Lord Watson of Invergowrie

In response to Covid-19, last year the Government agreed a set of commitments with the UK’s major broadband and mobile operators to support disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers. This included lifting data caps on all fixed broadband packages, and provision of new and generous landline and mobile offers, such as free or low cost mobile data boosts.

The majority of the UK’s leading mobile network operators have also agreed to provide free data uplifts to disadvantaged families with school-age children. Through it’s Get Help with Technology scheme, the Department for Education is also distributing devices to disadvantaged children. Furthemore, we are pleased that all four of the main mobile network operators have committed to working with Oak Academy to zero rate the website, and EE is also zero-rating BBC Bitesize.

In relation to identifying vulnerability in the telecoms sector, Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, requires communication providers to have in place policies and procedures to identify and support customers whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. Such circumstances can include, but not limited to, age, a physical or learning disability, health, income levels, etc.

Ofcom's vulnerability guide, which I attach, provides best practice to communication providers on supporting vulnerable consumers, including setting an expectation on providers that they take an inclusive approach to identifying vulnerable consumers, noting that circumstances that cause vulnerability can be sudden and dynamic, as demonstrated by Covid-19.

The Government has also introduced new essential digital skills qualifications (EDSQs) based on new national standards for essential digital skills. Adults with no or low digital skills can study essential digital skills qualifications for free.

The government continually assesses varying approaches to promoting digital inclusion when addressing digital exclusion in the UK.

To help support vulnerable consumers with their connectivity and data needs, in March 2020 the Government and Ofcom worked with the UK’s major broadband, landline and mobile providers, who cover most of the market, to develop a package of voluntary industry measures. As part of these commitments, communication providers agreed to give their customers new and generous offers on mobile and landline services. This includes some providers who gave effect to this commitment by giving free and low cost data boosts on mobile, and free calling allowances on landline packages. These were offers which were able to reach consumers quickly compared to data donation arrangements.

Ofcom has also recently published a guide to Treating Vulnerable Consumers Fairly, setting out its expectations and good practice on how vulnerable telecoms consumers should be supported. This includes treating those in financial distress fairly, providing them with payment support options, such as payment holidays, and only disconnecting consumers as a last resort option.

The department does not currently publish forecasts of care places for children, including for 16 and 17 year olds who will be living in supported accommodation settings.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in care. The government will provide national support with forecasting, procurement and market shaping to local authorities to help them to manage the demand for and supply of children’s social care placements in their area.

Local authorities have a statutory duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989 to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care.

The department is supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties through £259 million capital funding over this Parliament. The funding for open residential placements, which is match-funded equally by the department and local authority investment, is expected to create 95 new children’s homes, providing 360 additional placements across England. Funding will also create 54 additional secure welfare placements and ten step-down placements through the delivery of two new build and one rebuild secure children’s home, which are scheduled to be completed in the next spending review period.

The department is investing over £27 million to deliver a fostering recruitment and retention programme so foster care is available for more children who need it. This is in addition to the department establishing a kinship carer training offer and implementing family network support packages through the £45 million Families First for Children pathfinder and Family Networks pilot.

The department is also investing £10 million to develop Regional Care Co-operatives to plan, commission and deliver children’s social care placements. Through operating on a larger scale and developing specialist capabilities, the Regional Care Co-operatives will be able to develop a wide range of places to better meet children’s needs. This, in turn, should lead to improved placement stability and fewer out of area placements.

While there are some circumstances that mean it is the right decision for a child to be placed outside their home authority to, for example, protect them from criminal or sexual exploitation, the department recognises that it is not ideal for children to be placed away from home and wants to reduce the number of out of area placements.

Local authorities have a statutory duty set out in Section 22(3) of the Children’s Act 1989 to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care.

The department is supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties through £259 million capital funding over this Parliament. The funding for open residential placements, which is match-funded equally by the department and local authority investment, is expected to create 95 new children’s homes, providing 360 additional placements across England. Funding will also create 54 additional secure welfare placements and ten step-down placements through the delivery of two new build and one rebuild secure children’s home, which are scheduled to be completed in the next spending review period.

The department is investing over £27 million to deliver a fostering recruitment and retention programme so foster care is available for more children who need it. This is in addition to the department establishing a kinship carer training offer and implementing family network support packages through the £45 million Families First for Children pathfinder and Family Networks pilot.

The department is also investing £10 million to develop Regional Care Co-operatives to plan, commission and deliver children’s social care placements. Through operating on a larger scale and developing specialist capabilities, the Regional Care Co-operatives will be able to develop a wide range of places to better meet children’s needs. This, in turn, should lead to improved placement stability and fewer out of area placements.

While there are some circumstances that mean it is the right decision for a child to be placed outside their home authority to, for example, protect them from criminal or sexual exploitation, the department recognises that it is not ideal for children to be placed away from home and wants to reduce the number of out of area placements.

Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the department’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which were published in March 2023 in the UK Science & Technology Framework. Programmers, data scientists, and other key digital roles will help to deliver the department’s ambitions for the critical technologies detailed in the Framework, like AI and Quantum, but their importance is not limited to these technologies. These roles are fundamental to the wider labour market with 60% of businesses believing their reliance on advanced digital skills will increase over the next five years.

The department is investing in employer led technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of its reforms. For example, the department has introduced three Digital T Levels. These are gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers to meet industry standards. They have a significant industry placement built in to give experience of work within the digital sector.

