James Wild

The government confirmed a review of mainstream free school projects to ensure that they continue to meet a need for places, offer value for money for the taxpayer and are not to the detriment of the other schools in the local area.

The department is currently in discussion with trusts, local authorities and other partners to gather more information in relation to projects. It would be unhelpful to increase speculation about individual projects at this stage.

No final decisions have been made at this point, and the department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review in due course. It is also established departmental process that all cancellations and withdrawals are routinely published on GOV.UK. These can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-successful-applications.

I refer the hon. Member for North West Norfolk to the answer of 29 October 2024 to Question 11051.

The government wants to ensure children thrive in education, whatever type of school they are in, including free schools. Capacity varies from place to place, so the department will continue to open new schools where they are needed.

Departmental officials are working with local authorities, academy trusts and other partners to take work forward on the review of mainstream free school projects over the autumn and have written to them, setting out next steps in relation to individual projects. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review in due course.

The government wants to ensure children thrive in education, whatever type of school they are in, including free schools. Capacity varies from place to place, so the department will continue to open new schools where they are needed.

Departmental officials are working with local authorities, academy trusts and other partners to take work forward on the review of mainstream free school projects over the autumn and have written to them, setting out next steps in relation to individual projects. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review in due course.

Local authorities have existing statutory responsibilities to collaborate with local partners in the strategic planning and commissioning of the local offer provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department has been testing the implementation of SEND and alternative provision (AP) partnerships through the SEND and AP Change Programme. We are reviewing the evidence gathered and will continue to explore options to strengthen partnerships as part of SEND and AP reforms.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

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. Whilst the department recognises the urgency and need to drive improvements, we are conscious that there are no quick fixes and want to take a considered approach to deliver sustainable education reform, including in relation to the introduction of nation standards for speech and language services.

Supporting children’s early language development is one of the department’s key priorities. The department is funding continued support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme during the 2024/25 academic year. In partnership with NHS England, the department is funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child (ELSEC) to trial new ways of working to earlier identify and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in early years and primary schools, utilising therapy support assistants.

In further partnership with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care, this department is funding the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS will build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including those with SLCN, through whole school interventions.

Finally, the department is funding evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London to highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools and approaches to identify and support children and young people, age 0 to 25, with different types of needs including SLCN.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education outlined in her response of 9 September, decisions relating to the conditions of registration and requirements of higher education (HE) providers in England are a matter for the Office for Students (OfS) as the independent regulator.

In order to meet the regulatory requirements of the OfS, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles. These include principles on free speech, academic freedom and accountability, such as operating openly and with integrity. As such providers are responsible for ensuring they have adequate governance and risk management procedures in place, including on the acceptance of donations.

The OfS has informed the department that it is engaging with relevant parties as appropriate to understand the issues that have been raised regarding the operation of Peking University HSBC Business School UK Campus (PKBS-UK). PKBS-UK is a registered HE provider in the ‘approved’ category, which means the provider is not eligible for certain grants including eligibility for OfS teaching grant funding or any other OfS payments under sections 39 or 40 of the Higher Education and Research Act (HERA).

As outlined in its regulatory framework, if the OfS identifies a breach of a specific or general ongoing condition of registration as part of its enquiries, then it will consider the use of formal sanctions, which may include monetary penalties, suspension from the register or deregistration.

This government has committed to an audit of the UK’s relationship with China to improve its ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities it poses. This will guide a consistent and coherent approach to relations with China rooted in UK and global interests.

For the 2024/25 financial year, the department has an allocated budget of £2.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This includes promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for nine month olds, as well as the existing offers for two, three and four year olds. Final spending will be confirmed.

For the 2023/24 financial year, the department had an allocated budget of £1.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This included promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for two year olds as well as the existing offers for three and four year olds.

For the 2024/25 financial year, the department has an allocated budget of £2.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This includes promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for nine month olds, as well as the existing offers for two, three and four year olds. Final spending will be confirmed.

For the 2023/24 financial year, the department had an allocated budget of £1.4 million for the Childcare Choices campaign. This included promotion of the expanded childcare working entitlements for two year olds as well as the existing offers for three and four year olds.

High quality early education and childcare is a crucial opportunity to transform life chances.

In the coming months, the government will be setting out plans to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will include both school-run nurseries and schools partnering with private, voluntary and independent providers.

The department is working closely with schools, local authorities and providers to understand what is needed to deliver this, and to ensure provision meets the needs of families and schools and is opened in the right places.

