Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprentices there were in her Department in each of the last five years.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The table below is a breakdown of apprentices in the department for the last five financial years:

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the financial sustainability of universities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department understands that universities are under financial pressure, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to announce a tuition fee rise of 3.1% which will take effect at the start of the 2025/2026 academic year.

The tuition fee limit increase represents an increased investment from students for the sector and will support higher education (HE) providers in managing the financial challenges they are facing.

In return for higher investment, the government is calling for universities to strengthen efforts to improve access and outcomes for disadvantaged students.

The government will be boosting support for disadvantaged learners with an inflation linked increase to maintenance loans for those facing cost of living pressures.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has already taken the important first step of appointing Sir David Behan as interim Chair of the Office for Students (OfS) to oversee the important work of refocusing the OfS role to concentrate on key priorities, including the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department continues to work closely with the OfS as the independent regulator of HE in England to understand the changing financial landscape.

​The department will also explore how to best continue improving access to HE, widening opportunity for students and learners.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of maintenance support available to students in England.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students. This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so. We recognise the impact that the cost of living crisis has had on students.

That is why the government is increasing the maximum maintenance loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, to ensure that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families.

Upfront tuition fee loans allow students, including disadvantaged students, to access HE who would otherwise not be able to. Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses qualify for additional grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. Students undertaking tuition fee based Initial Teacher Training courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status may qualify for bursaries or scholarships depending on their subject and/or previous qualifications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of maintenance loans for students.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government recognises that UK higher education (HE) creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in our economy and supports local communities. We are determined that the HE funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students. This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. The student finance system removes upfront financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so. We recognise the impact that the cost of living crisis has had on students.

That is why the government is increasing the maximum maintenance loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, to ensure that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families.

Upfront tuition fee loans allow students, including disadvantaged students, to access HE who would otherwise not be able to. Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses qualify for additional grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. Students undertaking tuition fee based Initial Teacher Training courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status may qualify for bursaries or scholarships depending on their subject and/or previous qualifications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to schools relating to the safeguarding of the children of prisoners.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

All children, from whatever background and no matter what challenges they face, deserve a safe environment in which they can learn. The department recognises the impact that a parent going to prison can have on a child’s learning, behaviour, mental health and wellbeing.

The government’s ‘Keeping children safe in education 2024’ statutory guidance for schools and colleges outlines specific guidance concerning children with a family member in prison or who are affected by parental offending. The guidance asks schools to consider the additional needs of these children and highlights the risk of poor outcomes including poverty, stigma, isolation and poor mental health. It also signposts staff to the National Information Centre on Children of Offenders (NICCO) website, which provides specialist advice and resources to support professionals working with offenders’ children and their families to help mitigate negative consequences for those children. The NICCO website can be accessed here: https://www.nicco.org.uk/.

The government is committed to identifying and better supporting children of prisoners. The department will be working closely with the Ministry of Justice to deliver on this commitment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in National Insurance employer contributions on university finances.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is aware that higher education (HE) providers will have to pay increased national insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Budget, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions, which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more.

The department understands that universities are under financial pressure, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to announce a tuition fee rise of 3.1% which will take effect at the start of the 2025/26 academic year.

The tuition fee limit increase represents an increased investment from students for the sector and will support HE providers in managing the financial challenges they are facing.

In return for higher investment, the government is calling for universities to strengthen efforts to improve access and outcomes for disadvantaged students.

The government will be boosting support for disadvantaged learners with an inflation-linked increase to maintenance loans for those facing cost of living pressures.

The department will explore how best we can continue to improve access to HE, widening opportunity for our students and learners, while driving the HE system to play a bigger role in our ambitions for national growth.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to support students with (a) the cost of living and (b) accommodation costs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is determined that the higher education funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students. This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.

The government recognises the impact that the cost of living crisis has had on students. That is why we are increasing the maximum maintenance loans for living costs for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation, to ensure that more support is targeted at students from the lowest income families.

Maximum maintenance loans will increase in line with forecast inflation, giving students up to an additional £414 a year of support in the 2025/26 academic year. This is the increase in the maximum loan for living costs for students living away from, and studying in, London from £13,348 to £13,762.

Therefore, a student living away from home and studying outside London on a household income of £25,000 or less will qualify for a maximum loan for living costs of £10,544 for the 2025/26 academic year, an increase of £317 compared to 2024/25. Students living away from home and studying in London will qualify for higher rates of loan, as will students eligible for benefits and some disabled students.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for children with (a) autism and (b) SEND in mainstream settings in Beckenham and Penge constituency.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

For too long the education and care system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources, regardless of whether they have a diagnosis.

The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings. We have recently commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. These reviews will help to drive inclusive practices by highlighting what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people, aged 0 to 25, with different types of needs.

In November 2023, the department announced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS brings together Integrated Care Boards, local authorities and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children and their families and enable an inclusive school environment. PINS employs specialists from both health and education workforces into 10% of mainstream primary school settings, which equates to around 1680 schools. The programme is being evaluated and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.

The department also holds and funds the Universal SEND Services contract, which brings together SEND-specific continuous professional development and support for the school and further education workforce. The programme aims to improve outcomes for children and young people, including those with autism. As part of the contract, the Autism Education Trust (AET) provide a range of training and support for staff on autism. Since the contract began in May 2022, over 185,000 professionals have received training from AET training partners.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pupils in Bedfordshire who will leave the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has made no estimate of the number of pupils in Bedfordshire who will leave the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees.

The government predicts that, in the long-run steady state, there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private sector in the UK as a result of the removal of the VAT exemption applied to school fees. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. This movement is expected to take place over several years.

Of the 37,000 pupil reduction in the private sector, the government estimates an increase of 35,000 pupils in the state sector in the steady state following the VAT policy taking effect, with the other 2,000 consisting of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling. This state sector increase represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. This movement is expected to take place over several years.

The impact on individual local authorities will interact with other pressures and vary. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide full-time education for all children of statutory school age in their area, suitable for their age, aptitude, ability and any special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places. Requirements for state-funded places for children that would have attended a private school will be addressed in each local authority through normal processes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number and proportion of pupils in (a) state and (b) independent schools had access arrangements for extra time during (i) GCSEs and (ii) A-Levels in the summer exams 2024.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help raise awareness of the (a) potential merits of T Level qualifications for employers and (b) differences between T Levels and apprenticeships.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

All T Levels provide students with direct experience of the workplace through a 45-day industry placement, offering employers a unique opportunity to build their talent pipelines and fill skills gaps. Almost a third of the first cohort of T Level students that progressed into employment and apprenticeships are employed by their industry placement organisation, demonstrating the value of T Levels for employers.

T Levels are promoted via the department’s national Skills for Life communications campaign, and thousands of employers have taken advantage of our support to help them understand and deliver high quality industry placements. Our 700 member-strong T Level Ambassador Network are passionate advocates for technical education and work across the country to raise awareness and understanding of T Levels in their industries. The department’s annual T Levels Week will take place between 2 to 6 December this year and will see providers, employers and ambassadors across the country sharing student stories to raise the profile of T Levels and their benefits.

The Skills for Life ‘find training and employment schemes’ website for businesses includes clear guidance on the differences between apprenticeships and T Levels and outlines the benefits of both programmes. This makes it clear that T Levels can help build a talent pipeline for apprenticeships, including through accelerated apprenticeships, which can reduce the time needed to complete an apprenticeship programme, saving businesses time and cost. The website can be accessed here: https://find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk/schemes/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Foundational Apprenticeships support disadvantaged young people into apprenticeship schemes.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Too many young people face difficulties progressing beyond secondary education and we want to ensure that more people from disadvantaged backgrounds can undertake apprenticeships.

The department has begun work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, providing high quality entry pathways for young people. We will engage with relevant stakeholders to inform our thinking to maximise its positive impact on young people, including those in disadvantaged areas. More detail on foundation apprenticeships will be set out in due course.

The department continues to pay additional funding to employers and training providers to support them to take on young apprentices, apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities, and care leavers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2024 to Question 7026 on Department for Education: Official Cars, if she will name which specific senior officials have access to a Government car; and whether these senior officials had access to a Government car before the 2024 general election.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

For security reasons specific details of allocations including make and model of vehicles are not issued.

The arrangements relating to the usage of vehicles in the Government Car Service are set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure value for money in tertiary education public spending.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government defines tertiary education as all post-secondary education, encompassing both further education (FE) and higher education (HE). It includes education provided by colleges, universities and other specialist institutions, aimed at supporting progress to FE, training or work. Tertiary education typically starts from age 16.

The government publishes research on the net present value of FE, which consistently shows good value for the taxpayer, here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/609e78c6d3bf7f2883267c3b/Measuring_the_Net_Present_Value_of_Further_Education_in_England_2018_to_2019.pdf.

