Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to provide (a) guidance and (b) training to (i) local authority careers services and (ii) college course providers on the (A) rights and (B) eligibility of British National (Overseas) visa holders for post-16 (1) education and (2) adult learning programmes.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is spending £1.4 billion on the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2024/25 academic year, which funds English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision for adult learners.
The general principle within ASF rules is that adults must be ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years preceding their first day of learning, although there are exceptions set out in the department’s funding rules. The department’s guidance to ASF providers, including local authorities on residency eligibility is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-skills-fund-funding-rules/adult-skills-fund-funding-and-performance-management-rules-2024-to-2025.
Although British Nationals (Overseas) arriving from Hong Kong are not immediately eligible for ASF funding, funding of up to £850 per adult is available to support access to English language classes for those on the British Nationals (Overseas) route. For those aged 16-19, eligibility is explained in the student eligibility section of the statutory guidance ‘Advice: funding rules for 16 to 19 provision 2025 to 2026’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-funding-regulations-for-post-16-provision/advice-funding-rules-for-16-to-19-provision-2025-to-2026#sectionthree.
Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs). Devolution works because local leaders can use their mandate for change to take decisions needed to drive growth and convene local partners to tackle shared problems. While MSAs follow the department’s rules on residency, decisions around how they spend their devolved funding and their approach to monitoring are for them to make.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) combined authorities and (b) local English for Speakers of Other Languages hubs (i) monitor uptake of English language support by British National (Overseas) visa holders and (ii) improve referral pathways between providers.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is spending £1.4 billion on the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2024/25 academic year, which funds English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision for adult learners.
The general principle within ASF rules is that adults must be ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years preceding their first day of learning, although there are exceptions set out in the department’s funding rules. The department’s guidance to ASF providers, including local authorities on residency eligibility is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-skills-fund-funding-rules/adult-skills-fund-funding-and-performance-management-rules-2024-to-2025.
Although British Nationals (Overseas) arriving from Hong Kong are not immediately eligible for ASF funding, funding of up to £850 per adult is available to support access to English language classes for those on the British Nationals (Overseas) route. For those aged 16-19, eligibility is explained in the student eligibility section of the statutory guidance ‘Advice: funding rules for 16 to 19 provision 2025 to 2026’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-funding-regulations-for-post-16-provision/advice-funding-rules-for-16-to-19-provision-2025-to-2026#sectionthree.
Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs). Devolution works because local leaders can use their mandate for change to take decisions needed to drive growth and convene local partners to tackle shared problems. While MSAs follow the department’s rules on residency, decisions around how they spend their devolved funding and their approach to monitoring are for them to make.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to expand access to English for Speakers of Other Languages provision for British National (Overseas) visa holders at (a) intermediate and (b) advanced levels and with a focus on (i) conversational and (ii) workplace English.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is spending £1.4 billion on the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2024/25 academic year, which funds English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision for adult learners.
The general principle within ASF rules is that adults must be ordinarily resident in the UK for the three years preceding their first day of learning, although there are exceptions set out in the department’s funding rules. The department’s guidance to ASF providers, including local authorities on residency eligibility is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-skills-fund-funding-rules/adult-skills-fund-funding-and-performance-management-rules-2024-to-2025.
Although British Nationals (Overseas) arriving from Hong Kong are not immediately eligible for ASF funding, funding of up to £850 per adult is available to support access to English language classes for those on the British Nationals (Overseas) route. For those aged 16-19, eligibility is explained in the student eligibility section of the statutory guidance ‘Advice: funding rules for 16 to 19 provision 2025 to 2026’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-funding-regulations-for-post-16-provision/advice-funding-rules-for-16-to-19-provision-2025-to-2026#sectionthree.
Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs). Devolution works because local leaders can use their mandate for change to take decisions needed to drive growth and convene local partners to tackle shared problems. While MSAs follow the department’s rules on residency, decisions around how they spend their devolved funding and their approach to monitoring are for them to make.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of directly providing a proportion of SEN funding to schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.
Local authorities are required by regulations to identify for each of their mainstream schools an amount, sometimes referred to as a notional budget, within their overall budget, which helps the school understand what might be required to meet the additional cost of supporting pupils with special educational needs, up to £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities, working with their schools, calculate this amount using proportions of their local formula factor values in accordance with regulations. Most authorities use a combination of funding from the basic entitlement factor, the deprivation factors, and the low prior attainment factors in their local formula.
