Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of per-pupil funding in York Outer constituency since 2010 on educational attainment.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16 year old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. The NFF distributes funding based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics.

The department cannot provide comparable funding for the York Outer constituency back to 2010, due to the changes in the funding system since that time. The earliest we can provide data from is the 2020/21 financial year. This data is provided in the table below. The scope of the per-pupil funding before this is not directly comparable. In particular, funding for the central services provided by local authorities was split out from the schools block funding in 2018/19, and instead funded separately through the central school services block from that year onwards.

Constituency per-pupil funding is calculated based on the notional schools NFF allocations for all mainstream schools in the constituency. The allocations that schools within a constituency actually receive are determined by the local funding formula in their area.

All of the figures provided include premises funding but exclude growth funding. The figures do not include the additional grant funding that schools in the York Outer constituency have received to support pay and pensions increases in 2024/25, or the recently announced Core Schools Budget Grant funding.

The figure for 2024/25 is based on the new constituency boundaries as of July 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to improve children's oracy skills in High Peak constituency.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises the importance of oracy. Communication skills are essential throughout life, and the foundations of these skills are developed during the early years and the first part of primary school. Delayed development of communication skills can have serious consequences for children’s learning, and there is good evidence that spoken language skills are strongly associated with children’s literacy, numeracy and educational attainment.

This government will fund evidence-based early-language interventions in primary schools, so that every child can find their voice. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme would continue for the 2024/25 academic year.

Spoken language is already part of the national curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds and is delivered in a number of different ways.

The government has established an independent review of curriculum, assessment and qualification pathways, covering Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5. This will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including in curriculum and social inequality. The Review will seek to deliver, amongst other things, a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.

English Hubs support early language through the delivery of Medium Level Support, which is a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) offer that includes targeted support, CPD programmes and workshops. English Hubs deliver the universal early language CPD programme to schools over six sessions. So far, over £90 million has been invested in the English Hubs programme overall, with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year. High Peak’s local English Hub is St Wilfrid’s. More information about the Hub is available here: https://stwenglishhub.co.uk/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce waiting times for SEND services in schools.

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). Parents and carers have struggled to get their children the support they need, with many children and young people having to wait far longer than they should for the services they need.

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 will be focusing on a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase SEND provision for pupils moving from private to state schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them and to provide appropriate support where pupils with special educational needs (SEN) require a place at a state-funded school.

State-maintained schools are required to identify and address the needs of the pupils they support. Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need and are funded to do this through their formulaic funding allocations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the average level of profit made by (a) private and (b) local authority-managed residential homes for looked-after children in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The department does not hold or collect data on the profit levels of children’s social care providers. However, the Competition and Markets Authority detailed in their 2022 report that the largest fifteen providers made, on average, 19.4% profit on fostering provision, 22.6% on children’s home provision, and 35.5% on supported accommodation provision. The full report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-social-care-market-study-final-report/final-report.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce excessive profits in the residential children’s social care sector.

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

Profiteering from vulnerable children in care is unacceptable. As part of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the department will strengthen the regulation of the sector to return children’s social care to delivering high quality outcomes for looked after children at a sustainable cost to the taxpayer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for delivery of the fourth wave of the School Rebuilding Programme.

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

The department has selected 513 schools for the School Rebuilding Programme. Several rebuilding projects have been completed under the programme, with many more at various stages of delivery. Where schools have not yet started a feasibility study, start dates will be communicated at least a month in advance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children and young people who were waiting for an Education, Health and Care Plan decision after (a) less than six months, (b) six months to a year, (c) one to two years, (d) two to three years, (e) three to four years, (f) four to five years and (g) more than five years in the latest period for which data is available, broken down by local authority.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes official statistics on Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans annually, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. This includes data at local authority level on the rate of EHC plans issued within the deadline of 20 weeks.

The attached table contains details of assessments in 2023 by local authority and by the duration, in days, between the date of the request for assessment and the date of the assessment outcome. This includes those for whom a plan was issued and those with the decision not to issue a plan, but excludes cases where the assessment was withdrawn.

The person-level data collection on EHC plans is in its second year. As a result, we expect the quality of data returns to improve over time, as the collection becomes established. In particular, the recording of the dates of the assessment request and the assessment outcome is subject to data quality issues, which become especially prominent when looking at a low level of granularity. For this reason, cases over two years have been aggregated, and where the date of request is missing or was recorded after the outcome date, this is marked in the table as ‘not available’. The department continues to work with local authorities in understanding and improving the data collection.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether All Saints School in York will receive funding for (a) repairs and (b) development.

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

The department has confirmed that All Saints School is in the School Rebuilding Programme. The department currently expects feasibility and procurement, planning and design to start from April 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase class sizes to accommodate children moving from the independent sector to the state sector.

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

The number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of changes in the independent sector is expected to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector. Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) research has estimated that up to 40,000 pupils may switch schools. Even this figure would represent less than 0.5% of the total UK state school pupil population, which is more than 9 million. It is therefore highly unlikely that school class sizes increase as a result of ending the VAT exemption for private schools.

The IFS’s research is available here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending and https://ifs.org.uk/news/removing-tax-exemptions-private-schools-likely-have-little-effect-numbers-private-sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority group-based providers of Ofsted registered Early Years Foundation Stage (a) education and (b) care provided childcare places in each year since 2010.

