Oral Answers to Questions

Bridget Phillipson Excerpts

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Tristan Osborne (Chatham and Aylesford) (Lab)]

10. What steps she is taking to recruit new teachers.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

With the summer holidays just around the corner, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone working across education for all their hard work this year. Improving the quality of teaching is the best way to drive up school standards, supporting every child to achieve and thrive. Through our plan for change, we will recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers in our schools and colleges. With an almost 10% pay award, we are making good progress, with over 2,000 more teachers in our secondary and special schools.

[Bambos Charalambous]

I congratulate the Secretary of State on the Department for Education being more than a third of the way through recruiting those 6,500 teachers. A recent Public Accounts Committee report showed that schools with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils experienced the worst teacher shortages. Will the Secretary of State reassure me that extra effort will be put into recruiting and retaining teachers at all those schools?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I give my hon. Friend that assurance and thank him for all the work he does for schools right across his constituency. Recruiting and retaining more teachers—particularly in the most disadvantaged areas—is critical to our opportunity mission, but I am also delighted that initial teacher training acceptances are up 12% in secondary. That is positive progress being made, with a 16% increase in maths and a 46% increase in physics. That is the change that the Labour Government are delivering.

[Juliet Campbell]

I thank the Secretary of State for her response and for the Government’s commitment to recruiting 6,500 new teachers. However, as we know, dyslexic children tend to leave school or education with disproportionately lower attainment levels. They are also over-represented in the criminal justice system and often have low self-esteem, with much of that coming from their experience in educational settings. Will the Secretary of State outline how she will ensure that the recruitment of new teachers will bring in those who can meet the education needs of dyslexic and neurodiverse children?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for all her work to support neurodiverse students in Broxtowe and beyond. From September, thanks to this Labour Government’s reforms, all new teachers will receive three years of evidence-based training, including significantly enhanced content on supporting children with additional needs. We know there is much more we have to do so that all our students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, are able to achieve and thrive, and I look forward to discussing that further with her very soon.

[Tristan Osborne]

As a former teacher, I know that new school buildings not only help student progress, but encourage teacher retention. Can the Minister confirm that new school buildings are indeed part of this Government’s programme for change, and will she commit to visiting Bradfields academy in my constituency, a specialist SEND school that is investing millions as part of the schools rebuilding programme?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend; I know he cares deeply about outcomes for children in Chatham and Aylesford, and that he brings real experience to this House. He is right to demonstrate the important role of the specialist sector. He mentions Bradfields academy, which has already secured a place on the schools rebuilding programme; with the approval of the trust, I would be delighted to arrange for me or one of my colleagues to visit and see the brilliant work they are doing.

[Esther McVey (Tatton) (Con)]

This Government are hampering schools’ recruitment of new teachers. First they hiked up the cost through the increase in employer national insurance contributions; then the money promised to state schools from charging VAT on private school fees was spent on housing instead. Can the Secretary of State tell the House how much the increase in employer national insurance contributions will cost schools in total over this Parliament?

[Bridget Phillipson]

We are investing record sums in our state schools. The Conservative party, however, wants to take money out of our state schools to give tax breaks back to private schools. That tells us everything we need to know about their priorities.

[Edward Morello (West Dorset) (LD)]

The headteacher of the Thomas Hardye school in West Dorset previously worked in a London school. He told me that in London he received nearly £10,000 per pupil, but in West Dorset nearly £5,000—yet the challenges of rural education are no less complex, not least in the recruitment of teachers. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to address the funding inequalities facing rural schools, to ensure that all pupils receive the teaching they deserve?

[Bridget Phillipson]

We continue to keep all these areas under review; if the hon. Gentleman would like to write to me with more information, I would be happy to respond with more detail. However, I am clear that this Government are investing more in education. We are turning around the year-on-year declines in teacher numbers with better pay, more support on workload and more money for our schools, including tackling child poverty. That is the difference that a Labour Government are making for our country.

