Select Committee · Education Committee

Accountability hearings

Status: Closed Opened: 17 Mar 2020 Closed: 24 May 2024

Inquiry scope

The Education Committee holds regular hearings with the Secretary of State for Education and other key figures directly accountable to Parliament. This forms part of the Committee’s ongoing scrutiny of the Department for Education and its associated public bodies.

Oral evidence sessions

21 sessions

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Date	Session and witnesses	Source
19 Dec 2023	Accountability hearing with HMCI Ofsted Amanda Spielman · Ofsted	View ↗
6 Dec 2023	Accountability hearing with the Secretary of State Gillian Keegan · Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education	View ↗
7 Dec 2022	Accountability hearing with the Secretary of State Gillian Keegan · Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education	View ↗
22 Nov 2022	Accountability Hearing: Ofsted Amanda Spielman · Ofsted, Yvette Stanley · Ofsted	View ↗
5 Jul 2022	Accountability hearing with Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England	View ↗
15 Jun 2022	Accountability hearing with Michelle Donelan MP, Minister for Higher and Further Education Keith Smith · Department for Education, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan · Department for Education	View ↗
20 Apr 2022	Accountability hearing with the Secretary of State Andrew McCully · Department for Education, Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi · Department for Education	View ↗
1 Dec 2021	Accountability hearing with Will Quince Indra Morris · Children’s Services, Communications & Strategy Group, Will Quince · Department for Education	View ↗
3 Nov 2021	Accountability hearing - Secretary of State session Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi · Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education	View ↗
14 Sep 2021	Accountability hearing with Ofsted Dame Christine Ryan · Ofsted	View ↗
23 Jun 2021	Accountability hearing with Gavin Williamson MP Ian King · Department for Education, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson · Department for Education	View ↗
15 Jun 2021	Accountability hearing with Amanda Spielman; Safeguarding in Schools Amanda Spielman · Ofsted, Andrew Cook · Ofsted, Sean Harford · Ofsted, Vanessa Ward · Independent Schools Inspectorate	View ↗
18 May 2021	Accountability hearing: Gillian Keegan MP Gillian Keegan · Department for Education	View ↗
29 Apr 2021	Oral evidence; Accountability hearing Julia Kinniburgh · Department for Education, Mike Pettifer · Department for Education, Rt Hon. Nick Gibb MP · Department for Education, Stephanie Brivio · Department for Education, The Baroness Berridge · Department for Education	View ↗
27 Apr 2021	Accountability hearing Michelle Donelan · Department for Education	View ↗
10 Nov 2020	Accountability hearing with Ofsted Amanda Spielman · Ofsted, Yvette Stanley · Ofsted	View ↗
20 Oct 2020	Accountability hearing Lucy Smith · Department for Education, Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP · Department for Education	View ↗
6 Oct 2020	Accountability hearings Anne Longfield OBE · Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, Michelle Donelan · Department for Education	View ↗
16 Sep 2020	Accountability hearings Michelle Dyson · Department for Education, Rt Hon Gavin Williamson · Department for Education, Susan Acland-Hood · The Department for Education	View ↗
15 Jul 2020	Accountability hearings Michelle Donelan · Department for Education	View ↗
27 Apr 2020	Accountability hearings Amanda Spielman · Ofsted, Matthew Coffey · Ofsted	View ↗

