My Lords, does the noble Lord think that a better solution might be if schools did not exclude pupils in the first place?

My Lords, does the noble Lord think that a better solution might be if schools did not exclude pupils in the first place?

Does the noble Lord think that, rather than parents being obliged to home educate their children because of the danger of exclusion, a better solution would be to be much more restrictive about exclusions in the first place and not to allow them except in extremis? In that way, we...

Does the noble Lord think that, rather than parents being obliged to home educate their children because of the danger of exclusion, a better solution would be to be much more restrictive about exclusions in the first place and not to allow them except in extremis? In that way, we...

My Lords, I agree mostly with what the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, said about home education and I commend my noble friend Lord Solely on his Bill.

I would like to direct the attention of the House and the Minister to the issue of school exclusions, which is getting more and...

My Lords, I agree mostly with what the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, said about home education and I commend my noble friend Lord Solely on his Bill.

I would like to direct the attention of the House and the Minister to the issue of school exclusions, which is getting more and...

I understand what the noble Lord is saying, but it is quite difficult for the state to start making judgments about the philosophical preferences of parents when it comes to home education. The point I seek to make to the Committee is that while there are some forms of home...

I understand what the noble Lord is saying, but it is quite difficult for the state to start making judgments about the philosophical preferences of parents when it comes to home education. The point I seek to make to the Committee is that while there are some forms of home...

My noble friend and I could debate academies over a good deal of time, and indeed we have done over the years. I do not believe there is any inconsistency between strong and autonomously-led schools and social responsibility. That has always been at the heart of the reforms that I...

My noble friend and I could debate academies over a good deal of time, and indeed we have done over the years. I do not believe there is any inconsistency between strong and autonomously-led schools and social responsibility. That has always been at the heart of the reforms that I...

My noble friend makes a good point, but I want to remain constructive. Great though my admiration for my noble friend Lord Soley is, fundamental changes in the law rarely take place by means of Private Members’ Bills. My noble friend is working on it and this Bill may be...

My noble friend makes a good point, but I want to remain constructive. Great though my admiration for my noble friend Lord Soley is, fundamental changes in the law rarely take place by means of Private Members’ Bills. My noble friend is working on it and this Bill may be...

My Lords, anyone with their wits about them realises that we are in the grip of a social crisis. Half or more of the country have been left behind, while the rest of Britain went to university, modernised and globalised.

This is not just about individuals and families, but communities, even...

My Lords, anyone with their wits about them realises that we are in the grip of a social crisis. Half or more of the country have been left behind, while the rest of Britain went to university, modernised and globalised.

This is not just about individuals and families, but communities, even...

Today my right honourable friend the Minister for Children, Young People and Families (Beverley Hughes) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I announced to the House on 9 January that I had written to Sir Jim Rose setting out the remit for the review of the primary curriculum. I...

Today my right honourable friend the Minister for Children, Young People and Families (Beverley Hughes) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I announced to the House on 9 January that I had written to Sir Jim Rose setting out the remit for the review of the primary curriculum. I...

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the Government's Children's Plan (Cm 7280) and its implications for equality of opportunity. Motion withdrawn.

Lords debate on motion to call attention to the Government's Children's Plan (Cm 7280) and its implications for equality of opportunity. Motion withdrawn.

My Lords, the House is indebted to the noble Baroness, Lady Massey, for introducing this excellent debate on the Children’s Plan. Let me say at once that we have achieved an average eight out of 10 from the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, who is perhaps my most relentless taskmaster in...

My Lords, the House is indebted to the noble Baroness, Lady Massey, for introducing this excellent debate on the Children’s Plan. Let me say at once that we have achieved an average eight out of 10 from the noble Baroness, Lady Walmsley, who is perhaps my most relentless taskmaster in...

Lords statement on the children's plan.

Lords statement on the children's plan.

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement on the Children’s Plan made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary for State for Children, Schools and Families. The Statement is as follows: ““The first ever Children’s Plan, which we are publishing today,...

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I shall repeat a Statement on the Children’s Plan made in another place by my right honourable friend the Secretary for State for Children, Schools and Families. The Statement is as follows: ““The first ever Children’s Plan, which we are publishing today,...

My Lords, I am very grateful to both noble Baronesses for their broadly supportive welcome for the Children’s Plan. I sense that they are both trying to set themselves up as the Spice Baronesses. I shall not volunteer them for particular roles in that regard, but I am sure that...

My Lords, I am very grateful to both noble Baronesses for their broadly supportive welcome for the Children’s Plan. I sense that they are both trying to set themselves up as the Spice Baronesses. I shall not volunteer them for particular roles in that regard, but I am sure that...

My Lords, this is one of the few statements of forward policy that I have made to the House that does not involve the setting-up of a review or a committee chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Dearing. His excitement at the prospect of not having to conduct another review...

My Lords, this is one of the few statements of forward policy that I have made to the House that does not involve the setting-up of a review or a committee chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Dearing. His excitement at the prospect of not having to conduct another review...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend, who speaks with great authority in this area. She is right that there is a big implementation challenge with the various measures set out in the plan. We will be saying more about that over the coming months. Let me deal...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend, who speaks with great authority in this area. She is right that there is a big implementation challenge with the various measures set out in the plan. We will be saying more about that over the coming months. Let me deal...

My Lords, I greatly welcome and agree entirely with the right reverend Prelate’s remarks about the importance of both the family and the voluntary sector and about seeing that the latter is able to access new resources on a level playing field, which we are anxious that it should do....

My Lords, I greatly welcome and agree entirely with the right reverend Prelate’s remarks about the importance of both the family and the voluntary sector and about seeing that the latter is able to access new resources on a level playing field, which we are anxious that it should do....

My Lords, the investments that I announced in the Statement are additional to published plans. They are all based on firm allocations from the Treasury. We have the cheque and it has been cashed. I assure the noble Baroness that there is no danger of the investments being clawed back....

My Lords, the investments that I announced in the Statement are additional to published plans. They are all based on firm allocations from the Treasury. We have the cheque and it has been cashed. I assure the noble Baroness that there is no danger of the investments being clawed back....

My honourable friend Minister of State for Schools and Learners (Jim Knight) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am announcing today the first three-year school funding settlement, for 2008-09 to 2010-11. This settlement and the capital settlement announced on 10 October will mean that, by 2011, total funding...

My honourable friend Minister of State for Schools and Learners (Jim Knight) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am announcing today the first three-year school funding settlement, for 2008-09 to 2010-11. This settlement and the capital settlement announced on 10 October will mean that, by 2011, total funding...

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of organisations delivering one-to-one literacy support in primary schools; and what role these organisations will play in delivering literacy support under the personalised learning agenda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of organisations delivering one-to-one literacy support in primary schools; and what role these organisations will play in delivering literacy support under the personalised learning agenda.

Lords statement on responsibilities of the Department for Children Schools and Families.

Lords statement on responsibilities of the Department for Children Schools and Families.