Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Elliot Colburn and David Johnston

Monday 11th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)]

7. If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of after-school childcare on long-term educational outcomes.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (David Johnston)]

In October, the Government announced the allocation of £289 million of start-up funding to local authorities for wraparound care, which we know supports parents to work, as well as having the potential to improve attainment, engagement and attendance.

[Elliot Colburn]

I recently visited Muschamp Primary School in Carshalton and Wallington, where I observed the Junior Adventures Group UK—a leading provider of school-age childcare in my constituency—in the crucial support that it gives children, particularly those with special educational needs, beyond school hours. However, it is evident that school-age childcare needs reform. I welcome that £289 million, but can my hon. Friend explain how the frameworks will ensure that that investment effectively supports families, specifically those with requirements for special educational needs and disabilities?

[David Johnston]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. We have set out clear expectations that all wraparound provision should be inclusive and accessible. We have given local authorities flexibility in how to spend their funding, but we expect them to distribute it in a way that ensures equal access to provision for parents of children with special educational needs.