There are also over 30 Digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) now being taught. These are Level 4/5 qualifications developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers so students can develop the digital skills that employers want. Additionally, digital apprenticeships continue to grow with over 22,000 starts in 2022/23, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.

The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education and to attract individuals into digital jobs.

The department’s ambitious skills agenda is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department is using this funding to ensure people of all ages can access high quality training and education which addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. Key examples of how this funding has been used to support digital skills can be seen in the introduction of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England, the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs offer and the national roll out of Digital Skills Bootcamps.

IoTs are leaders in the provision of high quality higher level technical education. They are employer-led collaborations that bring together the best of existing further education provision with higher education partners to develop a high skilled, diverse workforce that is designed to respond to evolving sector needs. IoTs aim to help close skills gaps in STEM sectors, like digital. By establishing IoTs as a permanent network of ‘go to’ providers with deep employer relationships for Level 4/5 higher level STEM training, they play a critical role in boosting local economies and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and HTQs.

Launched in April 2021, the Free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, including those linked with digital careers. These courses are ideal for those adults over 50 without a Level 3 qualification that are looking to improve their digital skills, retrain or upskill to meet their potential.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, with courses available in digital subjects such as software development, cyber security, and data analytics. The majority of the trailblazers in Skills Bootcamps launched in 2020, were Digital. Digital training constituted the biggest element of the department’s provision in the ensuing waves of delivery in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.

More Skills Bootcamps in Digital are being delivered through the launch of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which enables the department to procure Skills Bootcamps in response to quickly emerging skills needs and changing employment patterns. The department focused on Skills Bootcamps in digital skills as a priority for the first competition run from the DPS, and Digital skills are further included in the second competition.

Digital skills are increasingly critical for all citizens, enabling them to play a full part in society. Through the Adult Education Budget, the department introduced a new legal entitlement in 2020 for adults to study free, high quality Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and, from August 2023, new digital Functional Skills Qualifications. These qualifications were developed against employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.

The government recognises that formal qualifications are not appropriate for everyone, which is why it also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning. From next year, the Adult Skills Fund will continue to support both qualification-based learning and tailored learning (which will include non-regulated learning to build digital skills) so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.

Through skills reforms, the government is continuing to ensure learners are supported, including those who need the most support, to train, retrain and upskill so they can climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing, and better options for the future.

Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the department’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which were published in March 2023 in the UK Science & Technology Framework. Programmers, data scientists, and other key digital roles will help to deliver the department’s ambitions for the critical technologies detailed in the Framework, like AI and Quantum, but their importance is not limited to these technologies. These roles are fundamental to the wider labour market with 60% of businesses believing their reliance on advanced digital skills will increase over the next five years.

The department is investing in employer led technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of its reforms. For example, the department has introduced three Digital T Levels. These are gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers to meet industry standards. They have a significant industry placement built in to give experience of work within the digital sector.

There are also over 30 Digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) now being taught. These are Level 4/5 qualifications developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers so students can develop the digital skills that employers want. Additionally, digital apprenticeships continue to grow with over 22,000 starts in 2022/23, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.

The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education and to attract individuals into digital jobs.

The department’s ambitious skills agenda is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department is using this funding to ensure people of all ages can access high quality training and education which addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. Key examples of how this funding has been used to support digital skills can be seen in the introduction of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England, the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs offer and the national roll out of Digital Skills Bootcamps.

IoTs are leaders in the provision of high quality higher level technical education. They are employer-led collaborations that bring together the best of existing further education provision with higher education partners to develop a high skilled, diverse workforce that is designed to respond to evolving sector needs. IoTs aim to help close skills gaps in STEM sectors, like digital. By establishing IoTs as a permanent network of ‘go to’ providers with deep employer relationships for Level 4/5 higher level STEM training, they play a critical role in boosting local economies and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and HTQs.

Launched in April 2021, the Free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, including those linked with digital careers. These courses are ideal for those adults over 50 without a Level 3 qualification that are looking to improve their digital skills, retrain or upskill to meet their potential.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, with courses available in digital subjects such as software development, cyber security, and data analytics. The majority of the trailblazers in Skills Bootcamps launched in 2020, were Digital. Digital training constituted the biggest element of the department’s provision in the ensuing waves of delivery in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.

More Skills Bootcamps in Digital are being delivered through the launch of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which enables the department to procure Skills Bootcamps in response to quickly emerging skills needs and changing employment patterns. The department focused on Skills Bootcamps in digital skills as a priority for the first competition run from the DPS, and Digital skills are further included in the second competition.

Digital skills are increasingly critical for all citizens, enabling them to play a full part in society. Through the Adult Education Budget, the department introduced a new legal entitlement in 2020 for adults to study free, high quality Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and, from August 2023, new digital Functional Skills Qualifications. These qualifications were developed against employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.

The government recognises that formal qualifications are not appropriate for everyone, which is why it also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning. From next year, the Adult Skills Fund will continue to support both qualification-based learning and tailored learning (which will include non-regulated learning to build digital skills) so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.

Through skills reforms, the government is continuing to ensure learners are supported, including those who need the most support, to train, retrain and upskill so they can climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing, and better options for the future.

