Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to levels of funding for Level-7 apprenticeships on access to graduate-level education in rural areas.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to spreading opportunities and economic growth supported by a strong skills system.
This government has an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance. There are tough choices that need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised in order to generate opportunities for young people that enable them to make a start in good, fulfilling careers, and the department will therefore be asking more employers to step forward and fund a significant number of level 7 apprenticeships outside of the levy-funded growth and skills offer.
The department will take advice from Skills England, who are currently engaging with employers on this matter, and expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships in the new year.
The department recognises that for some employers level 7 apprenticeships form an important part of their workforce and career development offers. Employers will still be able to offer and invest in these apprenticeships where they feel they provide a good return on their investment.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on providing oral health (a) education and (b) other support in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
All state-funded schools are required to teach about good oral hygiene as part of statutory health education. Pupils should know about dental health and the benefits of good oral hygiene and dental flossing, including the need for regular check-ups at the dentist.
Departmental officials regularly meet with officials from the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss oral health in schools and this government’s commitment to introduce a national supervised toothbrushing scheme targeted at 3 to 5-year-olds living in the 20% most deprived areas of England. Further details on this scheme will be published in due course.
Asked by: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. This includes strengthening accountability for inclusivity, including through Ofsted, and encouraging schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.
High quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilites (SEND), are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this parliament. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND.
On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs). The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.
High needs funding will also increase by almost £1 billion in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25, and we have announced £740 million of capital funding to create more specialist places, including in mainstream schools.