FE funding is designed to incentivise provision that has high economic value. For example, additional funding for 16 to 19-year-olds is available to encourage and support the delivery of selected courses in subjects that lead to higher wage returns. It is also available to support subjects that cost more to deliver. As part of the department’s FE accountability system, we issue guidance that requires colleges to publish an annual accountability statement detailing outcome targets for areas of the curriculum they are planning to change for the coming year.

The department knows that investment in apprenticeships provides good value for money for the taxpayer. Apprenticeships at level 2, level 3 and levels 4/5 deliver a net present value of £16, £16 and £25 respectively for each pound of government funding.

The department has also established Skills England, which will play a crucial role in identifying skills needs now and in the future and helping to ensure that training funded from the growth and skills levy delivers value for money.

In order for HE students to be eligible for publicly funded loans, HE providers are expected to meet the registration conditions set by the Office for Students. These include clear expectations for the quality of HE, including minimum thresholds for student outcomes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that students can continue to study applied general qualifications from September 2025.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to ensuring that all young people can access a range of high quality vocational and technical qualifications which supports them to develop the skills they need to thrive at work and throughout life, including applied general qualifications. This is at the heart of the government’s missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and to boost economic growth.

The government is currently conducting a review of level 3 qualifications focusing on those set to lose funding from 31 July 2025, which includes applied general qualifications. The outcomes of the review will be reported by the end of the year.

Additionally, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, will ensure meaningful, rigorous and high-value pathways for all at ages 16 to 19, with access to qualifications and training that will provide the skills they need to seize opportunity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for post-16 education.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Funding for post-16 education has been discussed with my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

As announced in the Budget, the government is providing an additional £300 million for further education to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2024 to Question 5620 on Schools: Buildings, what stage of the School Rebuilding Programme are (a) Green Meadow Primary School and (b) King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy in Birmingham Northfield constituency at; and what indicative start dates have been given to each of those schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Green Meadow Primary School is in group 2 of the School Rebuilding Programme. Projects in group 2 are expected to commence with planning and feasibility work from April 2025.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is in group 3 and is currently expected to commence with planning and feasibility work no earlier than April 2027.

Specific start dates will be communicated to the schools at least a month in advance of the projects starting.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy paper entitled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, if she will make an estimate of potential increases in the number of pupils in secondary state education in each of the next five financial years, broken down by each local authority; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of those increases on levels of available state secondary school education places in those local authority areas.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government predicts that there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private education sector in the UK as a result of the VAT on private schools fees policy, which takes effect from January 2025. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. It is anticipated that 35,000 of these pupils will move into UK state schools in the long-term steady state, with the remainder composed of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling.

This increase in the state sector represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. The number expected to move before the end of the 2024/25 academic year is around 3,000. The government’s estimate of the number of pupils leaving private schools is within the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ estimated range of 20,000 to 40,000 and is also significantly lower than some other public estimates.

The government expects many of these moves to take place at natural transition points, such as from primary to secondary school, or at the beginning of exam courses. The impact on the state education system as a whole is therefore expected to be very small. The government expects the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector to steadily increase to a peak of around £0.3 billion after several years.

Differences in local circumstances will mean that the impacts of this policy will vary between parts of the UK. The number of pupils that would have attended private schools seeking state-funded places will vary and this will interact with other local place pressures. Local authorities and schools already have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools, and children move between the private sector and the state-funded sector every year. Local authorities will consider pressures following the removal of the VAT exemption on school fees alongside other pressures as part of the normal place planning cycle. This is business as usual. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

Although the department does not hold information for private schools, data on the numbers of pupils in private schools is collected through the annual school census. The latest data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-53cdc8f7-fc56-4c64-a79d-ccf5047b7616-tables.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to halve the budget for the National Centre for Computing Education and remove funding for face-to-face and regional science teacher continuing professional development in all subjects except physics; and what impact this would have on social mobility, science teacher retention and UK growth.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

Over the last few years, the department has invested in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to help improve the quality of computing education. The NCCE will continue to provide support to teachers of computing, ensuring they are equipped with the specialist knowledge they require to confidently teach the subject. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review will consider how children will acquire the key digital skills needed for life and work. The department will look at how it can support teachers to adapt to any future curriculum changes.

The Science Learning Partnerships have made important contributions over the last few years, and the department greatly values the work they have done. However, the previous government decided to focus resources more tightly, resulting in ending the funding of Science Learning Partnerships. The department expects to continue support for those teaching physics outside of their specialism. There is a range of other support for science education in schools, including materials from Oak National Academy in all three sciences, and free and commercially available continued professional development. The department remains strongly committed to supporting science education and continues to support teachers, including through generous financial incentives and fully funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement training.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to HMRC's policy paper entitled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential range of the number of children leaving independent schools; and what estimate she has made of the maximum likely number.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government predicts that there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private education sector in the UK as a result of the VAT on private schools fees policy, which takes effect from January 2025. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. It is anticipated that 35,000 of these pupils will move into UK state schools in the long-term steady state, with the remainder composed of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling.

This increase in the state sector represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. The number expected to move before the end of the 2024/25 academic year is around 3,000. The government’s estimate of the number of pupils leaving private schools is within the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ estimated range of 20,000 to 40,000 and is also significantly lower than some other public estimates.

The government expects many of these moves to take place at natural transition points, such as from primary to secondary school, or at the beginning of exam courses. The impact on the state education system as a whole is therefore expected to be very small. The government expects the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector to steadily increase to a peak of around £0.3 billion after several years.

Differences in local circumstances will mean that the impacts of this policy will vary between parts of the UK. The number of pupils that would have attended private schools seeking state-funded places will vary and this will interact with other local place pressures. Local authorities and schools already have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools, and children move between the private sector and the state-funded sector every year. Local authorities will consider pressures following the removal of the VAT exemption on school fees alongside other pressures as part of the normal place planning cycle. This is business as usual. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

Although the department does not hold information for private schools, data on the numbers of pupils in private schools is collected through the annual school census. The latest data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-53cdc8f7-fc56-4c64-a79d-ccf5047b7616-tables.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the policy paper entitled Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the expected increase in the number of pupils at state schools in each (a) age group and (b) region.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government predicts that there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private education sector in the UK as a result of the VAT on private schools fees policy, which takes effect from January 2025. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. It is anticipated that 35,000 of these pupils will move into UK state schools in the long-term steady state, with the remainder composed of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling.

This increase in the state sector represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. The number expected to move before the end of the 2024/25 academic year is around 3,000. The government’s estimate of the number of pupils leaving private schools is within the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ estimated range of 20,000 to 40,000 and is also significantly lower than some other public estimates.

The government expects many of these moves to take place at natural transition points, such as from primary to secondary school, or at the beginning of exam courses. The impact on the state education system as a whole is therefore expected to be very small. The government expects the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector to steadily increase to a peak of around £0.3 billion after several years.

Differences in local circumstances will mean that the impacts of this policy will vary between parts of the UK. The number of pupils that would have attended private schools seeking state-funded places will vary and this will interact with other local place pressures. Local authorities and schools already have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools, and children move between the private sector and the state-funded sector every year. Local authorities will consider pressures following the removal of the VAT exemption on school fees alongside other pressures as part of the normal place planning cycle. This is business as usual. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

Although the department does not hold information for private schools, data on the numbers of pupils in private schools is collected through the annual school census. The latest data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-53cdc8f7-fc56-4c64-a79d-ccf5047b7616-tables.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to monitor the potential impact of VAT on independent schools on pupil numbers in those schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government predicts that there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private education sector in the UK as a result of the VAT on private schools fees policy, which takes effect from January 2025. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. It is anticipated that 35,000 of these pupils will move into UK state schools in the long-term steady state, with the remainder composed of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling.

This increase in the state sector represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. The number expected to move before the end of the 2024/25 academic year is around 3,000. The government’s estimate of the number of pupils leaving private schools is within the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ estimated range of 20,000 to 40,000 and is also significantly lower than some other public estimates.

The government expects many of these moves to take place at natural transition points, such as from primary to secondary school, or at the beginning of exam courses. The impact on the state education system as a whole is therefore expected to be very small. The government expects the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector to steadily increase to a peak of around £0.3 billion after several years.

Differences in local circumstances will mean that the impacts of this policy will vary between parts of the UK. The number of pupils that would have attended private schools seeking state-funded places will vary and this will interact with other local place pressures. Local authorities and schools already have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools, and children move between the private sector and the state-funded sector every year. Local authorities will consider pressures following the removal of the VAT exemption on school fees alongside other pressures as part of the normal place planning cycle. This is business as usual. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

Although the department does not hold information for private schools, data on the numbers of pupils in private schools is collected through the annual school census. The latest data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-53cdc8f7-fc56-4c64-a79d-ccf5047b7616-tables.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendations contained in the Place2Be report School for all: solutions for school attendance, published in September.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The government is grateful to Place2Be for their work and findings in ‘School for All: Solutions for School Attendance’. Several of the recommendations that are made in the report are already being implemented by the department.