Digital and computing skills are critical to achieving the department’s science and technology superpower ambitions, which were published in March 2023 in the UK Science & Technology Framework. Programmers, data scientists, and other key digital roles will help to deliver the department’s ambitions for the critical technologies detailed in the Framework, like AI and Quantum, but their importance is not limited to these technologies. These roles are fundamental to the wider labour market with 60% of businesses believing their reliance on advanced digital skills will increase over the next five years.

The department is investing in employer led technical skills and education, with courses and training in digital subjects often at the forefront of its reforms. For example, the department has introduced three Digital T Levels. These are gold-standard Level 3 technical qualifications designed with employers to meet industry standards. They have a significant industry placement built in to give experience of work within the digital sector.

There are also over 30 Digital Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) now being taught. These are Level 4/5 qualifications developed by awarding bodies in collaboration with employers so students can develop the digital skills that employers want. Additionally, digital apprenticeships continue to grow with over 22,000 starts in 2022/23, which is an increase of 19% from the previous year.

The department is building on these initiatives through the Digital and Computing Skills Education Taskforce which brings together government and external expertise to increase the numbers of individuals taking digital and computing qualifications in mainstream and tertiary education and to attract individuals into digital jobs.

The department’s ambitious skills agenda is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over this Parliament. The department is using this funding to ensure people of all ages can access high quality training and education which addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. Key examples of how this funding has been used to support digital skills can be seen in the introduction of 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England, the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs offer and the national roll out of Digital Skills Bootcamps.

IoTs are leaders in the provision of high quality higher level technical education. They are employer-led collaborations that bring together the best of existing further education provision with higher education partners to develop a high skilled, diverse workforce that is designed to respond to evolving sector needs. IoTs aim to help close skills gaps in STEM sectors, like digital. By establishing IoTs as a permanent network of ‘go to’ providers with deep employer relationships for Level 4/5 higher level STEM training, they play a critical role in boosting local economies and delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and HTQs.

Launched in April 2021, the Free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, including those linked with digital careers. These courses are ideal for those adults over 50 without a Level 3 qualification that are looking to improve their digital skills, retrain or upskill to meet their potential.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, with courses available in digital subjects such as software development, cyber security, and data analytics. The majority of the trailblazers in Skills Bootcamps launched in 2020, were Digital. Digital training constituted the biggest element of the department’s provision in the ensuing waves of delivery in the 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years.

More Skills Bootcamps in Digital are being delivered through the launch of a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) which enables the department to procure Skills Bootcamps in response to quickly emerging skills needs and changing employment patterns. The department focused on Skills Bootcamps in digital skills as a priority for the first competition run from the DPS, and Digital skills are further included in the second competition.

Digital skills are increasingly critical for all citizens, enabling them to play a full part in society. Through the Adult Education Budget, the department introduced a new legal entitlement in 2020 for adults to study free, high quality Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and, from August 2023, new digital Functional Skills Qualifications. These qualifications were developed against employer supported National Standards and provide learners with the essential digital skills they need to participate actively in life, work and society.

The government recognises that formal qualifications are not appropriate for everyone, which is why it also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many local authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning. From next year, the Adult Skills Fund will continue to support both qualification-based learning and tailored learning (which will include non-regulated learning to build digital skills) so adults can retrain and upskill in the most effective way.

Through skills reforms, the government is continuing to ensure learners are supported, including those who need the most support, to train, retrain and upskill so they can climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing, and better options for the future.

The higher pass rate of GCSEs in 2020 and 2021 led to a reduction in the proportion of young people required to re-sit English and mathematics in post-16 education in 2020/21 and 2021/22. The department recognised that this did not necessarily mean they had a reduced need for support, in fact they might require additional help in those subjects. The 16-19 Tuition Fund will have helped provide that support. It made available around £420 million additional funding between 2020/21 and 2023/24, with tutoring targeted towards students with low prior attainment and disadvantaged students.

In 2023, GCSE grading returned to pre-pandemic standards, which meant the proportion of 16-year-olds achieving a GCSE grade 4 and above in 2023 was similar to pre-pandemic levels.

The reduction in instances of low prior attainment arising from the GCSE results in 2020 and 2021 has fed into instances of funding for institutions to support low prior attaining students (Disadvantage Block 2) in 2022/23 and 2023/24. To address this issue, the department has increased the Disadvantage Block 2 rate for students with low prior attainment in mathematics or English from £480 in 2021/22, to £504 in allocations for the 2022/23 academic year and £559 for the 2023/24 academic year. This will mean that colleges have significantly more disadvantage funding to support these students than they would otherwise have received.

For the 2023/24 academic year the department has allocated a total of £592 million of disadvantage funding to eligible 16-19 institutions, to support students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds and those who have not yet attained a grade 9 to 4 GCSE or equivalent in mathematics and/or English.

In addition, for 2023/24 the department has allocated £41 million to support the delivery of mathematics and English to those students on substantial level 3 study programmes (including T Levels) who have not yet attained a grade 9 to 4 GCSE or equivalent in either or both of these subjects. In October 2023 the department announced that in future, students retaking English and mathematics GCSE while studying at level 2 or below will attract the same funding as those studying at level 3. This will significantly increase the funding available to institutions to support young people needing to continue with English and mathematics in 2024/25.

