Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle the decline in pupils achieving the expected standard in (a) reading, (b) writing and (c) maths by age 11 in Northumberland.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.
Attaining proficient standards in language development and the reading and writing of English are the keys to unlocking the rest of the curriculum and key indicators for future success in further education, higher education and employment.
The English Hubs programme was launched in 2018 with the aim of improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. So far, over £90 million has been invested in the English Hubs programme, and a further £23 million has been committed for academic year 2024/25.
One Excellence English Hub (formerly St Michael’s Church of England English Hub) supports schools in Northumberland. The hub has intensively supported 81 schools in their region since the start of the programme, including a number of schools in Northumberland. It has delivered over 700 days of intensive literacy specialist support and has funded over 120 schools to purchase phonics programmes and resources. In addition, it has supported over 1,300 schools across its region with reading teaching training, with over 40 of these schools being in Northumberland specifically.
The Reading Framework, published in 2023, provides guidance to help schools improve reading for all pupils so they leave primary able to engage confidently with reading in all subjects at secondary school. The department’s Maths Hubs are providing local school to school expertise, advice and training on how to strengthen outcomes in mathematics. This programme aims to improve the teaching of mathematics through the provision of continuing professional development, as the department knows that the quality of teaching is the biggest educational factor in determining children’s outcomes. This includes through the Mastering Number programme, which helps children in the first years of primary school master the basics of arithmetic, including number bonds and times tables. The Great North Maths Hub supports schools in Northumberland and has worked with 91% of primary schools in in the area, with 64% having participated in the Mastering Number programme.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.
The review group will publish an interim report in early 2025 setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.
Regional Improvement for Standards of Excellence (RISE) teams will be in place early this year, offering a targeted and bespoke service to schools that Ofsted identify as needing to improve. RISE teams and supporting organisations will work collaboratively with the school and their responsible body to rapidly and sustainably put in place targeted interventions, based on the school’s particular circumstances.
To improve standards, all schools will also be able to draw on RISE teams for help in understanding the most effective practice, with RISE teams encouraging schools in their local area to work together and learn from one another.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many exclusions there were in each school in Blyth and Ashington constituency in the academic year (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-24.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department publishes figures from the school census on suspensions and permanent exclusions from state-funded schools in England. The most recent release, covering the 2023/24 autumn term, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england.
School level data is available in this release in the data catalogue section, in the file ‘Suspensions and permanent exclusions – full year school level’. This file includes the school URN number, local authority establishment (laestab) number, school name and local authority. Parliamentary constituency can be identified by using the Get Information About Schools website, available here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
This website gives many details of schools, including the school URN number, laestab number and Parliamentary constituency. Suspension and permanent exclusion data is not yet available for the 2023/24 academic year, this is expected to be published in July 2025.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase pay in the further education sector.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE). This remains the responsibility of individual colleges who are free to implement pay arrangements in line with their local needs.
The government recognises the vital role that FE teachers play in developing the skills needed to drive our missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. That is why the department is investing around £600 million in FE across the financial years 2024/25 and 2025/26. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. The department also continues to support recruitment and retention with teacher training bursaries worth up to £30,000 tax-free in certain key subject areas and with support for industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through our Taking Teaching Further programme.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced a Budget on 30 October, to be followed by a multi-year Spending Review in the spring of next year. Decisions about future post-16 funding and capital programmes will be subject to the outcomes of these fiscal events.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide additional funding to equalise allowances between foster and kinship families.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises the valuable and important role that kinship carers play and appreciates that they often take on this role at a time in their lives when they are least expecting to raise a family.
Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.
Local authorities have the powers to provide a range of services, including financial support, to support children and families. As local authorities know their carers best, they have the power to decide what financial support should be provided to carers and their children and any payments should be made in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. The government does not set a maximum or minimum allowance for local authorities to administer. While the government recognises the financial constraints on local authorities, guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.
The government is committed to work with local government to support children in care, including through kinship, foster care, and adoption, as well as strengthening regulation of the children’s social care sector.
This government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship families.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide the same access to (a) health and (b) therapeutic support for children in kinship care as those in formal care settings.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises the importance of health and therapeutic support services for all children, including those in kinship care. Ensuring every child receives the support they need is a key priority.
The department recently renamed the Adoption Support Fund, the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, to increase awareness among families in kinship arrangements who are eligible for therapeutic support through the fund.