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

The Government have tried to have it every which way on these elusive 6,500 extra teachers. If the Labour manifesto had meant that only secondary teachers counted, but they could be in any subject, presumably that is what it would have said. What it actually said was 6,500 new specialist teachers in key subjects, so will the Secretary of State enlighten us: what are those subjects?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I would be very happy to do so. As the right hon. Gentleman just heard, we are seeing big increases in initial teacher training acceptances in many of those key subjects such as maths and science. On the commitment we have made, we had 60,000 fewer children in primary over the course of the last year and, as a former holder of this office, he would rightly expect that we target our efforts in areas of greatest need. Sadly, we are seeing a big decline in the number of children in primary, with the numbers forecast to fall by another 165,000 over the next few years, so we are focusing our efforts where they are needed.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) (Con)]

The Secretary of State just said that the Government were turning around declines in teacher numbers. Under the last Government the number of teachers went up by 27,000; under this Government it is down by 400. That is the opposite of the truth.

One thing that drives people out of teaching is poor discipline, yet the Government have abolished behaviour hubs, despite the evidence that they were working. The Government said they would put in place new behaviour ambassadors, who were supposed to be in place on 4 July, but the contract has now lapsed and the position is vacant. Why the delay on this vital issue?

[Bridget Phillipson]

That was very shouty from the shadow Minister, and as per usual very negative about what we are seeing across education. We are turning around the problems that the Conservatives left behind on teacher recruitment and retention. We are increasing attendance in our schools and improving behaviour—a challenge that I completely agree schools need support to deal with—putting more money back into parents’ pockets and tackling child poverty. The Conservatives have only one policy, and that is to give a tax break to private schools.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)]

4. What steps she is taking to improve mental health support in schools.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for SEND provision.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend that important question. Labour is providing £1 billion more for high-needs budgets, and also providing councils with £740 million of capital funding to improve support for children with SEND in specialist and mainstream schools. This investment will lay the foundation for the better system that children with SEND need. Working with experts, we will set out our plans in the schools White Paper in the autumn.

[Chris Webb]

The last Government left behind a SEND system that was failing children and families. Parents were made to fight for support, with education, health and care plans denied or delayed and vital services taken away. Tory cuts to early years support, rising poverty and extreme deprivation in Blackpool, as well as the pandemic hitting our children harder than most, have all combined to deepen the crisis facing our most vulnerable young people. What steps is the Education Secretary taking to ensure children in disadvantaged communities like mine, where the need is high and support often falls short, receive the targeted SEND support they urgently require?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is a powerful champion for his constituents and for Blackpool, and he is right that far too many children are not currently getting the support they need in order to thrive. Early intervention is key—more support at the earliest possible point to identify where children might be struggling, and to make sure that they get the help they need. That is why I was very proud to announce to the House that, building on the proud Labour legacy of Sure Start, we will be rolling out Best Start family hubs to make sure that we have better family support services in every part of our country, including my hon. Friend’s community.

[Dr Andrew Murrison (South West Wiltshire) (Con)]

The Secretary of State knows that out-of-county placements are very expensive and highly unsatisfactory both for pupils and for families. Will she therefore confirm that the excellent news that we had last year about a new SEND school being built at Bitham Park in Westbury will go ahead to the advantage of children and, importantly, their families, and can she assure me it is not going to be cancelled in the proposals she has alluded to?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I will happily write to the right hon. Gentleman in relation to his constituency case. We are looking carefully at all the proposals we inherited when we came in as a new Government, but the assurance I can give him is that through the spending review we secured additional investment not just for revenue funding but also for capital funding to make sure that we are creating the specialist places that are needed in both the mainstream and also the specialist sector, which has an enormous amount of expertise. Sadly, I have heard far too many cases of the kind that he describes, where children are being forced to travel considerable distances away from their local community and their friends because of an absence of specialist places. We are determined to improve that.

[Alex Baker (Aldershot) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the staff, pupils and governors at Henry Tyndale community school on the official opening today of their new park campus in Aldershot, a vital new facility for students aged four to 19 with complex learning difficulties? This outstanding school is named after Henry Tyndale, who gave two decades of tireless service as a volunteer, fundraiser and friend to children with the greatest difficulties, and whose legacy continues to shape the school’s inclusive spirit. What steps are the Government taking to support the creation of more schools like Henry Tyndale, so that children with SEND in my community and beyond have access to the high-quality, specialist environments they deserve?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the amazing work in the specialist sector and the tremendous expertise, knowledge and passion that so many people bring to supporting children with some of the most complex needs. That is why how we can deliver better outcomes for children with SEND is at the forefront of all of our minds as we bring forward any reform to the system. That will be our guiding principle—it must be our guiding principle. So alongside better mainstream inclusion, we will of course make sure that there is the specialist provision necessary for the children who need it.

[Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

I have heard from and met with numerous constituents who are parents of children with special educational needs, all frustrated with the way that the system currently works. I welcome the Secretary of State saying she wants outcomes for children to be at the centre of reforms, but a parent of a child with an EHCP, which helps them to be in mainstream education, recently told me of the fear and horror she felt when she heard about potential Government reforms due to the risk of her son losing the ability to stay in a school that has, in her words, been an absolute godsend for him. Can the Secretary of State assure parents that her reforms will not take away support that children currently have and will ensure that every child has the support they need to genuinely thrive?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I can be clear that children with SEND have a legal right to additional support, and Labour will always protect that. I would say, however, that we all have a responsibility in how we approach the issue—a responsibility not to cause undue alarm among parents who are experiencing a system that is not working and that is too adversarial. I believe that a better system will be delivered. We can make sure that children get early, timely support that is much more effective and focused on their outcomes. The plans that we will set out later this year will be shaped by all the conversations with the parents who she describes—conversations that I, too, have had—and with experts, school leaders and campaigners to make sure that we get them right.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) (Con)]

Parents are getting in touch with MPs across the country to ask whether existing special needs support will continue under the planned reforms. The Minister for School Standards has said that the Government will not remove “effective support”, but what does that word “effective” mean? Who will judge what is effective, and on what basis? Why will the Government not just guarantee that all children will keep the support that they currently have?

[Bridget Phillipson]

As I said in response to the hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Ellie Chowns), children with SEND have a legal right to additional support. We will not just protect it, but improve it. We will deliver better outcomes and support for children with SEND.

I do not know how the shadow Minister has the brass neck to stand there and ask that question, given that the Conservatives left behind a system that their last Education Secretary described as “lose, lose, lose”. It is for that reason that we deal with so many questions on this topic every time we gather for Education questions. What we have at the moment is not working by any objective measure: children are being failed and parents are being failed. It falls to the Labour Government to deliver the better system of support that all our children with SEND desperately need.

[Dr Neil Hudson (Epping Forest) (Con)]

9. What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of smartphones in schools on levels of disruption in classrooms.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Reform)]

T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like first to address last week’s tragic incident in Minehead. I am sure that all Members will join me in offering support and prayers to everyone affected by the Minehead middle school bus crash last Thursday. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go to all those affected at the school and in the wider community, and particularly to the family and friends of the 10-year-old boy who tragically lost his life. Most of the injured have now been released from hospital. Support has already been put in place for those affected, and it will continue into the summer break and beyond. I extend my thanks to everyone involved in co-ordinating and delivering this vital help, and I also pay tribute to the emergency services for their incredible response in the most challenging of circumstances.

This Labour Government believe that children growing up in our country deserve the very best start in life, which is why we are investing nearly £1.5 billion over the next three years to transform early years and family services. That will include £500 million to roll out Best Start family hubs in every local authority, honouring the proud legacy of Sure Start and ensuring that every family can thrive regardless of postcode or income. Labour is building back the crucial family services that were decimated by the Tories, providing high-quality support for parents, babies and children from pregnancy onwards—and we are only just getting started.

[Lee Anderson]

Last week I visited the Outwood academy school in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, which has gone from double special measures to “good” in just three years under the leadership of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust. Will the Secretary of State please say a big thank you to the trust, and the staff, for helping to turn the school around and giving the children in my town the education that they deserve?

[Bridget Phillipson]

Like the hon. Gentleman, I welcome the hard work of our teachers, leaders and support staff, and I am always pleased to hear about improvements in standards. This Government are ambitious for every child, and our new regional improvement in standards and excellence teams are working across schools to bring together leaders with experience in turning schools around. What I would say to the hon. Gentleman’s constituents is that, thanks to this Labour Government, thousands of children will now benefit from free school meals, the new breakfast club that is opening in his constituency will be a big boost to his constituents, and we are delivering new funding for Best Start family hubs. That is the difference that a Labour Government are making for his constituents.