The government understands how vital mental health support is for enabling pupils to attend school and it is committed to supporting schools to embed this through a whole school and college approach. The department has provided grants for all schools and colleges to train a senior mental health lead, which over 70% of schools have now accessed. Additionally, the department is committed to delivering access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, which includes access to mental health support workers, and it will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

The department agrees that there should be a whole family approach to attendance from schools to build strong relationships and collaboration. The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which became statutory in August 2024, encompasses a ‘support first’ approach, setting clear expectations that schools and local authorities should work with families to address barriers to attendance in a sensitive way. Moreover, the department recently announced an additional investment of £15 million to expand mentoring into 10 new areas over the next three years, providing further support for persistently absent pupils and their families on a one-to-one basis to help identify and address their barriers to education.

From September 2024, it also became mandatory for all schools in England to share their daily attendance data with the department. Schools, trusts and local authorities can access a data tool to identify and intervene where pupils may be at risk of becoming persistently absent. Although the department recognises the intent behind having a specific mental health absence code, there are concerns that creating an additional code is unhelpful in practice and could place a burden on schools. Recent changes to the school register codes, however, have introduced other codes that will be beneficial to children with special educational needs and disabilities or facing mental health challenges.

Additionally, tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. This government’s new Ministerial Taskforce will drive cross-government action on child poverty, starting with overseeing the development of an ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring next year and will help to tackle a key driver of severe absence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.8 of the Autumn Budget 2024, how she plans to allocate the additional (a) SEND and (b) Alternative Provision funding.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The high needs national funding formula (NFF) will be used to allocate high needs funding to local authorities for the 2025/26 financial year. The department is taking more time to consider what changes to the NFF are needed, both to make sure that we establish a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, and to support any special educational needs and disabilities reforms that will be taken forward.

The department is now in the process of calculating the high needs NFF allocations, which will provide local authorities with indicative amounts for 2025/26. We expect to publish those allocations by the end of November 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, when she plans to announce details of new foundation and shorter apprenticeships.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high quality opportunities after leaving school and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.

The department is beginning work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, which will provide high quality entry pathways for young people.

Apprentices are employed, and so as jobs with training, the department’s new foundation apprenticeship offer will start with the needs of employers as well as young people. Foundation apprenticeships will focus on ensuring that training is directed towards skills and staff shortage areas and offer young people a broad training offer with clear, seamless, progression into other apprenticeships.

The department will set out more detail on foundation apprenticeships, including the sectors they will be available in, in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, in which key sectors there will be new foundation and shorter apprenticeships.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high quality opportunities after leaving school and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.

The department is beginning work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, which will provide high quality entry pathways for young people.

Apprentices are employed, and so as jobs with training, the department’s new foundation apprenticeship offer will start with the needs of employers as well as young people. Foundation apprenticeships will focus on ensuring that training is directed towards skills and staff shortage areas and offer young people a broad training offer with clear, seamless, progression into other apprenticeships.

The department will set out more detail on foundation apprenticeships, including the sectors they will be available in, in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.11 of the Autumn Budget 2024, how she plans to allocate the funding for free breakfast clubs between (a) mainstream primary schools, (b) mainstream secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) other settings.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day and help drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment. This will also support parents, supporting them to work the jobs and hours they choose.

This funding will support up to 750 early adopters of the new breakfast clubs starting as early as April 2025 to March 2026, as well as enabling continued support for around 2,700 schools currently on the national schools breakfast programme. All state-funded schools in England with primary-aged pupils are eligible to be an early adopter.

Once rolled out nationally, breakfast clubs will be available to every school with primary-aged children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.11 of the Autumn Budget 2024, whether she plans to fund breakfasts in all primary schools.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day and help drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment. This will also support parents, supporting them to work the jobs and hours they choose.

This funding will support up to 750 early adopters of the new breakfast clubs starting as early as April 2025 to March 2026, as well as enabling continued support for around 2,700 schools currently on the national schools breakfast programme. All state-funded schools in England with primary-aged pupils are eligible to be an early adopter.

Once rolled out nationally, breakfast clubs will be available to every school with primary-aged children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 August 2024, HC 295, how new foundation and shorter apprenticeships are different to the model of traineeships in operation until July 2023.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high quality opportunities after leaving school and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.

The department is beginning work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, which will provide high quality entry pathways for young people.

Apprentices are employed, and so as jobs with training, the department’s new foundation apprenticeship offer will start with the needs of employers as well as young people. Foundation apprenticeships will focus on ensuring that training is directed towards skills and staff shortage areas and offer young people a broad training offer with clear, seamless, progression into other apprenticeships.

The department will set out more detail on foundation apprenticeships, including the sectors they will be available in, in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to increase the number of school places in Fylde before January 2025, in the context of the introduction of VAT on independent school fees.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has already set out funding allocations for all schools in the current year. The removal for the school fees exemption to VAT does not change those allocations.

The government has also set out that it expects the number of additional pupils joining the state-funded sector to be low, around 35,000 pupils UK-wide, which is less than 0.5% of the state-funded pupil population, over several years.

The impact on individual schools and local authorities will vary and interact with other pressures. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places. Deciding whether to move a child part-way through the school year in January 2025 is a matter for parents. Requirements for state-funded places for children that would have attended a private school will be addressed in each local authority through normal processes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding per (a) primary and (b) secondary school student is provided In (i) Cornwall, (ii) Plymouth, (iii) Torbay, (iv) Devon and (v) in the five local authorities with the highest level of education attainment.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Mainstream schools receive the majority of their core school funding through the schools block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG).

DSG has funding data for Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and Devon. It does not include funding in respect of the ‘local authorities with the highest level of education attainment’ because there are a number of different ways in which education attainment can be measured. The local authorities which have the highest level of education attainment would depend on which of these measures were used.

The primary and secondary per-pupil funding for the 2024/25 financial year through the schools block of the DSG can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2024-to-2025.

The DSG funding excludes the additional funding schools have received through other grants, notably the 2024/25 teachers’ pay additional grant, the 2024/25 teachers’ pensions employer contribution grant and the 2024/25 core schools budget grant.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the change in the core schools budget will be for (a) 2025-6, (b) 2026-7 and (c) 2027-8 (i) in total and (ii) per pupil.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Funding for schools and young people with high needs is set to increase by £2.3 billion in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26. The department will confirm per pupil increases for schools and high needs once the national funding formulae for 2025/26 have been calculated.

The Budget on 30 October sets out the government’s plans for the upcoming 2025/26 financial year. Core schools budgets beyond 2025/26 have not been set.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support local authorities to reduce the waiting times for education, health and care plans to be processed.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.

The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

The department publishes annual data from the SEN2 survey in relation to the processes associated with EHC plans, including the timeliness of assessments and, where agreed, the issuing of an EHC plan. The department also closely monitors the information from the annual SEN2 data release and uses it to inform discussions with local areas.

Local authorities identified as having issues with EHC plan timeliness are subject to additional monitoring by the department, who work with the specific local authority. Where there are concerns about the local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, the department can secure specialist SEND Adviser support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.

The department knows that local authorities have been impacted by increased demand for EHC plans and workforce capacity to meet this demand, so more efficient and effective service delivery, alongside communication with schools and families, is central to the recovery.

When inspections indicate that there are significant concerns with local authority performance, the department will intervene directly. This may mean issuing an improvement notice, statutory direction and/or appointing a commissioner, the deployment of which is considered on a case-by-case basis. We also provide support and challenge, for example from SEND Improvement Advisers and Sector-Led Improvement Partners to address the challenges local authorities face and improve services for children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on SEND cost pressures.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

At Budget, HM Treasury confirmed that all public sector organisations will be funded for the increase in employer contributions to national insurance in 2025/26. This will include funding for schools.

The department anticipates providing this funding to schools, including with regard to special educational needs and disabilities, funding for special schools, and alternative provision. This will be through an additional grant in 2025/26. The department will provide more information on this, including funding rates and allocations, as soon as practicable.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Question 11052 on Free Schools, if she will list the 44 projects.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for North West Norfolk to the answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 11051.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will adjust childcare hourly funding rates to reflect changes to employer NICs.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in 2025/26, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we continue to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what changes announced in the Budget will mean for the early years sector and will announce more details as soon as possible. The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in 2025/26. We are working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26, as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to support students with special needs in the Ashfield and Mansfield district.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Nottinghamshire received a joint local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in February 2023 under the current Area SEND Inspection framework. Ofsted and the CQC found widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND which the local area partnership must address urgently. The report, which was published on 16 May 2023, included two areas for priority action (APA). The local area submitted a Priority Action Plan to Ofsted and the CQC to address these APAs, which was approved on 14 July 2023.

The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the APAs found by inspectors and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. Nottinghamshire County Council is committed to working closely with the department to improve services.