Local authorities also support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that £6,000 threshold, by allocating funds directly from their high needs budgets.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the families of children unable to return to (a) mainstream and (b) special school.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises that some pupils find it harder than others to attend school. It is therefore very important that schools and partners work closely with pupils and parents to remove any barriers to attendance by building strong and trusting relationships and working together to put the right support in place.
If a child of compulsory school age is still unable to access a mainstream or special school place, the local authority, under section 19 of the Children's Act 1996, has a duty to arrange alternative suitable and, typically, full-time education for the child.
Placements into alternative provision (AP) should focus on enabling the child to overcome any barriers to learning they may have and to assist them back into mainstream education. All placements should be reviewed regularly to ensure they are meeting these objectives.
Departmental guidance states that a child’s family should always be consulted before AP is arranged. This is because we know that families have an important role to play throughout the planning and commissioning of a child’s placement, as they can provide necessary information about the child and their needs. This guidance, last updated in January 2025, is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that high-quality education provision is available for children who are unable to attend (a) mainstream education and (b) special unit add-ons.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to thrive in their education and make a successful transition into adulthood, including those who are unable to attend inclusive mainstream schools and instead access specialist or alternative provision (AP). We therefore recognise the vital role of high-quality specialist provision, particularly for children with more complex needs.
It is for local authorities, under section 19 of the Children's Act 1996, to arrange suitable and (normally) full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education.
Ofsted hold local authorities to account for the sufficiency and commissioning of AP as part of their area SEND inspections.
The department issues guidance on the planning and commissioning of AP that focuses on the principles of delivering education that is appropriate, effective, safe and of good quality. The guidance was last updated in January 2025 and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending free childcare funded hours to people undertaking accredited professional healthcare courses in (a) nursing and (b) other subjects.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
From September 2025, the government will expand government-funded childcare so eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of funded childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns nine months old to when they start school. Accessible and high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of giving every child the best start in life, boosting children’s life chances and giving parents work choices.
Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage, equivalent to £195 per week or £10,158 per year in 2025/26, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of family circumstances.
The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund. Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf.
Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with Nottinghamshire County Council to improve its Education Otherwise Than At Schools provision; and whether she plans to make additional funding available for Education Otherwise Than At Schools provision in Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
When a local authority decides to make an ‘education otherwise than at school’ arrangement for a child or young person with an education, health and care plan, it funds this through its high needs budget. Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.8 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula.
A joint local area SEND inspection of Nottinghamshire was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2023 under the new Area SEND Inspection framework. Ofsted/CQC found widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND which the local area partnership (LAP) must address urgently. The local area submitted a Priority Action Plan to Ofsted/CQC, to address two identified areas for priority action, which was approved 14 July 2023.
Following the inspection outcome, the department has worked closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the LAP in making the necessary improvements.
The department has also commissioned the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence partnership consortium, led by the Council for Disabled Children, to support the local area to develop their SEND strategy.
Nottinghamshire LAP is also receiving additional support from a specialist SEND advisor, and the department will continue to work with the local area and relevant stakeholders to support them in improving SEND services and provision.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with Nottinghamshire County Council on the allocation of funds for Education Otherwise Than At School provision in Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
When a local authority decides to make an ‘education otherwise than at school’ arrangement for a child or young person with an education, health and care plan, it funds this through its high needs budget. Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.8 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula.
A joint local area SEND inspection of Nottinghamshire was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2023 under the new Area SEND Inspection framework. Ofsted/CQC found widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND which the local area partnership (LAP) must address urgently. The local area submitted a Priority Action Plan to Ofsted/CQC, to address two identified areas for priority action, which was approved 14 July 2023.
Following the inspection outcome, the department has worked closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the LAP in making the necessary improvements.
The department has also commissioned the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence partnership consortium, led by the Council for Disabled Children, to support the local area to develop their SEND strategy.
Nottinghamshire LAP is also receiving additional support from a specialist SEND advisor, and the department will continue to work with the local area and relevant stakeholders to support them in improving SEND services and provision.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the availability of apprenticeships in the education sector meets demand in (a) Nottingham and (b) Nottinghamshire; and whether she is taking steps to (i) increase the range of apprenticeship opportunities in this area, (ii) improve access for young people and (iii) support schools in recruiting apprentices.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
There are a number of apprenticeship standards available in the education and early years sector including level 3 Teaching assistant, level 5 Early years lead practitioner and level 6 Teacher.
To support employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. Non-levy paying employers can also benefit from the government paying the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care.
The department continues to promote apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the ‘Skills for Life’ campaign.