[Andrew Lewin (Welwyn Hatfield) (Lab)]

T2. It remains a reality that it is possible to take a GCSE in Russian but not in Ukrainian, and I have resolved to do my part to help because I believe that a Ukrainian GCSE should be available to all. As this is a topical question, I bring some encouraging news: I have written to all the exam boards— Order. Topical questions should be quick. It will be, Mr Speaker, absolutely—topical and quick. AQA has reported back to me that it is very open to the idea, but it needs to see evidence that we have enough Ukraine-speaking teachers who are willing to teach the subject and to mark the papers. The good news is that, with support from parliamentary colleagues, I have found 250 teachers who can do just that. Does my hon. Friend agree that it should now be just a matter of time before a Ukrainian GCSE is available to all?

--- Later in debate ---

[Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con)]

I completely support the Secretary of State’s opening words, and my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the devastating incident.

Government documents state that the first step in achieving their primary school readiness mission is meeting their target of recruiting 6,500 teachers. The Secretary of State claimed at the last oral questions that she has always been clear that the 6,500 teachers are in secondary schools. If that is true, can she explain how secondary school teacher recruitment contributes to improving primary school readiness for four-year-olds?

[Bridget Phillipson]

This Labour Government are delivering the teachers that are desperately needed right across our schools. We were left behind a terrible crisis when it came to recruitment and retention, but this Labour Government know that improving standards in our schools requires having the best possible teachers available to teach all our children. That is why we delivered a pay award, and why we are making sure that we are tackling all the issues around workload. We are getting on and delivering the plan for change. The right hon. Lady comes here with the same relentless negativity week in, week out. We are delivering new free breakfast clubs, free school meals, cheaper uniforms, high-quality childcare and more apprenticeships. That is the difference the Labour Government are making.

[Laura Trott]

This is farcical. Will the Secretary of State finally admit that the original pledge to hire 6,500 teachers included primary school teachers, and that the Government are now abandoning their pledge? The reality is that, according to their own website, there are 400 fewer teachers than last year.

[Bridget Phillipson]

There are 60,000 fewer children in primary schools this year. I know the right hon. Lady was at the Treasury, so I would expect a bit more when it comes to her maths. It would be nonsensical to recruit even more primary school teachers when we have falling rolls. We are focusing our efforts where they are needed, and I am delighted that we are seeing big increases in the number of secondary maths teachers, secondary physics teachers and secondary STEM teachers. There are big increases right across the board—that is what Labour is delivering.

[Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)]

T5. Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting in Parliament the Outcomes First Group, a group of specialist SEND schools. They presented their proposals for fixing the broken SEND system, including supporting more children in mainstream education, supporting collaboration between schools and upskilling teachers. Does the Minister agree that those are exactly the sorts of changes that are needed to fix the SEND system, and will she meet me and the school in my constituency to learn more?

--- Later in debate ---

[Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op) [R]]

T7. As well as being the governor of a sixth-form college, I am proud to be a governor of the Abbey Hill special school in Stoke-on-Trent—I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests accordingly—which is why I was so appalled by the comments of the Reform UK chairman that children with special needs are “naughty children”, often as the result of “bad parenting”. Can I invite the Secretary of State to condemn those comments, and to reaffirm our support for those children and parents?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I join my hon. Friend in condemning those remarks. I am aware that the Reform UK leader said, in similar comments,

“I’m not being heartless, I’m being frank”.

Well, I will be frank: Reform UK would plunge the SEND system into further disarray. Only Labour will back the children with SEND who need support.

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

T9.   The citizenAID first aid charity provides excellent education in emergency situations to children and young people. I have written to the Scottish education department to invite it to introduce it to the curriculum. Is there any interest from the Department for Education down here?

[Bridget Phillipson]

If the hon. Gentleman would write to me, I will look into that further.

[Baggy Shanker (Derby South) (Lab/Co-op)]

T8. Meaningful work experience can be a life changer for our young children, cutting the risk of their being out of education, employment or training. The Derby Promise is hard at work linking schools with employers to raise the aspirations of our young people. Does the Minister agree with me, and does she recognise the valuable work that the Derby Promise delivers in opening doors for young people?