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

The Ofsted Early Years Register collects data on the number of providers of childcare on domestic premises, childcare on non-domestic premises, childminders, and home childcare. It does not identify local authority run provision and it is not broken down by age.

Ofsted’s registered early years and childcare statistics contains granular data about providers registered with Ofsted, their places and inspection outcomes (where appropriate) and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics.

Ofsted have also recently published management information aggregating registered childcare providers and inspections and their outcomes. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/childcare-providers-and-inspections-management-information.

The department publishes an annual survey of childcare and early years providers. This includes school-based provision that is not required to register with Ofsted. This survey includes a category for “school, college, local authorities and 'other unclassified'” group-based providers, which includes those run by local authorities. The survey covers three broad groups of providers: group-based providers, school-based providers and childminders.

Between 2018 and 2023 in England the survey reported:

This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-childcare-and-early-years.

It is not possible to break the survey data down further and identify numbers of, for example, local authority run group-based providers or school run group-based providers within the other group-based providers group. The reports do not include the number of places per provider.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of childcare places for children aged between zero and two years were provided by local authority group-based providers of Ofsted-registered early years foundation stage education and care in each year since 2010.

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

The Ofsted Early Years Register collects data on the number of providers of childcare on domestic premises, childcare on non-domestic premises, childminders, and home childcare. It does not identify local authority run provision and it is not broken down by age.

Ofsted’s registered early years and childcare statistics contains granular data about providers registered with Ofsted, their places and inspection outcomes (where appropriate) and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics.

Ofsted have also recently published management information aggregating registered childcare providers and inspections and their outcomes. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/childcare-providers-and-inspections-management-information.

The department publishes an annual survey of childcare and early years providers. This includes school-based provision that is not required to register with Ofsted. This survey includes a category for “school, college, local authorities and 'other unclassified'” group-based providers, which includes those run by local authorities. The survey covers three broad groups of providers: group-based providers, school-based providers and childminders.

Between 2018 and 2023 in England the survey reported:

This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-childcare-and-early-years.

It is not possible to break the survey data down further and identify numbers of, for example, local authority run group-based providers or school run group-based providers within the other group-based providers group. The reports do not include the number of places per provider.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many childcare places were provided by local authority group-based providers of Ofsted registered Early Years Foundation Stage (a) education and (b) care in each year since 2010.

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

The Ofsted Early Years Register collects data on the number of providers of childcare on domestic premises, childcare on non-domestic premises, childminders, and home childcare. It does not identify local authority run provision and it is not broken down by age.

Ofsted’s registered early years and childcare statistics contains granular data about providers registered with Ofsted, their places and inspection outcomes (where appropriate) and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/early-years-and-childcare-statistics.

Ofsted have also recently published management information aggregating registered childcare providers and inspections and their outcomes. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/childcare-providers-and-inspections-management-information.

The department publishes an annual survey of childcare and early years providers. This includes school-based provision that is not required to register with Ofsted. This survey includes a category for “school, college, local authorities and 'other unclassified'” group-based providers, which includes those run by local authorities. The survey covers three broad groups of providers: group-based providers, school-based providers and childminders.

Between 2018 and 2023 in England the survey reported:

This data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-childcare-and-early-years.

It is not possible to break the survey data down further and identify numbers of, for example, local authority run group-based providers or school run group-based providers within the other group-based providers group. The reports do not include the number of places per provider.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Shropshire Council on the adequacy of (a) funding for and (b) delivery of SEND services.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Departmental officials are in regular contact with Shropshire Local Area Partnership to ensure children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families are provided with positive experiences and outcomes, helping to foster a shared sense of responsibility and accountability for inclusion.

This government 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 those with the most complex needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people from Knowsley constituency have studied A levels in another local authority in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not in general hold the specific information on students who study qualifications outside of their home local authority in the format requested.

The below table provides data on the number of students entering A or AS level examinations for the last five academic years for students whose home postcode is in the Knowsley local authority. The data covers students who reached the end of 16 to 18 study in the academic year stated, having attended a state-funded school or college, which could either be in Knowsley local authority or in another local authority in England.

Separately, the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical release provides data on the number of students entering A/AS levels by the end of 16-18 study, by the local authority where the state-funded schools and colleges they attend is located. This data release is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results. This is available for Knowsley local authority at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4c733e68-1da4-40f4-cf42-08dcca5019b8.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding per pupil was in mainstream schools in (a) Knowsley constituency, (b) Merseyside, (c) the North West and (d) England in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The tables below set out funding statistics for Knowsley constituency, Knowsley local authority, the North West and England in the last five years. Knowsley local authority is included instead of Merseyside, since Merseyside is not a local authority.

The department cannot provide comparable funding data for each of the last 10 years due to the changes in the funding system since that time. The scope of the per pupil funding before and after 2018/19 are not directly comparable. In particular, funding for the central services provided by local authorities was split out from the schools block funding in 2018/19, and instead funded separately through the central school services block from that year onwards.

For Knowsley local authority, the North West and England, the figures represent the funding provided through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). All of the figures in table one exclude growth funding but include premises.

