Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow (a) local authorities and (b) schools to change the dates on which they receive the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.
The department has previously consulted on the appetite for changing the funding year for maintained schools, from a financial year to an academic year basis. The responses to the consultation at that time were mixed. One disadvantage, noted by a number of respondents, was that it would lead to increased administrative burdens, since the funding cycle would then differ from the financial reporting cycle which would need to remain on a financial year basis for local authorities.
The consultation is detailed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/completing-our-reforms-to-the-nff/supporting_documents/Fair%20Funding%20For%20All%20Consultation.pdf.
The consultation response is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/624ac1168fa8f527729bfb14/Completing_the_reforms_to_the_National_Funding_Formula_-_government_consultation_response_.pdf.
The government remains committed to keeping the school funding system under review to ensure it continues to be fair and responsive to the needs of all schools.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered reforming allocation of the Dedicated Schools Grant to be in line with the academic year.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.
The department has previously consulted on the appetite for changing the funding year for maintained schools, from a financial year to an academic year basis. The responses to the consultation at that time were mixed. One disadvantage, noted by a number of respondents, was that it would lead to increased administrative burdens, since the funding cycle would then differ from the financial reporting cycle which would need to remain on a financial year basis for local authorities.
The consultation is detailed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/completing-our-reforms-to-the-nff/supporting_documents/Fair%20Funding%20For%20All%20Consultation.pdf.
The consultation response is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/624ac1168fa8f527729bfb14/Completing_the_reforms_to_the_National_Funding_Formula_-_government_consultation_response_.pdf.
The government remains committed to keeping the school funding system under review to ensure it continues to be fair and responsive to the needs of all schools.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of aligning the Dedicated Schools Grant with the financial year has on schools' ability to plan budgets for the academic year.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities on a financial year basis, from April to March. That is in line with the financial reporting cycle for all local authorities’ funding streams.
The department has previously consulted on the appetite for changing the funding year for maintained schools, from a financial year to an academic year basis. The responses to the consultation at that time were mixed. One disadvantage, noted by a number of respondents, was that it would lead to increased administrative burdens, since the funding cycle would then differ from the financial reporting cycle which would need to remain on a financial year basis for local authorities.
The consultation is detailed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/completing-our-reforms-to-the-nff/supporting_documents/Fair%20Funding%20For%20All%20Consultation.pdf.
The consultation response is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/624ac1168fa8f527729bfb14/Completing_the_reforms_to_the_National_Funding_Formula_-_government_consultation_response_.pdf.
The government remains committed to keeping the school funding system under review to ensure it continues to be fair and responsive to the needs of all schools.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people classed as NEET in South Norfolk constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Under the September Guarantee, local authorities are required to ensure that all 16 and 17-year-olds receive an offer of a suitable place to continue in education or training. The government monitors NEET data and liaises with local authorities regarding their duty to track and support young people who are NEET, or are at risk of becoming NEET.
We have invested over £7.5 billion in 16 to 19 programme funding during the 2024/25 academic year. However, we are aware of the particular challenges around access to education and training in Norfolk which relate to the local provider market. Departmental officials are working closely with these local authorities to actively address the issues.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the proportion of funding for commercial early years providers that comes from voluntary contributions.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As the entitlements are expanded, it is vitally important that they remain accessible and affordable for families.
Providers can ask parents to pay for consumables. However, in line with a recent High Court judgment, charges must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place.
The department publishes data on the proportion of income providers get from parent-paid fees, entitlement funding and other income in our annual provider finances report. The most recent report is for 2023 and is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673b14b8fc572967fe66a92e/Providers__finances_Evidence_from_the_2023_Survey_of_Childcare_and_Early_Years_Providers.pdf.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the updated school food standards promote the procurement of food from local producers and growers.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department is engaging with stakeholders on revising the school food standards, to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.
Schools are responsible for their school meals service and how and where they choose to buy their produce. Schools can voluntarily follow the government's buying standards.
Additionally, The National Procurement Policy Statement, published in February 2025, underscores the government's commitment to increasing the procurement of food that meets higher environmental standards and upholding ethical sourcing practises across public sector contracts, which we believe our high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.
Alongside this, the government’s wider food strategy will create a healthier, fairer, and more resilient food system, boosting our food security, improving our health, ensuring economic growth, and delivering environmental sustainability.
As with all aspects of the school food standards review, we will consider our approaches to procurement of locally grown produce.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department calculated the funding rate for each (a) child and (b) age group for early years provision.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The hourly funding rate for the early years entitlements varies to reflect the costs of delivering provision to different ages. The department knows, from listening to the sector and from our own regular research, that the cost of delivery is highest for younger children due to tighter staffing ratios and, consequently, higher staff costs, as staffing makes up the most significant proportion of provider costs.
Each local authority receives an hourly rate for each entitlement, determined by the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF). The EYNFF targets funding to local authorities where it is needed most, reflecting the relative needs of the children and costs of delivering provision in that area. Local authorities are responsible for setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their own local funding formula.
Further details of how early years entitlements funding is distributed, including a detailed methodology document on the EYNFF and operational guidance, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-funding-2025-to-2026.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to compare best practice in (a) the UK and (b) other countries in the development of its policies on early years provision.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department meets with Ministers and officials from across the UK and other nations to discuss developments, approaches and best practice in the provision of early education and childcare. International evidence, such as the OECD’s Education at a Glance publication, is used to identify high performing and innovative early years systems and inform policy development. England is a member of the British-Irish Council, in which we actively engage to collaborate on a wide range of education matters, including early education and childcare across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of early years education in (a) schools and (b) non-school sites on educational outcomes.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.
The 2024 Department for Education Provider Survey shows that there were 322,000 registered places at school-based nurseries in 2024.
School-based nurseries are one part of this country's childcare and early years market.
Nurseries located on a school site can operate under different delivery models, such as nursery classes run by the school, a private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nursery leasing space on a school’s premises or operating on the school’s behalf, or provision run by a childminder, or group of childminders, leasing space on a school premises.
School-based nurseries are more likely to be led by graduate qualified staff, which is associated with higher quality provision for children. Additionally, the benefits of school-based nursery provision, including transition to school, were highlighted by many teachers working in schools with a nursery in the Kindred Squared school readiness report.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of full-time early years places at school-based nurseries.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.
The 2024 Department for Education Provider Survey shows that there were 322,000 registered places at school-based nurseries in 2024.
School-based nurseries are one part of this country's childcare and early years market.
Nurseries located on a school site can operate under different delivery models, such as nursery classes run by the school, a private, voluntary and independent (PVI) nursery leasing space on a school’s premises or operating on the school’s behalf, or provision run by a childminder, or group of childminders, leasing space on a school premises.
School-based nurseries are more likely to be led by graduate qualified staff, which is associated with higher quality provision for children. Additionally, the benefits of school-based nursery provision, including transition to school, were highlighted by many teachers working in schools with a nursery in the Kindred Squared school readiness report.