SEND and Alternative Provision

Debate between Claire Coutinho and Gary Sambrook

Monday 6th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Claire Coutinho]

I know that my hon. Friend is passionate about SEN support in Cheadle, a subject that she has raised with me numerous times. I should be delighted to meet her and discuss it further, and I will certainly raise it in the Department.

[Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) (Con)]

As a number of us know from our mailboxes and surgeries, many parents face an uphill battle against the bureaucracy and, often, the postcode lottery of SEND provision. That is why I was so happy to receive an email from my hon. Friend last week with the news that we were to have a brand-new free school with SEND provision in south Birmingham. Will she join me in calling on anyone who is passionate and ambitious about young people in Birmingham to step forward and consider submitting a bid to be the sponsor body for the new school?

[Claire Coutinho]

My hon. Friend has raised this issue with me many times, and I am pleased that we will be able to end the postcode lottery by reducing that variation while also improving the specialist education provision in south Birmingham.

Education

Debate between Claire Coutinho and Gary Sambrook

Tuesday 6th December 2022 Ministerial Corrections

[Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) (Con)]

What steps her Department is taking to improve early years teacher training. [902439]

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Claire Coutinho)]

The Department has significantly expanded the number of fully funded initial teacher training places in early years for the next academic year, and it is reviewing the level-3 qualification criterion for early years, both of which are part of our package of £180 million-worth of support.

[Gary Sambrook]

I recently visited Jelly Babies nursery at Longbridge Methodist church. [Interruption.] I did not eat any jelly babies on my visit, but I met the fantastic team who do so much to equip young children with new life skills. The Early Years Alliance is running its “We Are Educators” campaign, which I hope the Minister will support by recognising its work and the benefits for young children across the UK in general, and in Birmingham, Northfield in particular.

[Claire Coutinho]

I know that my hon. Friend is a huge supporter of Jelly Babies, both the nursery and otherwise. The Government are supporting early years professionals with £180 million for qualifications and specific training, such as on dealing with challenging behaviour following the pandemic and on early communication.

[Official Report, 28 November 2022, Vol. 723, c. 648.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for East Surrey (Claire Coutinho):

An error has been identified in the responses given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Gary Sambrook).

The correct responses should have been:

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Claire Coutinho and Gary Sambrook

Monday 28th November 2022 Commons Chamber

[Gary Sambrook (Birmingham, Northfield) (Con)]

13. What steps her Department is taking to improve early years teacher training.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Claire Coutinho)]

The Department has significantly expanded the number of fully funded initial teacher training places in early years for the next academic year, and it is reviewing the level-3 qualification criterion for early years, both of which make up our package of £180 million-worth of support.

[Gary Sambrook]

I recently visited Jelly Babies nursery at Longbridge Methodist church. [Interruption.] I did not eat any jelly babies on my visit, but I met the fantastic team who do so much to equip young children with new life skills. The Early Years Alliance is running its “We Are Educators” campaign, which I hope the Minister will support by recognising its work and the benefits for young children across the UK in general, and in Birmingham, Northfield in particular.

[Claire Coutinho]

I know that my hon. Friend is a huge supporter of Jelly Babies, both the nursery and otherwise. The Government are supporting early years professionals with £180 million for qualifications and specific training, such as on dealing with challenging behaviour following the pandemic and on early communication.