The DSG is allocated at local authority level, and as such the equivalent figures are not available for Knowsley constituency. The constituency level data for Knowsley is therefore calculated based on the notional schools national funding formula (NFF) allocations for all mainstream schools in the constituency. The figures in table two are not comparable to those in table one, not only because DSG funding cannot be aggregated down to constituency level, but also because the context of the funding figures is not the same.

The tables below provide average per pupil funding from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

Table one

* Additional grants, such as the School Supplementary grant (SSG) and the Mainstream Schools Additional grant (MSAG) are included in these figures once they have been incorporated into the DSG.

Table two

** The allocations that schools within a constituency actually receive are determined by the local funding formula in their area. Additional grants, such as the School Supplementary grant (SSG) and the Mainstream Schools Additional grant (MSAG) are included in these figures once they have been incorporated into the DSG.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to extend contracts for Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs in (a) the Liverpool City Region and (b) across England.

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

The department is committed to ensuring that every child in an early years setting receives high quality education and care. Evidence shows that this has a positive impact on outcomes in both the short and long term, particularly for the most disadvantaged children.

The Stronger Practice Hubs Programme was launched in 2022 to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the youngest children, with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. The Hubs support early years settings and childminders by sharing effective practice, learning from the best available evidence, and building lasting local networks.

The department is pleased to confirm that all Stronger Practice Hubs in England, including the Hub in the Liverpool City Region, have been offered the opportunity to extend their grants until 31 March 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to section 8.1.1 of her Department's publication entitled School workforce census guide 2023: Guide for schools including academies within a Multi Academy Trust, published in July 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting information on school support staff vacancies through the school workforce census.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

School support staff play a vital role in children’s education and development. The department values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce and will address recruitment and retention challenges by reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB).

The SSSNB will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training, career progression routes and fair pay rates for support staff. This reform will ensure that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver high quality, inclusive education.

The department will consider the merits of collecting information on school support staff vacancies through the school workforce census during the setup of the SSSNB.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has she made of the current (a) average time and (b) maximum times for Social Work England to conclude fitness to practice cases.

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

As set out in Social Work England’s board report dated 19 July 2024, the current median time to conclude a fitness to practise case is 128 weeks and the maximum time is 319 weeks.

The department and Social Work England have taken several steps to reduce processing times including making changes to legislation in 2022 for operational efficiencies and providing additional funds of £7.1 million to clear the backlog of cases inherited from the previous regulator. Further activities being undertaken by Social Work England are set out in its annual business plan and in reports to Social Work England’s board.

As at 31 August 2024, 113 Social workers are currently subject to an interim suspension order and unable to practise whilst awaiting the conclusion of their fitness to practise case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities are required to monitor the average cost of delivering Education, Health, and Care Plans within their area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Local authorities are not required to monitor the average cost of delivering education, health, and care (EHC) plans within their area. Local authorities are required to submit data on education spending, including spending relating to special educational needs and disabilities, as part of their annual returns to the department. But these returns do not cover the average cost of EHC plans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate has she made of the number of social workers unable to practice whilst awaiting the conclusion of fitness to practice proceedings by Social Work England.

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

As set out in Social Work England’s board report dated 19 July 2024, the current median time to conclude a fitness to practise case is 128 weeks and the maximum time is 319 weeks.

The department and Social Work England have taken several steps to reduce processing times including making changes to legislation in 2022 for operational efficiencies and providing additional funds of £7.1 million to clear the backlog of cases inherited from the previous regulator. Further activities being undertaken by Social Work England are set out in its annual business plan and in reports to Social Work England’s board.

As at 31 August 2024, 113 Social workers are currently subject to an interim suspension order and unable to practise whilst awaiting the conclusion of their fitness to practise case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is she taking to reduce the average time for Social Work England to conclude fitness to practice cases.

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

As set out in Social Work England’s board report dated 19 July 2024, the current median time to conclude a fitness to practise case is 128 weeks and the maximum time is 319 weeks.

The department and Social Work England have taken several steps to reduce processing times including making changes to legislation in 2022 for operational efficiencies and providing additional funds of £7.1 million to clear the backlog of cases inherited from the previous regulator. Further activities being undertaken by Social Work England are set out in its annual business plan and in reports to Social Work England’s board.

As at 31 August 2024, 113 Social workers are currently subject to an interim suspension order and unable to practise whilst awaiting the conclusion of their fitness to practise case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of trends in levels of school exclusions in (a) High Peak constituency, (b) Derbyshire and (c) England.

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

Every pupil deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom and the department will always support teachers to make this happen.

Schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour and in the most serious cases, suspension and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that pupils are protected from disruption and can benefit from the opportunities provided by education.

The statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance is clear that, in all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes or any contributing factors towards pupil’s disruptive behaviour. This can include where a pupil has special educational needs and disabilities or other unmet needs.

The guidance also makes clear that schools, local authorities and local partners should work together to understand what lies behind local trends. Local leaders should use this to understand, to plan and put in place additional and targeted action based on their own local context. If they identify any gaps, they should act to ensure those who work with children have the training, services and support they need to address them.

The rising number of exclusions presented for the 2022/23 school year, including in Derbyshire, puts into sharp focus that too many pupils are being held back by their background and that the education system is failing to meet the needs of children.