The department has appointed a SEND Advisor to work collaboratively with an NHS England Adviser to challenge, support and work alongside Nottinghamshire County Council and the local area partnership. In addition, the department commissioned the Council for Disabled Children, which is part of the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Consortium contract, to deliver a bespoke package, supporting the local area to develop an outcome-based framework to underpin their new SEND strategy. This is available here: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send/nottinghamshire-local-area-send-strategy.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing parents to take their children out of school during term time for up to five days per year.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Tackling absence is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. The government recognises school absence as a key barrier to learning.

Parents have a legal responsibility to ensure that their child of compulsory school age attends school regularly. Regular school attendance is vital for children’s attainment, mental wellbeing and long-term development.

Taking children out of school during term time can damage their education and cause unnecessary disruption for teachers and other pupils. There are 175 days per year when pupils are not expected to be in school which gives families various opportunities to enjoy holidays.

Thanks to the sector's efforts, more students are attending school this year compared to last. However, 1.6 million children remain persistently absent, missing 10% or more of lessons.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.11 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, whether the £69 million to continue delivery of a network of Family Hubs will be used to include (a) more and (b) all local authorities in the programme.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Budget announcement includes £69 million to continue delivery of a network of Family Hubs. The announcement is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-2024.

Decisions on the breakdown of this funding are yet to be taken. The department will provide further details in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide additional funding to Social Work England for the provision of additional fitness to practice final hearings.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has provided additional funding of £7.1 million to Social Work England to clear the backlog of legacy cases inherited from the previous regulator. The department continues to look at ways to provide additional support to reduce cases currently at final hearing stage.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding is available to universities via the Strategic Priorities Grant.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE), including expensive to deliver subjects such as science and engineering, students at risk of discontinuing their studies and world leading specialist providers.

The total recurrent SPG funding to be distributed by the Office for Students (OfS) for the 2024/25 academic year is £1.426 million. This comprises £1.402 million in recurrent grant for providers and £24 million in funding for national facilities and regulatory initiatives.

The department made £281 million of funding available to providers for the 2024/25 academic year in the form of student premiums and mental health support to promote successful outcomes for students, including for disadvantaged students.

For the three-year period from 2022/23 to 2024/25, the SPG multi-year capital funding was set at £450 million to support investment in teaching and learning facilities. The outcomes for the distribution of capital grant funding by the OfS to eligible HE providers is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/capital-funding-for-financial-years-2022-23-to-2024-25/.

On 29 July 2024, the OfS published the outcomes of their decision on how the 2024/25 academic year SPG recurrent funding would be allocated to eligible HE providers. The full summary of their decision-making can be accessed here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/467e28b4-7bc4-4223-bfbc-33de5836c349/funding-for-2023-24-ofs-decisions.pdf.

On 25 October 2024, the OfS also published the latest edition of the funding allocations for each provider for the 2024/25 academic year. The breakdown for each HE provider is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/recurrent-funding-for-2024-25/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on higher education institutions.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Although my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, did not announce new funding for the higher education (HE) sector, we have since announced measures across fees, maintenance and wider HE reform to address financial pressures faced by the sector, increase support for students, strengthen efforts to improve access and outcomes for disadvantaged students and enable flexibility to be at the core of our HE system.

The department is aware that HE providers will have to pay increased national insurance contributions. As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out in the Budget, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions which is why the government has asked employers to contribute more.

The tuition fee limit increase represents an increased investment from students for the sector and will support HE providers in managing the financial challenges they are facing.

The department will explore how best it can continue to improve access to HE, thus widening opportunity for our students and learners, while driving the HE system to play a bigger role in our ambitions for national growth.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on each sector for which her Department has responsibility.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at Budget on 30 October 2024 setting out changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she has decided to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional associated cost.

Given the impacts of this policy change will need to be worked through in further detail, this additional support is not reflected in departmental spending review settlements immediately.

HM Treasury will confirm funding allocations by department as part of setting baselines and planning assumptions for phase 2 of the spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specialist mental health support she plans to provide to secondary schools to help tackle absences.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Poor mental health in children and young people is a significant contributing factor in school absence, and a key barrier to opportunity and learning, that the government is committed to addressing.

To tackle mental ill-health among children and young people, the government has committed to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers which is why we are exploring a range of options. This includes existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

This is in addition to activity to support schools and local authorities to tackle the school absence challenge, which includes setting clear expectations for schools, trusts and local authorities to provide a ‘support first’ approach to attendance. Departmental guidance can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance.

The department is also piloting attendance mentors, offering 1:1 targeted support to 10,000 persistently absent pupils and their families across 15 local authorities to identify and address barriers to education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support she plans to provided to (a) parents and guardians and (b) children to help tackle the root causes of persistent school absences.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Tackling school absence is at the heart of the department’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. However, 20.7% of children remain persistently absent, missing 10% or more of lessons, and we recognise that supporting parents, guardians and children is vitally important in overcoming this.

This is why the department has published the ’Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which became statutory in August 2024. The guidance promotes a 'support first' approach, setting clear expectations that schools and local authorities should work with families to address barriers to attendance in a sensitive way. To support parents, we have published a parent-facing version of the guidance and have worked with schools to strengthen communications to parents around attendance.

In addition, backed by £15 million, the government is expanding attendance mentoring to reach 10,000 more children and cover an additional ten areas. This is alongside the commitment to roll out funded breakfast clubs to all primary schools to ensure all children are ready to learn.

Mental health support is particularly important for enabling pupils to attend. The department has provided grants for all schools to train a senior mental health lead. We are also committed to delivering access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve educational outcomes for (a) children in social care and (b) care-experienced young people in Gloucester.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving all our children and young people the start in life they deserve. The government is committed to working in partnership with local government to support children who have experienced the care system across all settings, and to improving their educational outcomes.

In July, the King’s Speech set out the government’s plans to introduce a Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which will help raise standards for children in care and ensure that every child can thrive in a safe, loving home as part of the government’s commitment to deliver high and rising standards in education for children and young people in England. The Bill is expected to be introduced within the first session of Parliament and will be a crucial step in breaking down barriers to opportunity for children and young people.

Children in care and care leavers in Gloucester will also benefit from the almost £1 billion we have put into the high needs budget for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in 2025/26 given the high levels of SEND in the cohort, and the £300 million of funding we are putting into further education to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that disabled children are included in the Children's Wellbeing Bill.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing Bill will remove barriers to opportunity for every child, by raising school standards and delivering our commitment on children’s social care.

The precise content of the Bill will be confirmed upon the Bill’s introduction, which will be as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in the London Borough of Havering.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but more must be done to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession, and to reset the relationship with the teaching profession. As part of this, it is important that teachers receive the pay they deserve, which is why this government has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September 2024. Additionally, from 1 September 2024, schools are no longer required to use performance related pay as the basis for appraisals and decisions related to pay progression. This government is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with overall costs.

Alongside teacher pay, the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 and scholarships of up to £31,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers can also receive a Targeted Retention Incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. 13 schools in Havering are eligible for Targeted Retention Incentives.

The department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including its ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service and the ‘education staff wellbeing charter’. Additionally, effective use of technology can automate tasks and help manage workload for teachers. For example, high quality AI tools have the potential to reduce the amount of time that teachers spend marking, whilst supporting effective feedback and tailored teaching which drive pupil progress.

In August 2024, we announced a £1 million fund to support innovators to develop proof of concept AI tools to support teachers with marking and providing feedback. Oak National Academy has also recently launched a sector-leading AI lesson planning assistant which enables teachers who choose to use it to create personalised and tailored lesson plans and resources in minutes. 40% of Oak users save around four hours per week.

The department is committed to supporting schools to implement flexible working practices including taking planning, preparation and assessment time remotely, to improve recruitment and retention of teachers. The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts. The named flexible working ambassador for schools in Havering is Charles Dickens Primary School.

The department has established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide approved high quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. They play a significant role in delivering Initial Teacher Training, the Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications and Appropriate Body services. London District East Teaching School Hub is a centre of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Havering.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed Children Not In School register on families who home-educate their children.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The proposals to require every local authority in England to maintain registers of children not in school, which are to be included in the future Children’s Wellbeing Bill, are intended to help local authorities identify all home educating families in their areas, so that they can ensure children are receiving a safe and suitable education. To ensure these registers can operate effectively, parents of eligible children will be required to provide some information to their local authorities but, as part of the implementation of the legislation, the department would engage with stakeholders to ensure that any burdens on families are minimised. In addition, the children not in school proposals will also include a duty on local authorities to provide support to home educating families should they want it, which will help more families to deliver a suitable education, ensuring more children receive the high standard of education they deserve.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a shortfall in SEND education provision within Cheshire East on SEND children; and whether she plans to take steps to increase this provision.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities.

The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding. This can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.

We understand that local authorities, including Cheshire East, will want to be aware of further funding in order to develop an approach to future high needs provision and we will confirm plans for future high needs capital funding in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children with (a) hearing impairments and (b) other disabilities receive adequate support at their local schools when specialist facilities are not available; and what support her Department provides for transport in cases where parents have to send their child to a school further away that provides such support.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.