The department knows that to deliver the expanded early years entitlements, the sector will need additional staff. In total, the department estimated that compared to 2023, the new entitlements will create an increased need for workers in the region of 9,000 in September 2024.

In 2023, the number of staff increased by 12,900 (4%), from 334,400 in 2022, to 347,300 in 2023. This was before the department introduced interventions to support the growth of the workforce.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high quality childcare is a top priority. The department’s focus in reforming the system will be to ensure that there are greater and more equal opportunities to access early education for every family, and that there are greater opportunities for children to thrive and develop. As an initial step, the department is working to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensure that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents.

Based on assumptions around take-up, likely hours used and whether children are new or existing users of childcare, there is estimated to be demand of an additional 15,000 places for September 2024.

Thousands of children, aged from nine months, will get government-funded childcare for the first time, allowing them to access 15 hours a week, over 38 weeks a year, of high quality, accessible childcare.

Further information on the underpinning assumptions behind these estimates was published in the 2023 Spring Budget Policy costing information note: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66221ba8252f0d71cf757d2b/Spring_budget_2023_childcare_expansion_costing_note_information.pdf.

The department will continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare provision through regular conversations with local authorities.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high quality childcare is a top priority. The department’s focus in reforming the system will be to ensure that there are greater and more equal opportunities to access early education for every family, and that there are greater opportunities for children to thrive and develop. As an initial step, the department is working to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will help deliver the expansion in childcare entitlements and ensure that a variety of different types of provision are available that suit the needs of different parents.

Based on assumptions around take-up, likely hours used and whether children are new or existing users of childcare, there is estimated to be demand of an additional 15,000 places for September 2024.

Thousands of children, aged from nine months, will get government-funded childcare for the first time, allowing them to access 15 hours a week, over 38 weeks a year, of high quality, accessible childcare.

Further information on the underpinning assumptions behind these estimates was published in the 2023 Spring Budget Policy costing information note: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66221ba8252f0d71cf757d2b/Spring_budget_2023_childcare_expansion_costing_note_information.pdf.

The department will continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare provision through regular conversations with local authorities.

Expanding access to affordable and high quality childcare is key to breaking down barriers to opportunity and is one of the driving missions of this government.

From 2 September 2024, hundreds of thousands of eligible working parents of children from nine months old have begun to access 15 hours of government-funded early education per week.

The department is looking ahead to delivering the expansion to 30 funded hours from next September. Eligible working parents of children aged nine months and above will be able to access 30 hours (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning nine months to when they start school.

The department is already taking action to help deliver the additional places needed for the next phase and to deliver the remainder of the promised 3,000 school-based nurseries from 2026 onwards, with a greater focus on more disadvantaged families.

Since 2 September 2024, eligible working parents of children from nine months old can access 15 hours of government-funded early education per week.

Take up from parents is roughly in line with the position at this point in time prior to the April phase of the rollout for eligible working parents of two year olds. Internal figures show a similar trajectory, with over 200,000 entitlement codes validated by providers, meaning parents have secured a place. Thanks to the hard work of local authorities and childcare providers, the department is confident delivery is on track.

The department has not published figures yet because it normally takes a few weeks for local authorities and providers to have validated codes following the 31 August application deadline. The department will be publishing data on codes issued and codes validated for September 2024 in due course.

Delivery of the Behaviour Hubs will run until the end of March 2025.

Funding beyond the end of March 2025 is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.

The government is committed to making quick progress on delivering breakfast clubs in every primary school. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity, by providing a supportive start to the day, ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school and ready to achieve.

The department has already taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school in England will offer a free breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work with the sector to make sure the right support, including funding, is in place.

The government is committed to making quick progress on delivering breakfast clubs in every primary school. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity, by providing a supportive start to the day, ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school and ready to achieve.

The department has already taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school in England will offer a free breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work with the sector to make sure the right support, including funding, is in place.

Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the National Curriculum up to age 16, but academies, including free schools, are not. The department does not hold data on the proportion of academies currently following the National Curriculum, but knows that many choose to teach it.

As part of the legislative programme announced in the King’s Speech, the department intends to legislate to require academies to teach the National Curriculum, once changes are made following the Curriculum and Assessment Review. This will give parents certainty over their children’s education, and it will give academies time to prepare. The department will discuss with the sector the practicalities of implementing this change.

The review will recommend a core curriculum that is designed to empower, not restrict, academies and other schools. It will support the innovation and professionalism of teachers, whether in academies or maintained schools, and will enable them to adapt how they teach the curriculum to their students’ lives and life experiences.