Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, a) whether Voluntary Controlled schools will be eligible for nomination under the school rebuilding programme and b) which responsible body would need to nominate a Voluntary Controlled school for the next round of the school rebuilding programme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) from 2025/26 through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding the SRP with a further 250 schools to be selected.
The department plans to launch a nomination process early this year to identify schools for the next 250 places. Responsible bodies will be invited to submit schools for assessment at that point. We will publish full details on GOV.UK when the process launches.
Voluntary controlled schools are eligible for consideration under the SRP, alongside other state funded schools and sixth form colleges in England. The responsible body for a voluntary controlled school is the relevant local authority.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Written Parliamentary Questions 98665, 98666 and 98668, what recourse exists for Voluntary Controlled schools to carry out urgent repairs to the school estate when the local authority fails to provide funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is investing almost £3 billion per year in capital maintenance by 2034/35 to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.
As part of this, Norfolk Council received a School Condition Allocation of almost £5.5 million for the 2025/26 financial year to invest across its maintained schools, including voluntary controlled schools in South Norfolk constituency. We expect to set out allocations for the 2026/27 financial year in the spring.
The department expects local authorities to carefully prioritise investment based on evidence of need, so that school buildings remain safe, operational and compliant with relevant regulations. Voluntary controlled schools should speak to their local authority about any issues so that they are considered when prioritising current and future investment.
The department provides additional advice and support to responsible bodies on a case-by-case basis where there are significant and urgent safety issues with buildings that cannot be managed independently.
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 merits of enabling voluntary controlled schools to apply for urgent capital support funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.
The majority of capital funding for improving the school estate is provided through annual School Condition Allocations for large responsible bodies, such as local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies, to decide how to invest based on local knowledge of need. Small or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges instead bid for funding through the Condition Improvement Fund. The amount of funding available through each route is calculated using the same funding methodology.
In 2025/26, Norfolk Council were allocated almost £5.5 million to invest across its maintained schools, including voluntary controlled schools in South Norfolk constituency.
In addition, the government is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme from 2025/26 through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding with a further 250 schools to be selected within two years.
The department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis, where there are urgent safety issues with a building that cannot be managed independently by bodies responsible for school buildings.
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 merits of enabling voluntary controlled schools to apply for the condition improvement fund.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.
The majority of capital funding for improving the school estate is provided through annual School Condition Allocations for large responsible bodies, such as local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies, to decide how to invest based on local knowledge of need. Small or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges instead bid for funding through the Condition Improvement Fund. The amount of funding available through each route is calculated using the same funding methodology.
In 2025/26, Norfolk Council were allocated almost £5.5 million to invest across its maintained schools, including voluntary controlled schools in South Norfolk constituency.
In addition, the government is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme from 2025/26 through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding with a further 250 schools to be selected within two years.
The department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis, where there are urgent safety issues with a building that cannot be managed independently by bodies responsible for school buildings.
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 support school condition allocations-funded schools with urgent school estate upgrades.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.
The majority of capital funding for improving the school estate is provided through annual School Condition Allocations for large responsible bodies, such as local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary aided school bodies, to decide how to invest based on local knowledge of need. Small or stand-alone academy trusts and sixth form colleges instead bid for funding through the Condition Improvement Fund. The amount of funding available through each route is calculated using the same funding methodology.
In 2025/26, Norfolk Council were allocated almost £5.5 million to invest across its maintained schools, including voluntary controlled schools in South Norfolk constituency.
In addition, the government is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme from 2025/26 through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding with a further 250 schools to be selected within two years.
The department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis, where there are urgent safety issues with a building that cannot be managed independently by bodies responsible for school buildings.
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.