Whilst we recognise the urgency and need to drive improvements, we are conscious that there are no quick fixes and want to take a considered approach to deliver sustainable education reform. Our initial work includes commissioning independent evidence reviews to identify what works to support children and young people with different needs, including hearing impairments. We are also working with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities are better reflected in the Education Inspection Framework.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. Where a child’s nearest school is unable to offer them a place, the nearest school that can admit them becomes their nearest school for school travel purposes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of children in school in each constituency do not have English as their first language.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The information requested is in the attached table. Data for the proportion and number of children who do not have English as their first language can be found at school level in the school census publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency nor a good proxy for recent immigration.

As these figures are taken from the January 2024 school census, the Parliamentary constituencies are based on pre-election boundaries. Where statistics were published prior to the changes in Parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics publication.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by the Sutton Trust entitled Lessons Learnt, published on 28 October 2024, if she will make her policy to (a) review and (b) reform the pupil premium.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond, and this government is committed to breaking the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success.

The department is fully focused on supporting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. That is why removing barriers to opportunity and raising school standards are at the heart of our mission to transform life chances and ensure all children can achieve and thrive.

The department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding in 2024/25 to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England.

The department will continue to take time to consider the various funding formulae going forward, recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed. We will consider the pupil premium as part of that process, and decisions on pupil premium funding for 2025/26 will be taken later this year.

The department will continue to support schools to achieve maximum impact from the pupil premium.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the attainment gap for pupils in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Removing barriers to opportunity and driving high and rising standards at all schools are at the heart of the government’s opportunity mission which aims to transform children’s life chances.

The Education Policy Institute's Annual Report 2024 outlined that the disadvantage gap in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 10.2 months at the end of key stage 2 and that this grows to 16.1 months at the end of key stage 4. Far too many disadvantaged children are being failed and this government is determined to change this by raising standards and creating opportunities for all our children enabling them to achieve and thrive.

This is why the department has already started work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and has launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that will look closely at key challenges to attainment.

The department is also committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools, ensuring every primary school child is well prepared for school. The government confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day and help to drive improvements to behaviour, attendance, and attainment.

Alongside this, pupil premium funding is allocated to schools to support the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and is worth over £2.9 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.

Departmental officials also continue to work closely with the multi-academy trusts and schools in the area to promote continued collaboration, sector-led networks and initiatives to remove barriers to opportunity for all children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve opportunities for young people in Gloucester.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Opportunity Mission will build opportunity for all by giving every child, including children across Gloucester the best start in life, helping them achieve and thrive, and building skills for opportunity and growth. This will be underpinned by family security, and we must tackle the underlying barriers to opportunity that hold too many young people back.

That is why the department is committed to recruiting 6,500 additional teachers, creating 3,000 new or expanded school-based nurseries, expanding childcare entitlements for eligible working families, providing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and launching Skills England to transform opportunities and drive growth. We are also investing more in children’s services to set them on a sustainable trajectory and have announced new funding for kinship care and fostering to keep children safe and provide family security for our most vulnerable children.

We will also introduce the youth guarantee, which will help 18 to 21-year-olds to access education, training, or apprenticeships opportunities and receive employment support. This will give all young people the best start in their career, so they can secure good, skilled jobs in the future, both in Gloucester and across the country.

The government will also introduce new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted and growing sectors. Foundation apprenticeships are a work-based training offer that will give more young people a foot in the door and will support clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. We will work closely with the sector to ensure the design is fit for purpose and meets employers’ needs and further detail will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to improve the (a) safeguarding and (b) wellbeing of children with allergies in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. This includes allergies.

The accompanying statutory guidance, 'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions', makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions' includes guidance on individual healthcare plans and specifies that they should ensure that the school assesses and manages risks to the child’s education, health and social wellbeing, and minimises disruption.

The department included a reminder to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin in both March and September 2024. In the same communication we also alerted schools to the newly created Schools Allergy Code. The Code was developed by The Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, who are all trusted voices on the matter of allergies. The department has now also added a link to the Code to its online allergy guidance, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/allergy-guidance-for-schools.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) have produced guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. DHSC have also produced guidance on emergency inhalers in schools, including the purchase of spares, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-asthma-inhalers-for-use-in-schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the value was of student loans that were written off in each of the last five years; and what this was as a proportion of all outstanding student loans.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The table below shows the amount that has been cancelled or written off during each financial year requested, the total amount outstanding at the start of the financial year including interest and loans not yet due for repayment (after adjustments) and the proportion that write offs or cancellations make out of the starting balance.

The reasons for cancelled or written off loans are the following: death of borrower, age of borrower, disability, trivial balances, losses through fraud (including phishing) and other.

Please note that write-offs do not include trivial balance write-offs. Trivial balance write-offs occur if there is a +/- balance on an account of £25 or less and no contact can be established with the borrower (customers can request for this to be reversed). In the context of these figures these borrowers are considered fully repaid and are therefore not included. Cancellations involve the clearance of the remaining debt in line with the terms of the loan, for example when reaching a specific age or becoming permanently disabled. Write-offs for bankruptcy, Individual Voluntary Arrangement or a trust deed, are no longer allowed against Student Loans balances. Any figures arise from retrospective clear up exercises.

These figures have been taken from Student Loans Company’s Student loans in England publication that is updated in June each year. The publication, ‘Student loans in England: 2023 to 2024’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2023-to-2024, and the figures were taken from ‘Table 1A’ here: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F6672d0e2f92bc4be25da7e13%2Fslcsp012024.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase teacher retention.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education, which is why we are committed to tackling the crisis in teacher recruitment and retention this government inherited.

It is vital to retain our existing teachers to ensure a sufficient high quality workforce, and the department is committed to tackling retention challenges, making work pay and supporting teachers to stay in the profession and thrive. A key first step is to ensure teaching is once again a respected and attractive profession and that teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why this government has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September this year.

Alongside teacher pay, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers can now also receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools.

Helping teachers remain and thrive in the profession is not just about pay and financial reward, but also about workload and wellbeing. The department has made an early decision to remove the single headline Ofsted grade, which put unnecessary pressure on teachers and leaders. We have also made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including the ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service and the ‘education staff wellbeing charter’.

The department is also committed to supporting schools to implement flexible working practices, including undertaking planning, preparation and assessment time remotely, to improve recruitment and retention of teachers. In addition, the department has also developed an online toolkit of resources and is funding free webinar training and bespoke peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the current student finance system to enable adult learners with existing degrees to access financial support when pursuing an additional degree later.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for courses starting on or after 1 January 2027. The LLE will transform the higher education student finance system in England by broadening access to high quality, flexible education and training.

From its launch, the LLE will be available for full courses at level 4 to 6, such as degrees and technical qualifications, and modules of high-value technical courses at level 4 and 5.

Under the LLE, eligible new learners will have access to a tuition fee loan equal to four years of study. For returning learners, the amount they can borrow will be reduced depending on the funding they have previously received to support study. For example, a typical graduate who completed a three year degree would have one year of residual entitlement remaining.

An additional entitlement above the core four-year entitlement will be available for some priority subjects and longer courses, such as medicine. Further details on the LLE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lifelong-learning-entitlement-lle-overview.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding his Department made available for school transport for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in academic years (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22, (c) 2022-23, (d) 2023-24 and (e) 2024-25.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Most central government funding for home to school travel is provided through the local government finance settlement (LGFS), which is administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This funding is non-ringfenced, giving local authorities the flexibility to make the best decisions for their local area. In total, the LGFS for the 2024/25 financial year makes available up to £64.7 billion for local authorities in England. Further details on the settlement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/final-local-government-finance-settlement-england-2024-to-2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps has her Department is taking with the Teacher's Pension Scheme to reduce the time taken to provide pension valuations for teachers undergoing divorce proceedings.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is aware of a backlog with the number of outstanding Cash Equivalent Transfer Value figures that are used by members in divorce proceedings. The backlog has arisen as a result of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy and the need for complex guidance to be provided before affected cases could be processed by the scheme administrator.

The scheme administrator has undertaken IT development to help expedite these cases in order to increase capacity. Discussions are ongoing regarding any additional efficiencies and resource that can be used, as the department appreciates the impact that a delay has on members in these circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, for what reason the launch date of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement has been revised.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), expanding access to high quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives, helping businesses to fill skills gaps and kickstart economic growth.

The LLE will now launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, including full courses, modules and Higher Technical Qualifications.

This is in order to:

• Improve the impact and effectiveness of the LLE by ensuring that policy and design fully align with this government’s ambitious vision for the future of our skills landscape.
• Refine the department’s delivery and implementation plans through collaboration with Skills England to help support this government’s industrial strategy.
• Give education providers the necessary time to prepare for the launch of this new and transformational student-finance system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children requiring SEND support did not attend school in each council ward in Northumberland in each of the last five academic years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The requested information is not held centrally.