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)]

When the Secretary of State talks of such a large reduction in the number of anticipated future primary school pupils, does she attribute any part of that to a wish by certain communities to develop a parallel education system, rather than engaging in full integration with this country?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am not quite clear what the right hon. Gentleman is driving at with that question. What I have said in response to the very sharp decline in the birth rate is that as a Government we want to make sure that people are able to make choices that are right for them, including around family size. My concern is that too many young people, because of the inaccessibility of housing and the challenges they face in the jobs market, are making decisions they do not necessarily want to make. That is why the expansion of childcare, for example, is a critical part of how we are supporting families.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

Those working in our schools in South Gloucestershire do a brilliant job, but they receive the lowest funding per pupil in all of England via a funding formula inherited from the previous Government. Does the Minister have plans to review the formula as part of the impactful wider work to ensure that every child receives the education they need to thrive, no matter where they live?

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

Last year, 565 EHCPs were issued in Cambridgeshire, with fewer than 10% completed within the statutory 20-week deadline. Cambridgeshire county council now ranks as the 10th worst nationally for meeting the timelines on their delivery. With 99% of SEND tribunals finding in favour of the parent, what steps is the Secretary of State taking to improve the process that sees so many applications require a tribunal, and to improve the delivery of EHCPs in Cambridgeshire, assuming they are not going to be scrapped in mainstream schools?

[Bridget Phillipson]

Until that final point, I thought the hon. Gentleman raised some serious concerns, which we have heard this afternoon from many colleagues across the House who need us to bring forward reform to deliver better outcomes for children with SEND. If the Conservative party wants to work with us to do this in a way that delivers a better system for children with SEND, I would be very happy to do so, but at the moment all we seem to get is opposition for opposition’s sake.

[Laurence Turner (Birmingham Northfield) (Lab)]

Victoria college in my constituency is one of the relatively small number of SEND specialist further education colleges in the country. It does outstanding work. For many years, such colleges have not had access to dedicated capital grant funding. Will the Minister be so good as to look into the issue and agree to meet me to discuss it further?

[Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)]

Sadly, both universities in my constituency, De Montfort University and Leicester University, are on the verge of making hundreds of redundancies and even shutting down complete faculties. What financial commitment is the Department making to secure academic jobs, especially in subjects such as chemistry, humanities and languages, rather than making short-term cuts?

[Bridget Phillipson]

The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that universities are independent institutions that are able to make their own decisions around financial management. As a Government, we have sought to stabilise the higher education sector. That is why we took the difficult but necessary decision to increase tuition fees. Later this year, we will be publishing a post-16 strategy that will deal with many of his questions.

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

Last week, I heard from a mum who applied for an EHCP for her son in December and was told it would be ready in June. She has now been informed by Buckinghamshire council that he remains unallocated, with 789 children ahead of him. I am very grateful to the Secretary of State for the work she is doing to grip and reform the SEND system, but can she talk more about her ambitions to support people caught in the horrible waiting game for EHCPs?

[Bridget Phillipson]

We have heard this afternoon from my hon. Friend and so many Members across the House about the urgent need to make improvements for children with SEND. We are laying the foundations with more investment in the system, through both the high needs budget and capital, so we have the places that are needed. There is, of course, much we are doing right now with councils to improve some of the unacceptable waits that parents currently face.

[Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)]

The superb John Hampden school in Wendover reports that it is running a £109,000 deficit supporting students with significant SEND while they await assessments. However, it is an infant-only school, and the money often does not come through until the pupils have moved up to a junior school. Will the Minister look at how the system is working for infant-only schools, to make the system fairer?

[Mr James Frith (Bury North) (Lab)]

I recently hosted a series of engagements and roundtables on the SEN reforms, and it is impossible to ignore the sheer size of the problems this Government are confronting. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the legal right to specialist support will remain a core principle of every child’s entitlement as Labour rebuilds this broken system and that we will go further, delivering real outcomes, genuine inclusion and an SEN system built to serve families, not fail them?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for the work he has done in this area over many years and for the way he champions this cause here on behalf of his constituents. I can confirm that children with SEND have a legal right to additional support and that Labour will protect that. He will appreciate that discussions are under way with families, campaigners and school leaders to ensure that we get this system right—a better system with strengthened support and more timely intervention and early identification of need. It is clear this afternoon that that mission is urgent, and that we need to deliver better outcomes for children with SEND. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend on that.