The government is determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions to ensure it can break down the barriers to opportunities. The department has already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school and ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) private school pupils in (i) Devon, (ii) Torbay and (iii) Plymouth who will transfer into the state sector in this and each of the next five years and (b) surplus places in state secondary schools in each of those areas in each of those years.

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

This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. The impact of this policy is being fully considered. As part of this process, the department is sharing sector insights, including input from school leadership, student perspectives and input from parents and caregivers.

Following scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility, further details of the government’s assessment of the expected impact will be published at the Budget in the usual way.

The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using its normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

Institute for Fiscal Studies research indicates that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector. The government expects any displacement to take place over several years, reducing immediate pressures. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/how-should-we-interpret-parties-public-spending-pledges-election and https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.

The department cannot be certain of the precise level, if any, of transfer from independent to state sectors additional to the movements between schools, and between the private and state sectors, which happen each year in all parts of the country.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make provision available for the (a) emotional and (b) mental health needs of children transferring from the independent to the state school sector before they transfer.

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

This government’s goal is to achieve better outcomes for all children. Where parents decide to move their child to a new school, local authorities and schools already have processes in place to support new pupils. This government is committed to removing barriers to learning and is taking steps to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every state school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in High Peak constituency.

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

As of January 2024, 26%, or 1,725 pupils, of state-funded primary school pupils and 24%, or 1,286 pupils, of state-funded secondary school pupils attending schools in High Peak constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals. This compares with national rates of 24% of primary school pupils and 24% of secondary school pupils in the whole of England. These figures are from the school census and are published down to school level here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of maintained nursery schools in (a) Wandsworth and (b) England.

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

Maintained nursery schools (MNS) are a valuable part of early years provision. There are 381 MNS as at January 2024. They are predominantly located in disadvantaged areas.

Additional supplementary funding is provided to local authorities for MNS in their areas. In the 2024/25 financial year, the initial budget for MNS supplementary funding is £82.6 million, subject to final budget update. The national average hourly rate for MNS supplementary funding is £5.27, the minimum supplementary funding rate is £4.64 and the cap on the hourly rate is £10.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for the department. This includes delivering new nursery provision in primary schools to help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensuring that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents. The department is continuing to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places.

The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. The department’s Childcare and Early Years Provider Survey shows that the number of places available has remained broadly stable since 2019. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department will discuss what action they are taking to address those issues, and where needed, the department will support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Where a MNS does close, or is merged with a school, what replaces it must be of equal quantity, preserve expertise and specialisms, and it must be more accessible and convenient for local parents. The department has not received any reports on sufficiency challenges in Wandsworth.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of childcare in High Peak constituency.

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

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for this government. As an initial step, the department is progressing work to deliver 3,000 new nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the rates paid to providers for free hours childcare and early years education.

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

Current national average funding rates for local authorities are broadly in line with, or higher than, nursery fees paid by parents last year. However, the department is taking concerns from the early years sector very seriously and wants to ensure that the sector is financially sustainable going forward. Budgets for 2025/26 are still to be agreed at the autumn Spending Review. This includes the 2025/26 early years budget which the department will need to agree across government. The department knows how important these decisions are to local authorities and providers, and is working across government to take them as soon as practicably possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the educational benefits of state maintained nurseries.

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

High quality early education has a profound impact on child development, and it particularly benefits disadvantaged children. The government recognises that maintained nursery schools contribute to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children, with around 80% of them being located in disadvantaged areas.

They also have a reputation for excellence and are recognised as high quality providers; in December 2023, 61% of them were judged to be Outstanding by Ofsted and 37% were judged to be Good.

In 2018, the department carried out research on the role and contribution of maintained nursery schools. The report can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f48d4398fa8f57fb653f840/Frontier_Economics_MNS_report_REVISED_v2.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of the planned new teachers will be allocated to schools in Lincolnshire.

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 (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, but the government must do more to ensure it has the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country, which is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

​

​The department is developing its approach so that it can be clear on its target and held accountable against that target, with a focus on key subjects and in places where it is needed most. The department will share further details in due course.

​

​The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession and teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why the 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 providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award, and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, after accounting for the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets.

​

​Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing, who are in the first five years of their careers, also receive retention payments if working in disadvantaged schools. In the 2023/24 academic year, 55 schools in the Lincolnshire Local Authority area were eligible for these retention payments.

​

​To further help teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is also addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools (FWAMS) Programme offers support to schools across every region in England to help implement flexible working. Schools in Lincolnshire that are interested in receiving tailored peer support can contact the Hales Valley Trust, which is the Flexible Working Ambassador for the East Midlands.

​

​The department has also established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide approved high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. L.E.A.D Teaching School Hub and DRET Teaching School Hub are centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Lincolnshire. ​

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres in Knowsley constituency have closed since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each centre.

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

Data on children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

Based on information supplied by Knowsley local authority, one Sure Start children’s centre has closed in the Knowsley constituency since May 2010. The name of the centre was St Chad’s Children’s Centre, and the postcode was L32 1TZ. This is based on information supplied by Knowsley local authority as of 1 September 2024. These figures may be different to previous answers and could change again in the future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the future of the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme.

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

The department is committed to ensuring that every child in an early years setting receives high quality education and care. Evidence shows that this has a positive impact on outcomes in both the short and long term, particularly for the most disadvantaged children.

