Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in Wellingborough constituency.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department currently has the highest number of teachers on record. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000, or 6%, since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
Last year, the department accepted in full the School Teacher Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award, which is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. This means that over two years, teacher pay is increasing by more than 12% on average and means the department has delivered its manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country.
The department has put in place a range of measures, including increased bursaries worth up to £28,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £30,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.
The department is also offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 after-tax for eligible mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their career who work in disadvantaged schools. For the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, the department is doubling the rates of the Levelling Up Premium. Six schools in Wellingborough are eligible for payments of up to £5,000 after-tax under this scheme.
The department has also established three Teaching School Hubs near Wellingborough: the Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub, the Chiltern Teaching School Hub and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub. More information can be found at the following web addresses: https://www.northamptonshireteachingschoolhub.org/, https://www.teaching-school.co.uk/, and https://www.cptshn.co.uk/. More information can be found at the following web addresses: https://www.northamptonshireteachingschoolhub.org/, https://www.teaching-school.co.uk/,
These school-based centres of excellence deliver Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications and provide Appropriate Body services for the induction of early career teachers. More information on the induction of early career teachers can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/induction-for-early-career-teachers-england . Together, these ensure that new teachers in Wellingborough will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across ITT and into their induction.
The department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices.
On flexible working in particular, the department has established a series of Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools (FWAMSs) throughout the country which support school leaders to implement and embed flexible working in their schools. Wellingborough’s named FWAMS is Lapal School of Hales Valley Trust. Further information can be found on the ‘Flexible Working in Education’ website, here: https://www.flexibleworkingineducation.co.uk/about-fwams.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average funding per pupil in mainstream schools was in (a) Wellingborough constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England in each of the last three years.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The National Funding Formula (NFF) is used to calculate notional funding for maintained schools and academies in England. Average funding per pupil, including premises-related funding, for Wellingborough constituency, North Northamptonshire and England can be found in the table below. Constituency figures are calculated by combining the notional NFF school-level allocations for all maintained schools and academies which sit within the constituency. Local authority and national funding figures are based on the Dedicated Schools Grant allocations.
Average Per Pupil Funding | |||
Year | Wellingborough Constituency | North Northamptonshire Council | England |
2024/25 | £5,687 | £5,664 | £5,957 |
2023/24 | £5,572 | £5,548 | £5,838 |
2022/23 | £5,267 | £5,247 | £5,534 |
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to improve children's oracy skills in Wellingborough constituency.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department recognises the importance of oracy, which is why spoken language is part of the national curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds.
In early years, the department is investing up to £17 million in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, improving the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. In addition, the department have secured over £28 million to support the speech and language of young children worst affected by the pandemic, today’s 3 and 4 year olds, delivered through the new Family Hubs network.
In secondary schools, the GCSE English Language qualification ensures that students are able to listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken Standard English effectively. 2023 data published by Ofqual shows that overall entries to GCSE English Language increased by 4.9% in summer 2023, compared to summer 2022. This data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series#gcse-entries.
The department funds the National Poetry Recitation Competition, which encourages both primary and secondary schools to participate to improve pupils’ knowledge and enjoyment of poetry and to improve oracy through poetry recitation and recall. The competition provides an opportunity for pupils to enjoy sharing poems aloud.
The £67 million English Hubs Programme, launched in 2018, is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Since its launch, the English Hubs Programme has provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousands of schools across England.
Wellingborough’s local English Hub, Roade English Hub, is working hard to engage and support primary schools across the region. Currently, 45 schools are receiving intensive partner school support from Roade English Hub. This is in addition to the 32 schools that have already graduated from the programme.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of houses in Wellingborough constituency that have an energy performance certificate rating of (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D and (e) E .
Answered by Lee Rowley
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what support his Department provided to rough sleepers in Wellingborough constituency in Winter 2023-24; and what steps his Department plans to take for Winter 2024-25.
Answered by Felicity Buchan
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children in schools in Wellingborough constituency are learning a musical instrument at school.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Arts Council England is responsible for collecting and publishing information about each of the Music Hubs. This information is about the music education activity the Hubs provide or support and does not include information on what schools provide without the support of the hub.
The Wellingborough constituency is served by Northamptonshire and Rutland Music Education Hub, including providing opportunities to learn an instrument, including through whole class ensemble teaching.
In 2022/23, 59.4% of schools were supported with whole class ensemble teaching and the Hub delivered or supported lessons to 8,205 pupils in small group tuition, 568 pupils in individual lessons, and 710 pupils as part of large group lessons. In addition, 2,367 pupils participated in Hub-led or Hub-supported ensembles and group activity, and instruments were loaned to 219 schools during 2022/23.
The 2022/23 data was published on Monday 20 May and can be accessed on their website. The link to the website is: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the prevalence of damp and mould in social housing in (a) Wellingborough constituency and (b) Northamptonshire.
Answered by Jacob Young
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of people living in overcrowded housing in Wellingborough constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is undertaking to (a) protect and (b) enhance green spaces in Wellingborough constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Help to Buy homeowners are waiting for a decision on a loan redemption application in (a) Wellingborough and (b) Northamptonshire.
Answered by Lee Rowley
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.