The department collects information on children who are electively home educated (EHE) from local authorities on a voluntary basis. The latest figures can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

The department also collects data on children missing education (CME) from local authorities on a voluntary basis. These are children of compulsory school age not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education. The latest figures can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

Information on the number of children in EHE in Northumberland between 2021/22 and 2022/23 is available in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d158d673-76e2-4aab-a0f2-08dcfae39e23. Information on the number of CME in Northumberland between 2021/22 and 2022/23 is available in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d86675e8-9537-4727-a0ed-08dcfae39e23. As data was collected from local authorities for the first time in autumn 2022, information is not held for prior time periods. Additionally, EHE and CME data is not available at council ward level.

In autumn 2023/24, 15% of all EHE children had an additional requirement of special educational needs (SEN) support and 8% of all CME had an additional requirement of SEN support. This compares with 13% for the overall school population in January 2023.

The Children’s Wellbeing Bill will legislate for local authority registers of children not in school. This will include a duty on parents to provide the necessary information for these registers if their child is eligible. These proposals are intended to help local authorities identify all children not in school in their areas, including those that may require SEN support, so they can ensure children are receiving a safe and suitable education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on tackling knife crime in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Keeping children safe is a top priority for this government. The department works closely with the Home Office to deliver better and safer outcomes for young people through the Opportunity and Safer Streets Missions. For example, the department is working cross-government to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitments on the Young Futures Programme, to establish Prevention Partnerships and Young Futures Hubs.

Education plays a key role in ensuring children can lead safe and fulfilling lives, and it provides opportunities to educate young people on dangerous behaviour and provide preventative support to those most vulnerable.

Relationships, sex and health education includes content on the situations that can lead young people to carry weapons such as knives, including criminal exploitation through involvement in gangs and county lines drugs operations, and in particular the grooming relationships that can accompany this. Issues around gun and knife crime can also be taught as part of a school’s wider curriculum.

School-led Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed taskforces have been established in ten hotspot areas in England. The taskforces are investing in and delivering evidence-based interventions to help young people get back on track with their education and reduce their vulnerability to serious violence. The department’s Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces see teams of specialists providing integrated, child-centred support in the largest alterative provision schools in serious violence hotspot areas.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what will be the nominal cumulative total of student loan debt in (1) five years, (2) 10 years, and (3) 25 years.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes forecasts annually for higher education and further education student loans in England. Student loan forecasts for England in the 2023/24 financial year can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england.

The requested figures can be found in supplementary Table 8 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5dd0bbff-ff5d-4387-a0a8-08dcfae39e23.

In five years, in the 2029/30 financial year, the nominal cumulative total of student loan debt is forecast to be £383.7 billion. In 2034/35 it is forecast to be £539.9 billion. In 2049/50 it is forecast to be £869.4 billion.

These published forecasts use a range of assumptions, including annual inflationary increases in maintenance loans and fee caps by the Retail Prices Index excluding mortgage interest payments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authorities have equal access to funding for special educational needs and disabilities services.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for English local authorities’ high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND in England to £11.9 billion.

The department is now in the process of calculating indicative high needs funding allocations for local authorities next year through the national funding formula (NFF), which we expect to publish by the end of November.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship schemes are operating in (a) North Warwickshire and Bedworth constituency, (b) North Warwickshire and (c) Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

So far in the 2023/24 academic year from August to April there have been 1,310 apprenticeship participants in North Warwickshire and Bedworth constituency, 910 in North Warwickshire local authority district and 1,890 in Nuneaton and Bedworth local authority district. In the 2022/23 full academic year there were 1,470,990 and 2,110 participants respectively.

Note:

(1) Figures for 2023/24 are provisional and cover the first three quarters (August 2023 to April 2024). All other years are final, full-year figures.

(2) Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.

(3) Participation is the count of learners that participated at any point during the year. Learners undertaking more than one course will appear only once in the grand total.

(4) Figures are based on learner home postcode.

These figures are published in the Apprenticeships statistics publication, which can accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with with epilepsy have individual healthcare plans.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. Individual healthcare plans can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom, to ensure that children have full access to education. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate.

The department will keep the statutory guidance under review as we take forward our commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the (a) adequacy of and (b) potential merits of undertaking a review of provider access legislation for students with SEND to assist them with acquiring employment.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Provider Access Legislation places a duty on all schools to provide at least six opportunities for all their pupils to meet providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships during school years 8 to 13.

The delivery of provider encounters may need to be adapted for some audiences, for example special schools and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools should involve parents/carers, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator and other relevant staff to identify any specialist support needed, and tailor each encounter appropriately.

Schools can access resources for Provider Access Legislation in SEND settings through The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) here: https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/resources/provider-access-legislation-pal-send-settings, as well as by contacting their local Careers Hub for support.

Data published by the CEC outlines that the majority of specialist settings are offering meaningful provider encounters for their pupils. In the 2023/24 academic year, 89% of special schools reported that most students had meaningful encounters with further education colleges. 78% of special schools reported that the majority of students had meaningful encounters with independent training providers.

The department will continue to monitor and review the level of compliance with the Provider Access Legislation, the support in place and the impact on young people.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the recruitment of male primary school teachers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

​​​​​​​​​​​​​High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education with teachers helping shape the lives of young people.

There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the government must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

​The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. As part of this, it is important that teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why this government has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.

The department is committed to making teaching and teacher recruitment as inclusive as possible. This includes the Get Into Teaching marketing campaign, which provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching Service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and support candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.

The service supports the department's overall aim to improve teacher sufficiency and quality by boosting teacher recruitment and retention. The department’s Apply for Teacher Training digital service gives it more data and greater insight into the behaviour of male candidates and schools and universities that offer initial teacher training. This is helping the department identify and address barriers for different groups, including men.

The department offers a range of training pathways into teaching that appeals to the widest range of candidates. These include routes funded through student finance and, in some subjects, bursaries or employment-based training where trainees will earn a salary while they train, including teaching apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure parents have access to the materials used to teach their children in (a) relationships, sex and health education, (b) religious education and (c) other lessons.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department agrees that parents should be able to see what their children are taught, and that schools should be responsive to parents who request to see specific curriculum materials.

Schools are required to share information concerning their curriculum with parents, including for relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and religious education.

Guidance on what maintained schools must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online. Guidance on what academies and further education colleges must or should publish online is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online.

Schools are also required to consult parents in advance on their relationships and sex education policies. The statutory guidance is clear that this should include sharing examples of the materials they plan to use.

If a parent feels that a school is failing to comply with its legal requirements relating to the provision of the curriculum, or that a school is acting unreasonably in the way it complies with them, they can make a formal complaint by following the school’s statutory complaints procedures.

The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools. As such, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to allocate new (a) funding and (b) resources to support children with special educational needs and disabilities in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.

The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and to pupils with SEND.

The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Budget 2024 Briefing, published by Tech First in October 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of child poverty on resource allocation in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The schools national funding formula (NFF) targets funding to schools which have pupils with additional needs. In the 2024/25 financial year, over £4.4 billion (10.2%) of the formula is allocated according to deprivation factors in the NFF, including free school meals (FSM) for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and over £7.8 billion (17.8%) is allocated for additional needs overall.

The department has recently published provisional factor values for the 2025/26 NFF, including the increases to the deprivation factors within the formula. This is published at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-16-schools-funding-local-authority-guidance-for-2025-to-2026.

The core schools budget grant (CSBG), announced earlier this year to support schools with the costs of the 2024 pay awards for support staff and teachers, likewise includes a deprivation factor. This means pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point over the past six years attract additional funding to their schools through the CSBG.

On top of this funding through the NFF and CSBG, the department also provides additional funding to schools through the pupil premium to improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2024/25 financial year, total pupil premium funding is worth over £2.9 billion.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with North Northamptonshire Council on school transport fees.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s home to school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home to school travel for children of compulsory school age, between 5 to 16, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low income families.

Local authorities may not charge a fee for transport for eligible children. Some authorities choose to arrange transport for children who are not eligible, but they are not required to do so. They may also charge for such transport, but this is a matter for the local authority.

The department is keen to understand how well home to school transport supports children to access educational opportunities and will be working with our officials on this.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11294 on Armed Forces: Cadets, what discussions she had with the Minister for Veterans and People on the School staff instructor grant.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department works closely with the Ministry of Defence on delivery of the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP). The CEP is run jointly by the departments and funding decisions are discussed and shared with ministers from both departments in that context.

The government, through the Ministry of Defence, provides in the region of £180 million to support cadet schemes. The CEP will continue to be delivered and receive £3.6 million in government funding for this academic year and through to the 2033/34 financial year. This goes to the single Service (i.e. Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force) cadet organisations, to provide funding for cadet expansion in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children in kinship care.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Through the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced £40 million to trial a new kinship allowance in up to ten local authorities. This will test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs, such as supporting a child to settle into a new home with relatives, can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends.