The Stronger Practice Hubs Programme launched in 2022 to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the youngest children, with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. The Hubs support early years settings and childminders by sharing effective practice, learning from the best available evidence, and building lasting local networks.

The department is pleased to confirm that the Stronger Practice Hubs programme will be extended until 31 March 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory direct ministerial appointments excluding special advisers she has made; and (i) who the appointee was and (ii) what the (A) remuneration, (B) title and (C) terms of reference was for each appointment.

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

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, made a direct ministerial appointment for the Interim Chair of Skills England with Richard Pennycook appointed on 22 July 2024. Details of the remuneration will be available in future published Annual Reports and Accounts.

In addition, Sir Kevan Collins has been appointed as a non-executive board member of the Department for Education for a period of three years from 5 July 2024. As a regulated public appointment, it was made in accordance with paragraph 3.3 of the Governance Code on Public Appointments, which states that: "In exceptional cases, Ministers may decide to appoint a candidate without a competition. They must make this decision public alongside their reasons for doing so. They must consult the Commissioner for Public Appointments in good time before the appointment is publicly announced". Further details are published here, including terms and remuneration: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-non-executive-appointments/appointments-made-april-2024-to-march-2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the state school sector is able to accommodate children in the independent sector who will need to transfer due to the introduction of VAT on schools in (a) September 2024 and (b) January 2025.

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

The government understands that moving school can be challenging for parents and pupils. However, the department expects very few pupils to need to move within the academic year. Local authorities and schools have processes in place to support pupils moving between schools, and children move between private sector and the state sector every year.

The number of pupils who may move schools as a result of these changes represents a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector. Furthermore, the government expects any displacement to take place over several years, reducing immediate pressures.

If the pupil displacement is somewhat above the Institute for Fiscal Studies estimated range of up to 40,000, this is likely to represent less than 1% of the more than 9 million total UK state school pupils. There is significant spare capacity in existing state schools.

A technical note setting out the details of these two tax policies has been published and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools. Draft VAT legislation has also been published alongside this technical note.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to continue the previous Government’s (a) plans and (b) timetable for delivering a new school building at Ormiston Sudbury Academy.

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

The building project for Ormiston Sudbury Academy is in the procurement stage of the process. The project team is working with the school and contractor and the planning submission is on track to be submitted by the end of the year. Works are estimated to start in summer 2025 with a planned handover around 2028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students will be able to enrol on all existing applied general qualifications up to and including the 2026-27 academic year.

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

In July 2024, my Right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a short pause to the defunding of qualifications to enable a review of post-16 qualification reforms at Level 3 and below. The review will begin immediately and will examine the current planned qualification reforms as well as looking at how to ensure young people have high-quality Level 3 pathways.

To allow space for this short review, the department paused the planned removal of 16 to 19 funding from Level 3 qualifications in Construction and the Built Environment, Digital, Education and Early Years, and Health and Science that was due to take place on 31 July 2024. This will mean that, subject to any commercial decisions made by awarding organisations on these qualifications, these qualifications can be funded for 16 to 19 year old students in the 2024/25 academic year. The list of qualifications that will continue to be available until September 2025 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-that-overlap-with-t-levels?_hsenc=p2ANqtz--hLlQbHfWVlKlYVePivcjDOKIc1BLwm20ObP9qiGiSsqjYOBoL7Bc6uRQOeVggoXVSHHjy. If a student is enrolled on a two-year course of study in September 2024, they will be funded for the full length of the qualification.

The department will conclude and communicate the outcomes of the short review into qualifications reform at Level 3 and below before the end of 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an estimate of the median level of student debt held by people in High Peak constituency.

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

The median debt of full-time undergraduate borrowers funded by student finance England, whose postcode is within the High Peak constituency, and who entered repayment within the last five financial years, is £47,831.69. The median debt includes tuition fee and maintenance loans.

The borrowers’ postcode refers to the current contact or home address supplied by the borrower to the Student Loans Company.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) pupils, (b) Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils and (c) 16-18 year-old pupils (i) were enrolled in state schools in September 2023 and (ii) are projected to be enrolled in state schools in September 2030.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England based on January school census data. Figures for January 2024 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

As of January 2024, 8,498,587 pupils of all ages were enrolled at state-funded schools in England, of which 3,248,903 were in Key Stage 3 or 4 and 451,638 were in Key Stage 5, which corresponds to post-16 education.

A table showing the figures by school type can be viewed via this link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de8d81d9-1e57-408a-9fad-08dcca50353d.

The most recent pupil projections, which provide the projected number of full-time equivalent pupils in schools in England, by type of school and age to secondary school, are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/national-pupil-projections.

Due to the uncertainty in longer term fertility assumptions, pupil projections in this release are published up to 2028, rather than up to 2032 as was the case in previous years.

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 extending the Adult Skills Fund to cover learning (a) primarily and (b) solely for leisure purposes.

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

The government has devolved and delegated approximately 60% of the adult skills fund (ASF) to the 9 Mayoral Combined Authorities of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands, West of England, West Yorkshire and the Greater London Authority. The authorities are now responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas and it is for them to decide how they wish to prioritise funding.