The funding to support disadvantage and English and mathematics is in addition to the January 2023 announcement that £125 million would be invested in 16-19 education for 2023/24 financial year, along with the July 2023 announcement of a further investment of £185 million in the 2023/24 financial year and £285 million in the 2024/25 financial year to drive forward skills delivery in the further education sector. These increases will help institutions to manage pressures during this year.

The department publishes capital costs for all free schools on GOV.UK once all works have been completed and costs are finalised. Given that these can be large and complex projects, this can take some time between first opening and publication. A further batch of costs will be published in due course.

The department also publishes details of all free school construction contracts awarded over £10,000 on Contracts Finder at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search. In addition, information relating to sites and buildings acquired as part of the free schools programme can be found on the Land Registry. This includes the acquisition and sale price.

Information on the school workforce in England, including the number and characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, working pattern and post) of teachers joining and leaving service nationally, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

Leavers are defined as qualified teachers leaving the state funded sector in England, for example due to a change of career or joining other UK education sectors, and those leaving on career breaks such as maternity leave or secondments outside of the school sector. Some of these teachers may rejoin a state funded school in England at a later date.

The Department’s reforms are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas, through an attractive pay offer and financial incentives such as bursaries, but also at ensuring teachers stay and succeed in the profession.

There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

The Department accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award for teachers and head teachers, resulting in a pay award of 6.5%. This is the highest for teachers in over thirty years.

To support retention in the first few years of teaching, the Department has rolled out the Early Career Framework nationally, providing the foundations for a successful career in teaching, with over £130 million a year in funding. Beyond these first few years, the Department’s priority is to help all teachers and head teachers to continuously develop their expertise throughout their careers so every child in every classroom in every school has the best start in life.

The Department has therefore launched a new and updated suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for teachers and head teachers at all levels, from those who want to develop expertise in high quality teaching practice to those leading multiple schools across trusts. Since autumn 2021, eligible teachers and head teachers have been able to access scholarships to undertake fully funded NPQs.

These measures will create a golden thread running from Initial Teacher Training through to school leadership and rooting teacher and head teacher development in the best available evidence.

The Department has also published a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, and therefore support retention, including the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, which schools are being encouraged to sign up to as a shared commitment to promote staff wellbeing. Developed in partnership with the education sector and mental health experts, the Charter can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.

Additionally, a workload reduction toolkit has been developed for schools alongside head teachers and has been published here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-workload-reduction-toolkit. On 13 July 2023, the Department also announced that it will convene a Workload Reduction Taskforce to explore how it can go further to support trusts and head teachers to minimise workload for teachers and head teachers by building on previous successes.

The Department is also taking action to promote flexible working in schools. The Department has published supportive resources on GOV.UK, including non statutory guidance and case studies: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/flexible-working-resources-for-teachers-and-schools#guidance-for-flexible-working.

The Department is taking action to ensure that both teachers and head teachers are supported to benefit from the provisions of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.

The Department has published a collection of flexible working resources on GOV.UK, including non-statutory guidance and case studies. This collection will undergo development and the Department will ensure that resources are updated to provide practical support when the provisions of the Act take effect.

The Department is also funding support for teachers and head teachers. A culture change programme is being delivered, focusing on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts. This includes the delivery of supportive webinars targeting both teachers and head teachers. The webinars include content focused on preparing for the legislative changes and on how to make a statutory request for flexible working. As part of this programme, the Department is also funding flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts to provide bespoke peer support to leaders in education. In June, seven new ambassadors were appointed and are currently in the process of recruiting more, building on the work of a previous cohort of ambassador schools.

The Department continues to work closely with the sector to identify and share examples of best practice and to determine how we can best target future support.

The Department is only aware of one foundation body established under Section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Bourne Foundation was established as a body corporate in July 1999 under the Foundation Body Regulations 1999, which were in operation at the time. The Bourne Foundation was subsequently dissolved by Statutory Order, which came into force on 5 January 2017. There have been no applications for foundation body status made under the Education (Foundation Body) (England) Regulations 2000, which replaced the earlier 1999 regulations.

The Department is only aware of one foundation body established under Section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Bourne Foundation was established as a body corporate in July 1999 under the Foundation Body Regulations 1999, which were in operation at the time. The Bourne Foundation was subsequently dissolved by Statutory Order, which came into force on 5 January 2017. There have been no applications for foundation body status made under the Education (Foundation Body) (England) Regulations 2000, which replaced the earlier 1999 regulations.

The Department is only aware of one foundation body established under Section 21 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The Bourne Foundation was established as a body corporate in July 1999 under the Foundation Body Regulations 1999, which were in operation at the time. The Bourne Foundation was subsequently dissolved by Statutory Order, which came into force on 5 January 2017. There have been no applications for foundation body status made under the Education (Foundation Body) (England) Regulations 2000, which replaced the earlier 1999 regulations.

Achieving for Children was jointly established in 2014 by the local authorities (LAs) of Kingston and Richmond and has since been joined by Windsor & Maidenhead in 2017 as a third partner. Since joining the Trust, Richmond have maintained their Good Ofsted judgement (2022) and Kingston are now rated Outstanding (2019), an excellent improvement from their previous Inadequate judgement (2013). Ofsted viewed Achieving for Children’s leadership as strong, which was highlighted in Kingston’s latest focused visit (May 2022).

