first. How do you think that needs to change going forward?”

“That goes on to the next question, but I want to really focus on those children who have a disability rather than SEMH, for example. We know that parents may have their child out of school because they disagree with the named school on the EHCP, and they feel that sending their child to the current school is damaging t…”

“We have heard that pupils with SEND have much higher absence rates than their peers who have no identified SEND needs. Do school attendance policies currently strike the right balance between encouraging high attendance where possible, while taking into account the additional barriers to attendance faced by pupils with…”

“On the practice of rewarding children who have 100% attendance, those are often children who do not have medical needs and aren’t often unwell because of inherent disability. Do you have a view on whether that is the right way to go about this?”

“We know that timely access to mental health support is crucial. Earlier this month, the Education Committee released its report on children’s social care, which recommended that the Government establish mental health teams that are co-located between child and adolescent mental health services —CAMHS—and children’s soc…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Dr Opher) for securing this important debate. One of the most frequent issues raised with me in Lowestoft is dentistry, and the situation is particularly acute for children. As we have heard, one in four five-year-olds experience tooth decay, and preventable tooth decay rem…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her statement. Like her, I pay tribute to the care leavers who spoke to us, often sharing deeply traumatic stories of their journey through the care system. Their corporate parent is ultimately the state, and we as its custodians must bear the responsibility of ensuring that we support childr…”

“What evidence have you received on how the curriculum can better ensure all young people feel represented? Are particular subjects a priority for improving representation, or is a cross-curricular approach best?”

“What could the mechanisms be for improving inclusion in the curriculum? What engagement have you had with experts and young people themselves?”

“What are the mechanisms for improving inclusion?”

“Your interim report states that the curriculum needs to adapt to reflect social and technological change, particularly in the light of AI, which you have mentioned. How can climate science, media literacy and digital skills be embedded into the curriculum? Which subjects are the best place to incorporate these?”

“I am sure we have all heard from teachers, particularly in primary schools, about whether it is appropriate for year 2s to be learning about subordinate clauses. The NAHT has described the grammar and writing curriculum in primary school as “Not fit for purpose.” It attributes a decline in reading for enjoyment among y…”

“Has the review considered the Pears Foundation report into countering online conspiracies in school, and the recommendations in that—the need for embedding critical thinking to help children navigate disinformation and conspiracy theories?”