In the remainder of England, the department continues to be responsible for adult skills funding. Within the ASF, the department will not fund provision where the primary or sole intent of the learning is for leisure.

The government has to take difficult decisions on where to prioritise funding. Given the economic and social challenges in the country, it is right that the primary purpose of the ASF is to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning. The ASF also supports wider outcomes including improving health and wellbeing, equipping parents and carers to support their child’s learning and developing stronger and more integrated communities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of VAT on school fees on state school capacity in (a) Epping Forest constituency and (b) England.

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

HM Treasury is considering the potential impact of VAT on school fees on state schools as part of its development of an economic case. It is anticipated this impact will be minimal. Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggest that the number of pupils who may switch schools would represent only a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, less than 0.5%. Any pupil transfers from the private to state sector would also be expected to take place over several years, as many pupils transfer at normal transition points. The department will work with local authorities in England to help them manage any local pressures through normal processes where required.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting maintained nursery schools.

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

Maintained nursery schools (MNS) are a valuable part of early years provision. There are 381 MNS as at January 2024. They are predominantly located in disadvantaged areas.

Additional supplementary funding is provided to local authorities for MNS in their areas. In the 2024/25 financial year, the initial budget for MNS supplementary funding is £82.6 million, subject to final budget update. The national average hourly rate for MNS supplementary funding is £5.27, the minimum supplementary funding rate is £4.64 and the cap on the hourly rate is £10.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for the department. This includes delivering new nursery provision in primary schools to help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensuring that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents. The department is continuing to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places.

The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. The department’s Childcare and Early Years Provider Survey shows that the number of places available has remained broadly stable since 2019. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department will discuss what action they are taking to address those issues, and where needed, the department will support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Where a MNS does close, or is merged with a school, what replaces it must be of equal quantity, preserve expertise and specialisms, and it must be more accessible and convenient for local parents. The department has not received any reports on sufficiency challenges in Wandsworth.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 83 of the HM Treasury's policy paper entitled, Fixing the foundations public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, if she will take steps to ensure the 2024 pay award for teachers is funded at a school level and takes account of existing staffing costs.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

To support schools with overall costs, the department is providing almost £1.1 billion in 2024/25 through the new Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG). This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, over and above the available headroom in schools’ existing budgets. Guidance on the new CSBG can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-schools-budget-grant-csbg-2024-to-2025.

The department understands that the picture will be different for individual schools and that funding will not always match a school’s precise costs. The formula allocates funding based on schools’ pupil numbers and their characteristics. Schools can then decide how to use this funding, including how many teachers and support staff to employ. When the department allocates grant funding for additional costs, it calculates the cost across the whole system and then adds that cost into the formula. This approach keeps funding fair. If grant funding was based on each schools’ specific teacher costs, then funding would be disproportionately allocated to the schools that already spend the most on their teachers and support staff, rather than giving every school a fair increase in their spending power.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how she plans to work with (a) colleges and (b) employers to ensure that there are sufficient high-quality placements for T Level study programmes.

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

This government believes all young people and adults should have access to high-quality training that meets their needs and provides them with opportunities to thrive. T Levels are high-quality qualifications which provide young people with a firm foundation for their future. The industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days) is a key part of T Levels and helps open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

The department provides a programme of support for colleges and other T Level providers to help them to deliver high quality industry placements. This includes workshops, webinars, continuing professional development support and online guidance. Providers also receive £550 per industry placement student as part of their wider 16 to 19 funding allocation to support the costs of sourcing and setting up industry placements. Providers are also able to use their 16 to 19 bursary funding to support disadvantaged students to access placements.

The department is working to raise awareness of T Levels amongst employers, and the benefits of industry placements to their organisations’ talent pipelines. The department has launched the new Skills for Life “It all starts with skills” campaign. This national campaign underpins its activities to raise awareness of T Levels, with TV and cinema advertising tailored to young people and employers, alongside billboards and posters. The department also offers guidance, workshops and webinars to help employers understand the benefits of offering placements and how to do this successfully. Over 600 members of the T Level Ambassadors Network work across the country in their industries to champion T Levels and placements, via events, webinars and social media.

More information on the support available can be found at: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb and: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in High Peak constituency have taken part in foreign school trips since September 2023.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information on overseas school trips unless the school is successful in applying for funding from the Turing Scheme, which is the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad.

The department can confirm that for the 2023/24 academic year, no schools in the High Peak constituency applied to the Turing Scheme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in High Peak constituency.

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 (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the department must do more to ensure it has the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child. 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 teachers receive the pay they deserve. This is why the department 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 providing schools with almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, over and above the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets.

Alongside teacher pay, financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £28,000 and scholarships of up to £30,000 in shortage subjects. To help with retention, new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing also receive retention payments if working in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their careers. In the 2023/34 academic year, five schools in the High Peak constituency were eligible for these retention payments.

To further help teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. The Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools Programme offers support to schools across every region in England to help implement flexible working. Schools in High Peak that are interested in receiving tailored peer support can either approach the dedicated Ambassador for the East Midlands region or contact the national delivery provider to be matched with specialist support.