For those LAs who are not failing in their delivery of children’s social care (CSC) services, it is a decision for the leadership team as to whether they would like to voluntarily create or join a trust. The department does not specifically promote the community interest company model being used in this space as any decision on this would sit with the LA and be dependent on their own local context and needs. If, however, a LA is found to be persistently or systemically failing by Ofsted then the department will follow its intervention protocol and appoint a commissioner to assess whether services should be removed from the council. One possible outcome of this assessment is the recommendation that a trust be set up to manage services on the LAs behalf.

There are currently nine Children’s Services Trusts in operation across England. Achieving for Children is different to the other eight in that it was not set up in response to a failure in CSC service delivery. The other eight Trusts are in Bradford, Birmingham, Northamptonshire (covering North and West), Reading, Sandwell, Slough, Sunderland and Worcestershire.

The introduction of Children’s Services Trusts has worked well in helping failing LAs turn their services around such as in Birmingham which has improved to Good and in Sunderland where services went from ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Outstanding’ in a single inspection cycle.

As an independent regulator, overseen by the Professional Standards Authority, Social Work England carries out its regulatory functions, as set out in legislation. This includes holding a register of social workers and carrying out fitness to practise processes. In the context of significant reform of both children’s and adult’s social care, Social Work England is also helping to shape the future direction of government policy with respect to its areas of responsibility, including legislative frameworks for social workers. As a central government organisation, it is entirely consistent that an independent professional regulator should work with government to shape policy and strategy in this way. Further information about Social Work England can be found at: https://www.socialworkengland.org.uk/about/our-role-and-legislation/.

By ensuring high quality systematic synthetic phonics teaching, the government wants to improve literacy levels to give all children a solid base upon which to build as they progress through school and help children to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has carried out a comprehensive review of robust studies on the impact of phonics. It found that phonics is more effective on average than other approaches for early reading, when embedded in a rich literacy environment.

Evidence has also shown that phonics is an important component in the development of early reading skills, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The reading framework, published on 11 July 2023, is unequivocal in its support for reading for pleasure and provides guidance on how the best schools build on their strong phonics teaching to create a strong reading culture.

Those reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check (PSC) are substantially more likely to subsequently reach the expected standard in Key Stage 2 reading. In 2022, 85% of those meeting PSC expectations in Year 1 subsequently met Key Stage 2 reading expectations, compared to 18% of those who had not met PSC expectations in Years 1 or 2. Additionally, the strongest predictor of Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) performance was the Year 1 phonics check mark, for which a 1-point increase was associated with nearly a 4-point gain in PIRLS 2021 overall reading performance.

In PIRLS 2021, 76% of surveyed pupils in England reported that they ‘very much like’ or ‘somewhat like’ reading.

Information on the school workforce in England, including qualified teacher status (QTS), qualifications held and for state-funded secondary schools, the subjects taught, is published in the school workforce in England statistical publication. A link to this information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

QTS is considered desirable for teachers in most schools in England. In some schools, including academies, free schools, and independent schools, QTS is not a legal requirement. Academies have a fundamental freedom to employ talented teachers who do not necessarily have QTS.

Most teachers in all schools, including academies, have QTS and have undertaken Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The most recent data from November 2022 shows 12,739 full time equivalent teachers in state funded schools in England did not have QTS, which is equivalent to 2.7% of teachers. This information is in the attached table 1. Information on the qualifications held by teachers is collected in the annual census. However, the information collected does not identify teaching qualifications specifically. Information on the highest qualification of teachers is in the attached table 2. The percent of secondary school teachers with a relevant post A level qualification in the subject they are teaching is is in the attached table 3.

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.

There are 27,000 more teachers now than there were in 2010. The quality of teaching is the most important in school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Evidence is clear that high quality professional development can lead to improved pupil attainment.

The department has invested in transforming training for teachers and head teachers. Every teacher and head teacher now has access to high quality, evidence based training and professional development at every stage of their career, starting with ITT.

By 2024, a reformed ITT provider market will be delivering quality assured training leading to QTS that places a greater emphasis than ever before on embedding structured practice into courses, ensuring trainees are ready to thrive in the classroom.

A new system of higher quality training provider partnerships will be supported by £36 million to introduce new quality requirements, including better training for mentors and the delivery of new, cutting edge, intensive training, and practice activity. Every teaching school hub will be involved in ITT to ensure that training places are available across the country.

The department wants to continue bringing great people into teaching and have introduced bursaries worth up to £27,000 tax free and scholarships worth up to £29,000 tax free, to attract talented trainees in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

In addition to scholarships and bursaries, the department are offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax free for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.

Information on the school workforce in England, including qualified teacher status (QTS), qualifications held and for state-funded secondary schools, the subjects taught, is published in the school workforce in England statistical publication. A link to this information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

QTS is considered desirable for teachers in most schools in England. In some schools, including academies, free schools, and independent schools, QTS is not a legal requirement. Academies have a fundamental freedom to employ talented teachers who do not necessarily have QTS.

Most teachers in all schools, including academies, have QTS and have undertaken Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The most recent data from November 2022 shows 12,739 full time equivalent teachers in state funded schools in England did not have QTS, which is equivalent to 2.7% of teachers. This information is in the attached table 1. Information on the qualifications held by teachers is collected in the annual census. However, the information collected does not identify teaching qualifications specifically. Information on the highest qualification of teachers is in the attached table 2. The percent of secondary school teachers with a relevant post A level qualification in the subject they are teaching is is in the attached table 3.

