Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the children of parents who have relocated to the UK are able to obtain funding to enrol at UK universities.
Answered by Janet Daby
Generally, to be eligible for student support a student must be ordinarily resident in England and have ‘settled’ status or a recognised connection with the UK on the first day of the first academic year of the course. They must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) for the three years prior to that date.
It is important that the limited public funds available for student support are targeted on those categories of persons with a lawful and substantial residential connection to the UK and who are likely to remain indefinitely.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there is an external right of appeal for people who believe they have been discriminated against when applying for doctorates at universities in the UK.
Answered by Janet Daby
Higher education providers (HEPs) are autonomous from government and are responsible for their own admissions decisions. The department has no legal remit to become involved in disputes between prospective students and their university.
Responsibility for handling applicant complaints and/or appeals, in the first instance, is a matter for the relevant HEP and each university has formal complaints and appeal processes.
If a complainant has exhausted the official process and the matter has not been resolved to their satisfaction, they are free to consider bringing a claim for judicial review or for discrimination under the Equality Act.
Another route available to dissatisfied applicants is through the higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS). While the OfS cannot become involved in individual complaints, applicants can notify the OfS if they think that a university has broken its conditions of registration.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review the age cap on funding for (a) Level 6 and (b) Level 7 apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity.
From January 2026 the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships except for young apprentices under the age of 22. This will enable apprenticeships opportunities to be rebalanced towards young people and create more opportunities for those entering the labour market, who need skills and training to get on in their careers.
Level 6 apprenticeships will continue to be funded for all ages (16+) by the government.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department is using to allocate funding for school solar panel installation; and what steps she is taking to ensure that the most energy-inefficient school buildings are prioritised.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This £80 million partnership programme between the department and Great British Energy is targeting 200 schools and colleges in the 2025/26 academic year.
There will be a cluster of around 45 schools in each of the North West, North East and West Midlands, selected based on deprivation levels and other factors such as roof capacity. Each cluster will also include a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and renewables workforce. There will also be a minimum of ten schools in each of the government office regions to ensure some regional spread.
This is just one element of the department’s strategy to ensure that the school estate is sustainable. We are providing support for all schools and colleges to get started on their journey towards net zero via our new online ‘Sustainability Support for Education’ platform and our climate ambassador programme.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government takes to help ensure that apprentices are well-supported by their employers.
Answered by Janet Daby
Apprenticeships deliver great outcomes for young people and adults, and apprentice and employer satisfaction is high.
High quality training is crucial and apprentices' success hinges on the commitment and collaboration of an employer, apprentice, and training provider.
The department has published a range of guidance on GOV.UK to help employers support their apprentices to make the most of their apprenticeship. This includes tips on how to support apprentices with mentoring, networking opportunities and wellbeing. On behalf of the department, the Learning and Work Institute has also produced a number of guides to support apprentices’ on-programme experience, including a Line Manger Guide to apprenticeships.
The Apprenticeship Service gives employers and learners the opportunity to provide feedback on their experiences which we use to improve the apprenticeship experience. To support effective partnerships between employers and providers, employers can also see online reviews of training providers from other employers and apprentices before they choose a training provider to deliver their training.
In addition, the department’s Apprenticeship Ambassador Network of 1,700 volunteer employers and providers enables sharing of best practice from apprenticeship experts. Our ambassadors are supporting 3,000 small employers taking their first steps on their own apprenticeship journey.
Apprentices who complete see the best outcomes from their experiences. The department’s focus on driving up quality is resulting in year on year increases in achievement rates and will continue to drive up standards to ensure every learner gets the greatest benefit from their apprenticeship.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure students who would have benefitted from the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme are still provided with the same opportunities they may have otherwise had.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department is committed to ensuring all children and young people have a strong foundation in mathematics, both so they can thrive in the modern economy, and also so that they can understand and participate in modern society to the greatest extent, regardless of background and socioeconomic status. Additionally, advanced mathematics underpins the development of cutting edge artificial intelligence, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister has set out as a key driver in the Plan for Change, helping to turbocharge growth and boost living standards.
The Advanced Maths Support programme (AMSP) is a government funded programme that has a positive impact on mathematics education across England. The department is currently examining additional and alternative options which would support provision for advanced mathematics.
The department continues to work closely with the AMSP supplier, Mathematics in Education and Industry, to ensure high quality professional development and support remains available to schools and colleges so that all students, regardless of background, can access high-quality level 3 mathematics education. This includes improving level 3 mathematics teaching and providing alternative tuition for level 3 further mathematics students, to increase participation and attainment in advanced mathematics and removing barriers of social injustice.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to inform members of the teachers pension scheme who are in (a) final salary and (b) career average schemes of their right to retire at 55.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The administrator for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme provides a new starter guide for all new members. The guide can be accessed here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/guides/new-starter-guide-2024.ashx?rev=9c420691700a46cf9d6661890f310aa3&hash=C05F7D56649239746FC32D1E56A96E62.
Page 7 of the guide explains that retirement benefits can be taken from age 55. The department is considering the impacts of the increase to Normal Minimum Pension Age from April 2028 and will communicate any resulting changes to those affected as soon as this is determined.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support small independent SEND providers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools to break down barriers to education whilst ensuring that all specialist settings are equipped to support children with the most complex needs. We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream settings through early identification, effective support, high-quality teaching and effective allocation of resources.
Independent special schools are private enterprises. Local authorities have the discretion to make support, training and resources available to them. As private enterprises, the proprietor of the school is responsible for its financial viability.
Local authorities must ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEND. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency, working with parents, young people and providers.
It is therefore for commissioning local authorities to determine how the provision offered by independent special schools fits into their range of SEND provision and which mix of schools will meet the needs of all children and young people.
The department recognises that independent special schools can play an important role in the SEND system, particularly in meeting low-incidence needs. However, independent special schools have higher costs than their maintained equivalent, and placements should be used appropriately. Independent special schools should therefore be part of the strategic planning of SEND provision.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help raise awareness of the (a) potential merits of T Level qualifications for employers and (b) differences between T Levels and apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby
All T Levels provide students with direct experience of the workplace through a 45-day industry placement, offering employers a unique opportunity to build their talent pipelines and fill skills gaps. Almost a third of the first cohort of T Level students that progressed into employment and apprenticeships are employed by their industry placement organisation, demonstrating the value of T Levels for employers.
T Levels are promoted via the department’s national Skills for Life communications campaign, and thousands of employers have taken advantage of our support to help them understand and deliver high quality industry placements. Our 700 member-strong T Level Ambassador Network are passionate advocates for technical education and work across the country to raise awareness and understanding of T Levels in their industries. The department’s annual T Levels Week will take place between 2 to 6 December this year and will see providers, employers and ambassadors across the country sharing student stories to raise the profile of T Levels and their benefits.
The Skills for Life ‘find training and employment schemes’ website for businesses includes clear guidance on the differences between apprenticeships and T Levels and outlines the benefits of both programmes. This makes it clear that T Levels can help build a talent pipeline for apprenticeships, including through accelerated apprenticeships, which can reduce the time needed to complete an apprenticeship programme, saving businesses time and cost. The website can be accessed here: https://find-employer-schemes.education.gov.uk/schemes/.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
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 a shortfall in SEND education provision within Cheshire East on SEND children; and whether she plans to take steps to increase this provision.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) sits with local authorities.
The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding. This can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings.
We understand that local authorities, including Cheshire East, will want to be aware of further funding in order to develop an approach to future high needs provision and we will confirm plans for future high needs capital funding in due course.