In October 2024, the department announced the appointment of the first National Kinship Care Ambassador, to advocate for kinship children and their carers, and to work directly with local authorities to help improve services whilst sharing good practice across areas. We also published new Kinship Care statutory guidance for local authorities, which sets out the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families.

From September 2024, the role of Virtual School Heads has been expanded to include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care.

The government is extending the delivery of over 140 peer support groups across England, and the department is also delivering a package of training and support for all kinship carers across England. In addition, the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund continues to provide therapeutic support for some children in kinship care.

The government recognises the challenge that many kinship carers face in continuing to work alongside taking in and raising a child. The department is introducing kinship leave for its own employees and are dedicated to keeping this area under review to ensure working kinship families receive the support they need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to release an Early Years strategy.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department’s long term intention is to reform the early years system as the foundation of opportunity and life chances for children. We will set out our vision for reforming the early years sector next year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to require schools to make an assessment of the social, emotional and behavioural needs of pupils.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Schools and further education colleges are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the children and young people they support. In the case of mainstream settings, they must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need.

Schools report on the pupils they identify with social, emotional and mental health needs through the School Census. In 2024, 316,327 pupils were identified as having a social, emotional and mental health need as a primary type of need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children with cerebral palsy attend mainstream schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold statistics on how many children with cerebral palsy attend mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support early speech and language interventions in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department’s vision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), is the same as it is for all children and young people. We want them to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is funding support for 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme. The majority of these are schools with the highest levels of disadvantage, as defined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. As of January 2024, we estimate over 211,000 reception age children so far have received this extra support.

In partnership with NHS England, we are funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder programme, to trial new ways of working to earlier identify and support children with SLCN in early years and primary schools, utilising Therapy Support Assistants and a variation of identification tools across the pathfinders.

In further partnership with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care, this department is funding the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS will build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including those with SLCN, through whole school interventions.

The department funds a range of materials, to which all local areas are signposted, hosted on the Nasen website. This website is an online portal offering education professionals free, easy access to high quality information, resources and training for meeting the needs of children with SEND. It can be accessed here: https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/page/universal-send-services. We have funded the creation of a suite of condition specific videos to provide helpful pointers, techniques and advice on inclusive teaching strategies, which includes materials for schools to use for children and young people with SLCN. These videos can be accessed at: https://www.sendgateway.org.uk/resources?title=condition-specific. We also offer free training on speech language and communication, which is available here: https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/page/online-cpd-units.

The department will consider how best to use learnings and insights from these programmes to improve support for children with SLCNs, including consistency of support provided across different geographies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to provide rehabilitation support to children who have lived in care who are (a) in police custody and (b) serving custodial sentences.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The latest data for the year ending March 2023 shows that 2% of children in care aged 10 to 17 were convicted or subject to youth cautions or youth conditional cautions during the year, down from 3% in 2019. This compares to 1% of all children aged 10 to 17 in the general population. Latest data also shows that 3% of care leavers were in custody, which is the same as in 2019. Surveys estimate that around 25% of the adult prison population was in care at some point during their childhoods.

In 2019, the department, along with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice, published a joint national protocol on reducing the criminalisation of children in care, which can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/765082/The_national_protocol_on_reducing_unnecessary_criminalisation_of_looked-after_children_and_care_.pdf. The protocol is designed to prevent unnecessarily criminalising already highly vulnerable children and young people where possible. It sets out best practice for avoiding the criminalisation of looked-after children and care leavers up to the age of 25.

Furthermore, NHS England commission liaison and diversion services in custody suites across all English police forces to identify people of all ages who have mental health issues, learning disabilities, substance misuse or other vulnerabilities when they first come into contact with the criminal justice system. These services then support these individuals to access appropriate health and social care services.

In police custody, appropriate adults play an important role in safeguarding the rights, entitlements and welfare of detained children. This includes providing support, advice and assistance to the detainee, observing whether the police are acting properly and fairly, assisting detained children when communicating with the police and helping them to understand their rights and ensuring that those rights are respected and protected.

In the Youth Custody Service, all children in custody are supported via the evidence-based Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) and Constructive Resettlement.

The evidence-based Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) introduced trauma-informed ways of working that emphasise the importance of positive relationships between staff and children as a way of supporting their care, wellbeing and potential for change.

Constructive Resettlement complements the Framework for Integrated Care (SECURE STAIRS) by providing personalised support, such as by recognising the effects of traumatic experiences on the child, to underpin the structural support provided, for instance, through the provision of a place to live. Staff also support effective resettlement in the community by taking a strengths-based approach and acknowledging that the child may need a variety of support and interventions to keep them and other people safe and enable them to successfully integrate in their communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what reforms she is considering to the eligibility rules for free school transport.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for West Worcestershire to the answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 901015.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to add education on diversity to school curriculums.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published in July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

The review will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented. The review will seek to identify and focus on addressing the most significant and pressing issues facing curriculum and assessment without destabilising the system.

The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025, setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.

The government intends to legislate so that, following the review and the implementation of reforms, academies will be required to teach the new national curriculum, alongside other state-funded schools. This will give parents certainty over their children’s education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, how much SEND funding she plans to allocate to local authorities to (a) cover existing DSG deficits and (b) for future spending pressures.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.

The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and pupils with SEND. The impact on individual local authorities’ deficits will be variable, and it remains important that every local authority looks at what it can do within the current system to manage its high needs budget while continuing to provide the support that children with SEND need.

The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.

High needs budgets beyond the 2025/26 financial year are a matter for the next stage of the multi-year spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be allocated to support pupils with SEND in Essex in each of the next five years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.

The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and pupils with SEND. The impact on individual local authorities’ deficits will be variable, and it remains important that every local authority looks at what it can do within the current system to manage its high needs budget while continuing to provide the support that children with SEND need.

The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.

High needs budgets beyond the 2025/26 financial year are a matter for the next stage of the multi-year spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the rise in the rate of employer national insurance contributions on childcare provider costs in each year of the Budget forecast.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what the changes to National Insurance contributions will mean for the early years sector and will provide more details as soon as possible.

The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning some smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in the 2025/26 financial year.

The department is working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26 as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of Education and Health Care Plans that will be issued for qualifying young people (a) nationwide and (b) in Essex in each of the next five years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

​​The number of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued in each local authority area per year is set out in published statistics on GOV.UK and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/150da0a4-2fef-4836-8c12-08dbe514ee42.

The department does not make estimates of the number of EHC plans to be issued in each local authority in future years. However, as noted in the recent National Audit Office (NAO) report into special educational needs and disabilities, the department does make estimates at a national level. Page 35 of the NAO report notes that the department’s central estimate is that, without policy interventions, the number of EHC plans will nearly double from approximately 518,000 in 2022/23 to just over one million in 2032/33.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7596 on Special Educational Needs, how many and what proportion of children who had been excluded from school were then registered at special schools by (a) sex/gender, (b) ethnicity, (c) free school meal status and (d) region in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not centrally hold statistics showing how many children who had been excluded from school were then registered at special schools. However, there are legal duties on schools and local authorities to provide suitable full-time education from the sixth day of a suspension or permanent exclusion.

The duties on schools and local authorities in relation to suspension and permanent exclusion are set out in statutory guidance, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding rates for (a) public and (b) private sector childcare providers to account for the impact of the rise in the rate of employer national insurance contributions on childcare provider costs.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what the changes to National Insurance contributions will mean for the early years sector and will provide more details as soon as possible.

The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning some smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in the 2025/26 financial year.

The department is working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26 as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made on the impact that the national insurance increase will have on the cost of paid-for childcare.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in the 2025/26 financial year, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as the department continues to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what the changes to National Insurance contributions will mean for the early years sector and will provide more details as soon as possible.

The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning some smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in the 2025/26 financial year.

The department is working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26 as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to deliver new Young Futures Hubs.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to help improve the way that children and young people can access opportunities and support in their local communities, in doing so, promoting their development, improving mental health, and preventing young people being drawn into crime.

Expertise has been brought together from across government departments to deliver on this manifesto commitment, and the government will be engaging with national and local partners, local communities and children and young people to co-design and explore options for the design and delivery of the hubs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to schools to make clear every child with epilepsy is entitled to have an Individual Healthcare Plan with (a) information about their epilepsy and (b) any support they need.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Statutory guidance on supporting pupils at school with medical conditions recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice, as they can help schools to support pupils with medical conditions by providing clarity about what needs to be done when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate.

This statutory guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf. The department will keep this statutory guidance under review as we take forward our commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.

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Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the UK Space Agency to help develop high-skilled jobs in the space sector; and whether the agency supports (a) apprenticeships and (b) development programmes.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The UK Space Agency Education and Future Workforce programme aims to build and strengthen a diverse workforce. This includes formal and informal educational activities, as well as specific support for developing a skilled workforce. Development programmes include the Space Placements in Industry internship programme, where 119 students were placed in UK space organisations in Summer 2024, alongside scholarship funding and the £2.1m Training Programmes Fund to address known skills gaps in the sector.

