Oral Answers to Questions

Bridget Phillipson Excerpts

Monday 2nd March 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South) (Lab)]

1. What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of school funding.

[Mr Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)]

19. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools receive equitable levels of funding under the national funding formula.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Education (Gavin Williamson)]

We are investing more in schools and high needs over the next three years, starting with an additional £2.6 billion, including £780 million for high needs in 2020-21 and £1.5 billion for the cost of the teacher pension scheme.

[Bridget Phillipson]

While the north-east is home to some of the best performing primary schools in the country, sadly, at secondary level, there are issues with poor outcomes for young people. Rather than reannouncing an initiative from two years ago using existing departmental funding, when will the Secretary of State properly tackle the fact that far too many children in our region are not receiving the education they deserve?

[Gavin Williamson]

I recently had the great pleasure of visiting schools across the north-east, as well as Opportunity North East, a new programme aimed at raising attainment in the key area of secondary schools. This already seems to be having an impact on schools—that was certainly my impression from conversations I had with school leaders—and we want to continue to build on that across the north-east.