We are committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship arrangements. We are considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent comparative assessment of the educational needs of (a) children in kinship care and (b) other children.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Children in Special Guardianship and Child Arrangement Orders have higher attainment than children in local authority care but perform worse compared to all children.
In 2022/23 the average Attainment 8 score for children who left care on a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangement Order was 28. By comparison, the average attainment for children in care at March 31 was 18, while for the overall pupil population it was 46.
This department is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve. We know that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support, including in school. We are working to ensure their needs are met, and that they have the best possible opportunity to succeed.
In September 2024, the role of virtual school heads was expanded to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care, to ensure they receive the help they need to thrive at school.
This government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system to deliver better outcomes for children and families, including how best to support kinship children and families.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide the same level of access to (a) training and (b) support to (i) kinship and (ii) foster carers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the start in life they deserve. It is also necessary to achieve financial stability for local authorities.
This government is committed to helping children thrive, and we want the best for every child and family. We want to build on the foundations laid by local authorities to create a care system that works for everyone.
This government recognises the valuable and important role that kinship and foster carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. Our manifesto committed to working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship and fostering arrangements.
The government is extending the delivery of over 140 peer support groups across England, available for all kinship carers to access, where they can come together to share stories, exchange advice and support each other. The department is also delivering a package of training and support that all kinship carers across England can access.
It is important that foster carers receive the support they need to fulfil this role and to meet the needs of the children in their care. The department is investing over £36 million this spending review to deliver 10 local authority regional fostering recruitment and retention hubs, covering 64% of local authorities in England. The majority of hubs launched this summer and include rollout of the Mockingbird programme in all local authorities, which offers peer-support to foster carers and the children in their care.
The department is also funding Fosterlink, a new support service for local authority fostering services not in the regional programme. This identifies areas for improvement and creates a national network to share best practice.
The department also encourages fostering service providers to adhere to the Foster Carer Charter. The Charter sets out clear principles for how foster carers should be treated and recognises their invaluable work. This was refreshed in February 2022 and sets out the responsibilities of foster carers, fostering services and the corporate parent. It aims to deliver best practice in fostering for all involved, including carers and children.
The Charter can be accessed here: https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/foster-carers-charter-0.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on implementing the national kinship care strategy in schools
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This department is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this. We know that many children who receive care from relatives and friends need extra support, including in school. The department is working to ensure their needs are met, and that they have the best possible opportunity to succeed.
In September 2024, the role of virtual school heads was expanded to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care, to ensure they receive the help they need to thrive at school.
All children in kinship arrangements, regardless of legal status, will benefit from the adaptation of the strategic virtual school head role. This will be a systemwide approach, bringing greater focus and visibility to the distinct needs of children in kinship care.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the failure to agree a deal to build a gigafactory in Cambois on (a) the Gen Zero Campus in Ashington and (b) Energy Central Campus in Blyth.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Ashington campus of Northumberland College is one of the 16 large scale transformational projects that are being delivered by the department in partnership with colleges, as part of the £1.5 billion Further Education Capital Transformation Programme. The 16 colleges in this phase of the programme have some of the worst condition sites in England. The new campus in Ashington is a Gen-Zero development, designed to be ultra-low carbon in both construction and operation, and will provide exciting career pathways for learners across Northumberland and the wider region. The department is funding this project in order to improve the condition of the further education college estate and its investment is not linked to the gigafactory.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities state that the case for the Energy Central Campus in Blyth was based on an assessment of existing net zero skills requirements across the North-East of England. Progress on construction of Phase 1, the Energy Central Learning Hub, is progressing well, with the Hub on course to open in autumn 2024.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Blyth and Ashington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of schools affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete have had remedial work completed in the last 12 months.
Answered by Damian Hinds
A list of education settings with confirmed RAAC and the funding route to remove RAAC was published on 8 February. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.
The government is funding the removal of RAAC either through grants, or through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). The longer-term requirements of each school or college will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.
Schools joining the SRP will be prioritised for delivery according to the condition need of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The department will also take into account the suitability and longevity of the temporary accommodation they are using. The department has committed to responsible bodies that it will confirm when works are expected to start by the end of the summer term.
For schools and colleges receiving grants, the department is working with responsible bodies to support them to agree the scope of works they are procuring. In some cases, this may involve undertaking technical assessments to inform the design of building works and in other cases the removal of RAAC is already underway and will be completed in the coming months.