The department has also established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which provide high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. Potentia Teaching School Hub and Spencer Teaching School Hub are centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, North East Derbyshire, Derby, Erewash and South Derbyshire.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many hours of (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) sciences and (d) modern foreign languages were taught in secondary schools in High Peak constituency by teachers without a relevant (i) A-level and (ii) higher level qualification in the last full year for which data are available.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the school workforce, including subjects taught in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

National estimates of the total number of hours taught for each subject are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b9970602-8643-43bd-ba9c-08dcafcfd634.

The proportion of those hours that were taught by teachers without a relevant post A-level or higher level qualification are available nationally at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5bbdd9e0-77ad-49e2-ba9d-08dcafcfd634.

Timetabled teaching is reported for a typical week in November, as determined by the school. It does not cover an entire year of teaching. If there are variations in timetabling across the year, this is not covered in the data available to the department.

Subject taught is only collected from secondary schools that use electronic timetabling software that can produce data in the format required. Data is then weighted to provide national estimates. Breakdowns by local authority and parliamentary constituency are, therefore, not available.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities (a) adequately capture the needs of SEND children and (b) provide a local offer that adequately meets levels of demand for those needs.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission area SEND inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, supporting local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform.

Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve special educational needs and disabilities provision in a) Bournemouth West constituency and b) Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Dorset had their Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Local Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in March 2024, which identified positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The report, published on 15 May 2024, included no Areas for Priority Action (APAs), and highlighted that leaders in Dorset are ambitious and focused on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND. The report also stated that children and young people with SEND and their families are placed at the heart of all that leaders do. Effective co-production across the partnership ensures that the needs of children and young people lead decision-making.

The department has been working closely with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local area partnership since their Area SEND Inspection in June 2021, where Ofsted and CQC identified eight areas of significant weakness. The department has since been holding regular monitoring meetings with the local area, in partnership with NHS England, focussing on the impact of actions taken on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families. The latest monitoring meeting highlighted that the local authority and partners are taking positive steps to improve services, with some evidence of early impact. However, there are still ways to go to ensure that all children and families receive the service they require and deserve.

The department has put in place a wider range of support for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and local area partners through the appointment of a Sector Led Improvement Partner and SEND advisor support. The department will continue working with the local area to ensure they deliver further improvements in services for all children and families in the local area, including those in the constituency of Bournemouth West.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish, for every school in England (a) the unique reference number for that school, (b) the local government areas and their ONS codes within which the school falls, (c) the Parliamentary constituency within which the school falls, (d) the phase of education which the school provides, (e) whether the school teaches children of both sexes, (f) the number of children currently attending that school, (g) whether the school is a state school or a private school, (h) any faith or religious character to the school, including denomination information, (i) the name of the academy trust, and (j) how many schools in total are run by that trust.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The information requested can be found in the attached files. This information has been extracted from the department’s ‘Get Information about Schools (GIAS)’.

GIAS is the department’s register of schools and colleges in England and the information in the answer shows the position as at 1 August 2024.

The pupil numbers data used in the answer is at January 2024 and is taken from the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2024’ statistical publication, which is available here: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of SEND provision in a) Dorset and b) the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Dorset had their Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) Local Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in March 2024, which identified positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The report, published on 15 May 2024, included no Areas for Priority Action (APAs), and highlighted that leaders in Dorset are ambitious and focused on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND. The report also stated that children and young people with SEND and their families are placed at the heart of all that leaders do. Effective co-production across the partnership ensures that the needs of children and young people lead decision-making.

The department has been working closely with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local area partnership since their Area SEND Inspection in June 2021, where Ofsted and CQC identified eight areas of significant weakness. The department has since been holding regular monitoring meetings with the local area, in partnership with NHS England, focussing on the impact of actions taken on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families. The latest monitoring meeting highlighted that the local authority and partners are taking positive steps to improve services, with some evidence of early impact. However, there are still ways to go to ensure that all children and families receive the service they require and deserve.

The department has put in place a wider range of support for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and local area partners through the appointment of a Sector Led Improvement Partner and SEND advisor support. The department will continue working with the local area to ensure they deliver further improvements in services for all children and families in the local area, including those in the constituency of Bournemouth West.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2024 to Question 402 on Special Educational Needs, how many children and young people with education, health and care plans have missed (a) one year and (b) more than one year of education in the last five years because they were required by local education authorities to transfer into a year group commensurate with their age.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools to support pupils with dyslexia.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Mainstream schools have a statutory duty to use their best endeavours to ensure that provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), such as dyslexia, is made for those who need it. Guidance on this duty is set out in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice. Schools should involve pupils and their parents throughout this cycle.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The government will be focusing on a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I will work with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average staff-to-student ratio was in secondary schools in (a) England and (b) High Peak constituency in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021 and (iv) 2022.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on the school workforce, including the pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios at national, regional, local authority and individual school level, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

As at November 2023, which is the latest data available, there were 468,700 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England. This is an increase of 27,300, equivalent to 6%, since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

The table below provides the pupil to adult ratio and the pupil to teacher ratio for state-funded secondary schools in High Peak constituency and England for the 2019/20 to 2022/23 academic years.

Pupil to adult and pupil to teacher ratios for state-funded secondary schools in High Peak constituency and England, by year 2019/20 to 2022/23¹

Source: School Workforce Census.

1. Workforce data as at November and pupil data as at the following January. For instance, 2019/20 relates to November 2019 workforce and January 2020 pupils.