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.

There are 27,000 more teachers now than there were in 2010. The quality of teaching is the most important in school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Evidence is clear that high quality professional development can lead to improved pupil attainment.

The department has invested in transforming training for teachers and head teachers. Every teacher and head teacher now has access to high quality, evidence based training and professional development at every stage of their career, starting with ITT.

By 2024, a reformed ITT provider market will be delivering quality assured training leading to QTS that places a greater emphasis than ever before on embedding structured practice into courses, ensuring trainees are ready to thrive in the classroom.

A new system of higher quality training provider partnerships will be supported by £36 million to introduce new quality requirements, including better training for mentors and the delivery of new, cutting edge, intensive training, and practice activity. Every teaching school hub will be involved in ITT to ensure that training places are available across the country.

The department wants to continue bringing great people into teaching and have introduced bursaries worth up to £27,000 tax free and scholarships worth up to £29,000 tax free, to attract talented trainees in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

In addition to scholarships and bursaries, the department are offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax free for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.

Information on the school workforce in England, including qualified teacher status (QTS), qualifications held and for state-funded secondary schools, the subjects taught, is published in the school workforce in England statistical publication. A link to this information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

QTS is considered desirable for teachers in most schools in England. In some schools, including academies, free schools, and independent schools, QTS is not a legal requirement. Academies have a fundamental freedom to employ talented teachers who do not necessarily have QTS.

Most teachers in all schools, including academies, have QTS and have undertaken Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The most recent data from November 2022 shows 12,739 full time equivalent teachers in state funded schools in England did not have QTS, which is equivalent to 2.7% of teachers. This information is in the attached table 1. Information on the qualifications held by teachers is collected in the annual census. However, the information collected does not identify teaching qualifications specifically. Information on the highest qualification of teachers is in the attached table 2. The percent of secondary school teachers with a relevant post A level qualification in the subject they are teaching is is in the attached table 3.

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.

There are 27,000 more teachers now than there were in 2010. The quality of teaching is the most important in school factor in improving outcomes for children, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Evidence is clear that high quality professional development can lead to improved pupil attainment.

The department has invested in transforming training for teachers and head teachers. Every teacher and head teacher now has access to high quality, evidence based training and professional development at every stage of their career, starting with ITT.

By 2024, a reformed ITT provider market will be delivering quality assured training leading to QTS that places a greater emphasis than ever before on embedding structured practice into courses, ensuring trainees are ready to thrive in the classroom.

A new system of higher quality training provider partnerships will be supported by £36 million to introduce new quality requirements, including better training for mentors and the delivery of new, cutting edge, intensive training, and practice activity. Every teaching school hub will be involved in ITT to ensure that training places are available across the country.

The department wants to continue bringing great people into teaching and have introduced bursaries worth up to £27,000 tax free and scholarships worth up to £29,000 tax free, to attract talented trainees in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

In addition to scholarships and bursaries, the department are offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 tax free for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.

The government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendations for 2023/24 teacher pay awards in full. This means that teachers and headteachers in maintained schools will receive an award of 6.5%, the highest STRB award in three decades. The department will be providing an additional £525 million to schools this year, to support schools with the teachers’ pay award, and £900 million in financial year 2024/25, and as the unions have agreed, this means that the award is properly funded.

This is on top of funding totals previously announced, meaning that school funding is rising by over £3.9 billion in the 2023/24 financial year alone, on top of a £4 billion cash increase last year. Combined, that represents a 16% increase in just two years. Next year, school funding will be over £59.6 billion, the highest ever level in real terms per pupil.

This additional funding will enable headteachers to continue to invest in the areas that positively impact educational attainment, including high quality teaching and targeted support to the children who need it most, as well as help schools to manage higher costs, including teacher pay awards.

Each year the department publishes an assessment of schools’ costs and funding, which informs what pay award we judge to be affordable for schools from within this existing funding. In March 2023, the department set out a calculation that schools, on average, could afford a pay award of 4% from within existing funding.

The department decided to fund the 2023 pay award from a lower affordability figure than that calculation, funding the costs of the pay award above 3.5%, on average, rather than above our 4% national affordability calculation. This is a more generous funding offer than in March.

Local authorities have a statutory duty set out in Section 22G of the Children’s Act 1989 to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care. The government published statutory guidance on the sufficiency duty in 2010, which includes commissioning places from private or voluntary sector providers as required.

Ofsted is responsible for assessing the performance of children’s social care services delivered by local authorities, through the Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services framework. When Ofsted inspects local authorities, they look at the experiences and progress of children in care. To ensure children and young people are safe and settled where they live, Ofsted assesses if a local authority has a sufficiently wide range and choice of placements available to meet the needs of children in care.

The department is supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duty with £259 million of capital funding to maintain capacity and expand provision in both secure and open children’s homes. This will provide high quality, safe homes for some of our most vulnerable children and young people. We are also investing over £142 million by 2024/25 to introduce new national standards, and Ofsted registration and inspection requirements for unregulated supported accommodation.

Additionally, the department is investing £27 million to deliver a fostering recruitment and retention programme, and £10 million to develop two Regional Care Co-operative pathfinders to plan, commission and deliver children’s social care placements across a region.