In July 2023, the Department for Education launched the Level 6 space degree apprenticeship, developed by a trailblazer group of space industry experts and building on the Level 4 space engineering technician apprenticeship launched in August 2020.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 11881 on Research Finance, if her Department will publish a tabular summary of Capital DEL allocated in the Budget to research and development by Department for 2024-25.

Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The departmental research and development (R&D) allocations for 2024-25 are set out in the table below. The numbers represent departmental plans as of Autumn Budget 2024, which reflect underspends identified through the Public Spending Audit 2024-25, including as a result of lower Horizon association costs than previously budgeted for.

In 2025-26, the government has allocated £20.4 billion for investment in R&D – more than ever before which reflects its focus on growth. This includes the protection of £6.1 billion for core research.

*rounded to nearest £100m

**rounded to nearest £10m

Individual departments have been rounded to reflect the possibility that allocations can change as a result of in-year inter-department budget transfers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that community mental health hubs and schools are well linked with existing family support services.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The aim of the community mental health hub pilot sites is to be able to support the full range of adults’ needs that are important to recovery, without the need for onward referrals, or for people to navigate the complicated networks of support that they need when experiencing significant challenges to their wellbeing. Each pilot site will work in conjunction with voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations, as well as other services that provide support to people, such as housing providers and family support services.

We will also roll out Young Futures hubs in every community, providing open access mental health support for children and young people in every community. In addition, there are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England open to those aged 25 years old and under. During 2024/25, the Department is running a Shared Outcomes Fund project, backed by £8 million, to boost and evaluate the impact of 24 of these existing early support hubs.

We are currently working with colleagues at the Department for Education and NHS England to consider options to deliver our commitment to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school in England.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making retrospective payments to student nurses that were incorrectly labelled as being ineligible for the £5,000 annual training grant via the NHS Learning Support Fund since 2019.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are no such plans.

The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) is an annual scheme operated under rules that are published by the Department for each academic year. Eligibility for the LSF under these rules reflects eligibility for student loans set by the Department for Education.

The NHS LSF scheme is administered by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) on behalf of the Department. It includes provisions for students to ask the NHSBSA for a review of their decisions, and to contact the Department to appeal NHSBSA decisions.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will include bespoke support for unemployed care leavers in the Youth Guarantee.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We recognise the challenges care leavers face as they move out of the care system and are working closely with Department for Education to ensure care leavers can access the right skills, opportunities, and wider support, to move towards sustained employment and career progression.

Under the new Youth Guarantee, all young people between 18-21 years will be able to access support to enter employment, education and training opportunities. This includes Care Leavers who we know are more likely than their peers to not be in education, employment or training and may benefit from more tailored support to support their transition as they leave the care provided by their Local Authority.

We are working closely with the Department for Education on the design of the Youth Guarantee, which is in the early stages of development. The Autumn Budget announced that we will establish eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazer areas to test new ways of supporting young people into employment, education or training, by bringing together and enhancing existing programmes in partnership with local areas. Further details will be set out the up-coming ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 11521 on Government Departments: Sick Leave, if he will make an estimate of the number of staff days lost to long term sick absences in each Department in 2023.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The table below provides the estimates requested, number of long term sick days lost per department, along with our preferred measure, Average Working Days Lost (AWDL) per staff year which accounts for workforce size and composition. Data is provided for the main Ministerial Departments consistent with the answer of 2 February 2024 to Question 11521.

Long term sickness absence by Main Department, days lost and average working days lost per staff year, 2023

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to tackle period poverty.

Answered by Bridget Phillipson - Minister for Women and Equalities

The Department for Education runs a scheme providing free products in education settings, so periods aren’t a barrier to learning for young women. There are similar schemes to ensure that hospital patients and those in police detention have access to the products they need.

This Government is tackling the root causes of poverty through measures to make work pay, boosting the living wage, and investing in public services; so no one has to go without the essentials.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise businesses to employ young people.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government’s plan to Make Work Pay is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all, including young people.

In addition, the Department for Education has established Skills England to sit at the heart of a system that provides young people with the skills required to thrive in life.

Skills England has set out a package of financial support to businesses which provide apprenticeships for young people to help drive up participation among this group.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of (a) children and (b) young people that are waiting for mental health support.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with Department for Education to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. Alongside this we are working towards rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, offering open access mental health services for young people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for mental health diagnoses of children.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is unacceptable that too many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care they need, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long, which can impact on them receiving a diagnosis. That is why we will recruit 8,500 additional mental health workers across both adult, and children and young people’s mental health services, to help reduce delays and provide faster treatment.

The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our commitment of access to a specialist mental health professional in every school.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on delivering specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to consider how to deliver our manifesto commitment of providing access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 25 October (HL1778 and HL1779), how the Suicide Prevention Strategy envisages improving the suicide rate of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities over its five-year period.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The purpose of the strategy was to set a direction for suicide prevention for all organisations to consider (national and local government, researchers and VCSE sectors). The ambitions outlined in the Suicide Prevention Strategy of September 2023 cover five years and include research on and better understanding of national trends and suicide rates in particular groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people.

A qualitative research project exploring the lived experiences of Roma people in England and Wales, including priorities, needs and access to services, will shortly be starting. This project is led by the Qualitative Research Team, within the Centre for Equalities and Inclusion at the Office for National Statistics, delivered in partnership with Migration Yorkshire, Roma Support Group and the University of Sheffield, and in collaboration with the Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education and Cabinet Office.

This project will provide insights into how Roma communities’ needs change over their lifetime and identify barriers to accessing services, including for maternal and mental health. Depending on the findings, this research may give us insight into the factors contributing to suicide risk within Roma communities and enable us to develop more targeted prevention strategies that resonate with the Roma community’s unique experiences and challenges, address the unique needs of the young Roma population in England and anticipate how migration and settlement patterns may influence their future healthcare requirements.

More broadly, our Inclusion Health initiative aims to support the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities and other inclusion health groups. This program is specifically designed to address the unique needs of socially excluded groups.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent the use of nitazenes.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is actively monitoring the threat posed by synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, and is working to increase awareness of their dangers and prevent people using them. Information on synthetic opioids and the dangers they pose is available from the helpline and website, talktofrank.com, provided by FRANK, the national drug information and advice service, supported by the Government.

Education on drug use is also a statutory component of relationships and sex education, and health education in England. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the Department for Education have commissioned lesson plans and other resources to support teachers to deliver quality drug prevention, which are available to schools. The lesson plans target primary and secondary students, teaching them how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. These resources are in the process of being updated, and there will be increased emphasis on the risks of synthetic drugs.

To improve surveillance, the OHID has been working with partners in Government to create a new, enhanced Drugs Early Warning System. This collates information from a wider range of sources, for example ambulance callout data, and will produce regular reports for local areas on current threats, including nitazenes.

Drug and alcohol treatment services and local authority public health teams raise awareness of the risk of drug use through targeted campaigns with their local populations, and the OHID supports them in this.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England web page entitled Mental health support in schools and colleges, what his policy is on the (a) number and (b) types of regions that will be covered by the roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS England web page entitled Mental health support in schools and colleges, what the roll-out schedule is for mental health support teams.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working with the Department for Education and NHS England to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school.

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Found: providing data Cabinet Office Department for Business and Trade Department for Culture, Media and Sport Department

Found: The Department for Education (the DfE) website “Get Informa tion About Schools” indicates that the DfE

Found: of £500 billion - and seen as a model internationally. 2024 also marked a decade of support to the Department

Found: and e. information available on the websites of the local authority, the school, the diocese and the Department

Found: determined; c) correspondence with the local authority on these matters; and d) information found on the Department

Found: Five tools now use One Login within the Apprenticeship Service, delivered by the Department for Education

Found: correspondence; f. correspondence from the LA and supporting do cuments ; g. correspondence from the DfE

Found: for Education over that period We have efficiently reviewed and updated 500,000 actuarial factors

Found: decision-making, we progressed recruitment to identify a number of new chairs for our MBU Boards. 17 17 Department

Found: Religious character and ethos are sourced from Get Information About Schools, maintained by the Department

Found: only and private examination centres accepting private candidates who they have not taught, all non-DfE

Found: DfE LGPS g uarantee for FE bodies In November 2024 a guarantee was put in place to provide assurance

Found: Foundation Trust Cuts Ice Limited Darnall Well Being Deafax Defence Primary Healthcare Definition Health Department

Found: for Education MINISTERS@education.gov.uk Department for Energy Security and Net Zero correspondence

Found: Devolved funding bodies/councils are; • Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland (NI DfE) • Higher

Found: Sir Martyn Oliver His Majesty’s Chief Inspector 3 ‘Keeping children safe in education’, Department