2. There are 7 secondary schools in High Peak constituency.

3. Pupil to adult ratio includes teachers and support staff (excluding auxiliary staff).

4. Pupil to teacher ratio includes all teachers.

5. The ratios are calculated using pupil numbers taken from the publication, Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children in schools in High Peak constituency are learning a musical instrument at school.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not collect information from schools about the number or proportion of their pupils learning a musical instrument at school.

Schools can seek the support of their local Music Hub in providing music education, including support for instrumental teaching. Arts Council England is the fundholder for the Music Hubs programme and collects and publishes information about the activity of each of the Music Hubs. This information is about the music education activity or support the Hubs provide and does not include information on what schools provide without the support of the Hub.

The High Peak constituency is served by Derbyshire Music Education Hub, which provides opportunities to learn an instrument, including through whole class ensemble teaching across the local authority areas of Derby and Derbyshire.

In 2022/23, 47.4% of state-funded schools across Derby and Derbyshire were supported with whole class ensemble teaching. The Hub also delivered or supported lessons to 2,244 pupils in small group tuition, 5,447 pupils in individual lessons, and 6,149 pupils as part of large group lessons. In addition, 1,577 pupils participated in Hub-led or Hub-supported ensembles and group activity, and instruments were loaned to 302 schools during 2022/23.

The 2022/23 data was published on 20 May 2024 and can be accessed on the Arts Council’s website, which is available here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve (a) the physical and mental health and (b) other aspects of the lives of unpaid and kinship carers.

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

Kinship carers play an extremely important role in both their kin children’s lives and in the children’s social care system.

The government is committed to working in partnership with local government to support children in care, whether they are being looked after by their community or kinship, foster carers and adoptive parents. The department recognises the challenges many kinship carers face. The government will consider how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system so that it is better delivering for children and families. This will include considering how best to support kinship carers and children in kinship care.

The department will recruit the first ever National Kinship Care Ambassador to advocate for kinship carers and work directly with local authorities to improve services. The ambassador will be appointed in 2024 and will support government and local authorities to keep kinship carers at the heart of their services.

The government is extending the delivery of peer support groups, which will sustain over 140 peer support groups across England where all types of kinship carers, including private foster carers, can come together to share stories, support each other, and exchange advice.

The department is also funding a package of in person and online training and support that all kinship carers across England may access. The service went live in April 2024 and is being delivered by the charity, Kinship.

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Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what regulations govern training for prisoners while still in prison for job placements on release.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The prison education curriculum enables prisoners to gain the skills they need to get employment on release. In addition to English, maths and vocational training we offer bespoke, local training via the Dynamic Purchasing System. We are developing other training through our Future Skills Programme in a variety of sectors, such as construction and hospitality with employers guaranteeing interviews to prisoners on completion of the course. Prisoners may also undertake other work placements during their sentence which prepares them for work on release. Some are within the prison setting e.g. prison kitchens, but prisoners in open prisons may also go out to work in a variety of sectors under Release on Temporary Licence conditions. We also work with the Department for Education who fund a ‘skills bootcamp’ to deliver training in skills needed to work in the rail industry alongside continuing to develop the opportunities for serving prisoners to undertake apprenticeships.

Prison Education delivered by HMPPS is underpinned by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, the Prison Rules 1999 and the Prison Education and Libraries Framework. The delivery of apprenticeships to prisoners is governed by the Apprenticeships (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2017. All aspects of education, skills and work are inspected by Ofsted alongside HMIP.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed application of VAT to private school fees on families who can only access SEND provision in private schools due to deficits in local provision.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has access to high-quality education, which is why we have made the tough decision to end tax breaks for private schools. This will raise revenue for essential public services, including investing in the state education system.

State education is accessible to all children. All children of compulsory school age are entitled to a state-funded school place if they need one and the Department for Education works to support Local Authorities to ensure every local area has sufficient places for pupils.

Where pupils are placed in a private school because their needs cannot be met in the state sector, and they have their places funded by their Local Authority, the Local Authority will be able to reclaim the VAT they incur on these pupils’ fees. In Northern Ireland, it will be the Education Authority who fund placements in private schools and will be able to reclaim the VAT in this way.

Where a placement at a specific private school is necessary to meet the pupil’s needs in England, that school will be named in the pupil’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much capital funding he plans to provide to expand dental school estates to accommodate the increased number of dental students from September 2026.

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

The Department for Education is responsible for capital investment in Higher Education Institutions, including dental schools, and we will work closely with them on this matter. Specific programmes of capital funding to support dental school expansion are subject to the upcoming spending review.

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 improve the diagnosis of dyslexia in children.

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

Assessments for dyslexia in children are currently provided through Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services by an educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher.

If a parent thinks their child may be dyslexic, as a first step they should speak to their child’s teacher or their school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about their concerns. They may be able to offer additional support to help the child if necessary.

The government will be focusing on a community-wide approach to meeting the needs of children with SEND, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools. On 22 November 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education and NHS England launched a joint project, Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS), with £13million of funding to test an innovative delivery model to improve access to specialist support in mainstream primary schools, upskilling those settings to meet a range of neurodiverse needs. The programme is ongoing, with delivery due to be completed by 31 March 2025. The programme is being evaluated, and learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.

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