Who gave evidence

28 witnesses

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Witness	Organisation	Sessions
Amanda Spielman · His Majesty's Chief Inspector	Ofsted	5
Susan Acland-Hood · Permanent Secretary	The Department for Education	4
Gillian Keegan · Secretary of State	Department for Education	3
Michelle Donelan · Minister of State for Universities	Department for Education	3
Rt Hon Gavin Williamson · Secretary of State	Department for Education	2
Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi · Secretary of State	Department for Education	2
Yvette Stanley · National Director for Regulation and Social Care	Ofsted	2
Andrew Cook · Her Majesty's Inspector and Regional Director for the North West	Ofsted	1
Andrew McCully · Director General, Schools	Department for Education	1
Anne Longfield OBE · Children's Commissioner for England	Office of the Children's Commissioner for England	1
Dame Christine Ryan · Chair	Ofsted	1
Dame Rachel de Souza · Children’s Commissioner for England	Office of the Children's Commissioner for England	1
Ian King · Chief Financial Officer (joint role) and Director of Operational Finance, Operations Group	Department for Education	1
Indra Morris · Director General	Children’s Services, Communications & Strategy Group	1
Julia Kinniburgh · Director General for Skills	Department for Education	1
Keith Smith · Director of Post-16 Strategy and Analysis, Skills Group	Department for Education	1
Lucy Smith · Director General for Covid-19 Response and Schools Recovery	Department for Education	1
Matthew Coffey · Chief Operating Officer	Ofsted	1
Michelle Dyson · Director for Qualifications, Curriculum and Extra-Curricular	Department for Education	1
Mike Pettifer · Director, Covid Response Unit	Department for Education	1
Rt Hon Michelle Donelan · Minister of State for Higher and Further Education	Department for Education	1
Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP · Minister of State for School Standards	Department for Education	1
Rt Hon. Nick Gibb MP · Minister of State for School Standards	Department for Education	1
Sean Harford · National Director of Education	Ofsted	1
Stephanie Brivio · Director, Safeguarding and Children’s Social Care	Department for Education	1
The Baroness Berridge · Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System	Department for Education	1
Vanessa Ward · Chief Executive and Chief Inspector	Independent Schools Inspectorate	1
Will Quince · Minister for Children and Families	Department for Education	1

Correspondence

22 letters

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Published	Direction	Letter
7 Dec 2022	—	Supplementary written evidence from His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, following Ofsted’s accountability hearing on 22 November, dated 25 November 2022
18 Oct 2022	—	Supplementary evidence from the Children’s Commissioner on the number of children getting back into education
17 May 2022	—	Supplementary evidence from the Secretary of State following his appearance before the Committee on 20 April
13 Jul 2021	To committee	Letter from Baroness Berridge providing further evidence following her appearance before the Committee on 29 April 2021, dated 30 June 2021
23 Mar 2021	To committee	Letter from the Minister of State for Universities on Opportunity Areas, dated 17 March 2021
7 Jan 2021	To committee	Letter from Dame Glenys Stacey, Acting Chief Regulator of Ofqual, following her appearance before the Committee on 8 December 2020, dated 18 December 2020
8 Dec 2020	—	Supplementary evidence from Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector at Ofsted, following her appearance before the Committee on 10 November 2020, dated 1 December 2020
20 Nov 2020	From committee	Letter to the Chair from the Children's Commissioner on childhood vulnerability and the Vulnerability Network, 9 November 2020
17 Nov 2020	To committee	Letter from the Minister of State for School Standards, following his appearance before the Committee on 20 October 2020, dated 11 November 2020
3 Nov 2020	To committee	Letter from the Minister of State for Universities, following her appearance before the Committee on 6 October 2020, dated 21 October 2020
23 Oct 2020	—	Letter of clarification from the Minister of State for School Standards, following his appearance before the Committee on 20 October 2020, dated 20 October 2020
21 Oct 2020	To committee	Letter from the Secretary of State for Education, following his appearance before the Committee on 16 September
13 Oct 2020	—	Supplementary evidence from the Office of the Children's Commissioner, following the Children's Commissioner's appearance before the Committee on 6 October 2020
18 Sep 2020	—	Correspondence to the Secretary of State regarding 2020 exams, 18 September 2020
2 Sep 2020	—	Correspondence from the Secretary of State for Education regarding the recruitment of the Chair of the Office for Students, 25 August 2020
2 Sep 2020	From committee	Letter to the Secretary of State for Education regarding recruitment of the Chair of the Office for Students, 7 August 2020
29 Jul 2020	To committee	Letter from the Secretary of State, on Recruitment of the Chair of the Office for Students, 22 July 2020.
15 Jul 2020	To committee	Letter from the Secretary of State for Education, on the recruitment of a new Social Mobility Commission Chair, 9 July 2020
15 Jul 2020	To committee	Letter from the Secretary of State for Education, on the recruitment process for a new Children’s Commissioner, 4 July 2020
17 Jun 2020	—	Correspondence from the Department for Education on changes to Ofqual board membership, 8 June 2020
18 May 2020	To committee	Letter from the Harris Federation regarding Ofsted
12 May 2020	To committee	Letter from Her Majesty's Chief Inspector on the work of Ofsted during lockdown