The department gave a commitment in ‘Stable Homes Built on Love’ to work with the sector to develop a gold standard accreditation scheme for further education (FE) and higher education (HE) institutions. This covers all aspects of support for care experienced young people, including access to affordable year-round accommodation. Furthermore, local authorities are under a legal duty to ensure that any care leaver in full time residential FE or HE has suitable accommodation if they need it during a vacation.

As set out in ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, the government is also committed to seeing an increase in the number of care leavers in safe, suitable accommodation. The department is providing £99.8 million to local authorities in this Spending Review period to increase the number of care leavers that remain with their former foster families in a family home up to the age of 21, through the ‘Staying Put’ programme. We are also providing £53 million in this Spending Review period to increase the number of young people leaving care through the ‘Staying Close’ programme, providing an enhanced support package including an offer of move-on accommodation for young people leaving children’s homes and other forms of residential care.

​​The department is aware of this report and will consider its findings in future policy development. Design and technology is compulsory in state-maintained schools from key stages 1 to 3, and pupils in maintained schools have an entitlement to study design and technology at key stage 4. Design and technology is included in Progress 8 and Attainment 8, which are headline measures for school accountability.

There has been no assessment made by the department of the impact of Auditory Verbal Therapy.

On 29 March 2022 the department published the Special Educational Needs Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green paper, which set out our plans to improve the experience and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with Sensory Impairment, within a fairer and financially sustainable system. We carefully considered the feedback we received through the responses to the consultation and in the many events that took place during the 16-week consultation period. A full response has been published on 2 March 2023, in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.

It is a legal requirement for qualified teachers of classes of pupils with sensory impairments to hold the relevant mandatory qualification (MQSI). To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. We have developed a new approval process to determine providers of MQSIs from the start of the 2023/24 academic year. Our aim is to ensure a steady supply of teachers of children with visual, hearing, and multi-sensory impairments, in both specialist and mainstream settings.

The government understands that many people, including adopters and adopted adults, are worried about the impact of rising prices. For this reason, the government is providing £37 billion of support this year, targeted at those who are most in need. The package will see millions of the most vulnerable households receive at least £1,200 of support in total this year to help with the cost of living, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400 to help with their bills.

The department aims to ensure that children waiting to be found new adoptive families are placed with as little wait as possible. Tackling long waits for children who require new adoptive families is a key priority in the 2021 Adoption Strategy ‘Achieving excellence everywhere’. The department is funding Regional Adoption Agency (RRA) leaders to improve the recruitment of adopters, matching children with approved adopters and adoption support over the next three years. In the past year, RAAs have focused on those children who wait the longest and have seen a fall in the number of children with a court placement order waiting for 18 months, from 390 at March 2020 to 240 at September 2022.

Where necessary, the statutory framework covering adoption allows RRAs and local authorities to provide financial support to adoptive parents to support the placement of a child or the continuation of adoption arrangements.

Adult adoptees should be able to access the support that they need, particularly around their mental health needs. The department is publicly consulting on amendments to regulations to simplify arrangements for providers who support adopted adults that will increase the accessibility of support services. One of the proposed changes in the consultation is to remove the requirement that therapists be registered with Ofsted when providing counselling services to adopted adults. This change is recommended in Adoption UK’s ‘Cost of living crisis: impact on adoptive families and adopted people’ report.

The government is also improving NHS mental health support availability. The NHS Long Term Plan and mental health expansion plans will increase funding for mental health services, to target groups with severe mental illness and young people.

The government understands that many people, including adopters and adopted adults, are worried about the impact of rising prices. For this reason, the government is providing £37 billion of support this year, targeted at those who are most in need. The package will see millions of the most vulnerable households receive at least £1,200 of support in total this year to help with the cost of living, with all domestic electricity customers receiving at least £400 to help with their bills.

The department aims to ensure that children waiting to be found new adoptive families are placed with as little wait as possible. Tackling long waits for children who require new adoptive families is a key priority in the 2021 Adoption Strategy ‘Achieving excellence everywhere’. The department is funding Regional Adoption Agency (RRA) leaders to improve the recruitment of adopters, matching children with approved adopters and adoption support over the next three years. In the past year, RAAs have focused on those children who wait the longest and have seen a fall in the number of children with a court placement order waiting for 18 months, from 390 at March 2020 to 240 at September 2022.

Where necessary, the statutory framework covering adoption allows RRAs and local authorities to provide financial support to adoptive parents to support the placement of a child or the continuation of adoption arrangements.

Adult adoptees should be able to access the support that they need, particularly around their mental health needs. The department is publicly consulting on amendments to regulations to simplify arrangements for providers who support adopted adults that will increase the accessibility of support services. One of the proposed changes in the consultation is to remove the requirement that therapists be registered with Ofsted when providing counselling services to adopted adults. This change is recommended in Adoption UK’s ‘Cost of living crisis: impact on adoptive families and adopted people’ report.

The government is also improving NHS mental health support availability. The NHS Long Term Plan and mental health expansion plans will increase funding for mental health services, to target groups with severe mental illness and young people.

Qualifications reform is being undertaken in three phases. Phase 1 removed around 5,500 qualifications because they had low or no publicly funded enrolments.

Phase 2 relates to the assessment of qualifications that overlap with T Levels. Qualifications are carefully assessed and considered against three tests:

• Is it a technical qualification, in that it primarily aims to support entry to employment in a specific occupational area(s)?
• Are the outcomes that must be attained by a person taking the qualification similar to those set out in a standard covered by a T Level?
• Does the qualification aim to support entry to the same occupation(s) as a T Level?

The process we have used to identify overlapping qualifications is rigorous and has been led by evidence such as individual qualification specifications. Independent assessors were commissioned to conduct in-depth evaluations of the qualifications in scope and the outcomes of the process were moderated for consistency.

For the Wave 1 and 2 T Level overlap process, the department published a provisional list, and put in place an appeals process to give awarding organisations who did not feel we have applied the criteria correctly an opportunity to provide evidence. We published our final Wave 1 and 2 T Level overlap list (excluding health and science in October 2022, and it is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-that-overlap-with-t-levels.

106 qualifications will cease to be publicly funded in August 2024. The department removed 26 qualifications from the provisional list due to a successful appeal. We will run a similar process for Wave 3 and 4 overlap, a provisional list will be published in spring 2023.

The department postponed the publication of the list of qualifications that overlap with health and science T Levels, as these T Levels are under review by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. We will publish information related to the health and science qualifications that overlap with T Levels shortly.

Phase 3 of qualifications reform will assess the qualifications remaining after phases 1 and 2. The department’s approach to the future landscape was published on 10 January 2023, and we consulted on these proposals in 2019 and 2020. The publication is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1128144/Guide_to_the_post-16_qualifications_landscape_at_level_3_and_below_for_2025_and_beyond.pdf.

The department has been open and transparent about our intention that A Levels and T Levels should be at the heart of study programmes for 16 to 19-year-olds. The publication makes clear that large alternative academic qualifications may continue to be publicly funded in areas such as performing arts and sports, and that small alternative academic qualifications may continue to be funded in strategically important areas such as health and STEM. This process will remove further qualifications, including large Applied General qualifications. This strikes the right balance between ensuring sufficient choice for learners whilst ensuring that most students undertake world class A Levels and T Levels.

The department recognises the value that employers can bring to the design of qualifications, which is why we have included them in technical education reform.

We have put employers at the heart of our technical education system. T Levels have been co-designed and developed with providers, employers and the government. Occupational standards are employer-led products designed to ensure occupational competence. We have used independent assessors in our process for assessing whether a qualification overlaps with a T Level, and this includes reviewing qualification specifications against employer-led occupational standards. As part of this rigorous process, all qualifications were assessed against 3 tests:

• Is it a technical qualification, in that it primarily aims to support entry to employment in a specific occupational area(s)?
• Are the outcomes that must be attained by a person taking the qualification similar to those set out in an employer led occupational standard covered by a T Level?
• Does the qualification aim to support entry to the same occupation(s) as a T Level?

Only qualifications which met all 3 tests in relation were added to the overlap list.

The department’s approach to the future landscape, published on 10 January 2023, and guidance for awarding organisations , available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/awarding-organisations-submitting-qualifications-for-approval, makes clear the technical qualifications that can be put forward for 16-19s in 3 broad areas:

• Technical occupational entry and technical occupational progression qualifications aimed at supporting entry into occupations or progress within a role covered by occupational standards and not covered in T Levels.
• Technical additional specialist qualifications that allow a student to develop additional knowledge and competencies and specialise within a sector. These qualifications will build on knowledge covered by a T Level or other occupational entry qualification.
• Technical cross-cutting qualifications that allow students to develop skills that are relevant across occupations.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has set out clear criteria on their requirement for awarding organisations to involve employers in the design of technical qualifications. This criteria includes examples of acceptable evidence which might be provided to satisfy IfATE’s statutory employer demand test.

This will build on the important work the department has already done to create world class T Levels, apprenticeships and higher technical qualifications by continuing to embed the principles of employer involvement and employer-led occupational standards at the heart of technical education.

Children’s social care services are funded by the core spending power of local government. This is principally made up of council tax, retained business rates and central government grants. As agreed at the 2021 Spending Review, councils have access to £54.1 billion core spending power for their services in 2022/23. This is an increase of £3.7 billion on the 2021/22 financial year.

The government announced in the Autumn Statement that £1.3 billion in 2023/24 and £1.9 billion in 2024/25 will be distributed to local authorities through the Social Care Grant for adult and children’s social care. This is in addition to the funding agreed in the 2021 Spending Review.

We are working with the sector to understand the impact of inflation and will provide further details of the total funding available to local authorities in 2023/24 in the provisional local government finance settlement as soon as is possible this winter.

Policy for children and families is a cross government matter. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, represents the interests of children and young people when attending Cabinet.

The department leads on the national policy for safeguarding and children’s social care. Following the report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse we are working closely with the Home Office to ensure that the child’s voice is reflected in all policy decisions, and that the child’s experience and wellbeing is consistently factored in to measures we take to improve child protection and safeguarding processes. We will be reviewing the Inquiry’s recommendations and will work closely with other government departments to respond in due course.

Preventing homelessness and rough sleeping for care leavers is a priority of this government. The Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) work closely to develop the government approach. Since 2018, the government has provided £8.2 million to local authorities to provide extra support to care leavers at highest risk of rough sleeping in contribution to the Cross Government Rough Sleeping Strategy.

We have been working closely with DLUHC on the specific recommendations around care leaver homelessness within the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care and will provide further detail on our joint plans within the Implementation Strategy which is due to be published in early 2023.