Laura Trott

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change.

We are supporting recruitment through our national ‘Do something BIG’ campaign, with a dedicated website setting out information on qualifications and linking to job vacancies, alongside financial incentives to attract and retain educators in areas of most need.

In addition, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to promote and raise awareness of early years careers through the Jobcentre Plus network. We are creating new routes into the workforce through Skills Bootcamps and funding early years initial teacher training, while our delivery support contractor, Childcare Works, is supporting local authorities and providers with one-to-one targeted support.

These efforts are starting have an impact, with staff numbers increasing by over 18,000 between 2024 and 2025.

Local authorities are required by legislation to secure sufficient childcare places for children in their area. To be eligible for phase 1 of the school-based nurseries programme, schools had to obtain the endorsement of their local authority by evidencing local early years demand.

Schools were required to confirm that their local authority early years lead and pupil place planning lead were content with their proposal to create new or expanded nursery provision. Local authorities also had the opportunity to provide further comments to the department on any applications from schools in their area, as part of the assessment process.

Phase one of the School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant 2024/25 was open to all state funded primary-phase schools across England. We published a list of the successful schools, which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-based-nursery-capital-grant-application-outcomes.

The criteria used to determine the location of the new and expanded school-based nurseries was published in our applicant guidance and included local demand for nursery places.

Local authorities are required by legislation to secure sufficient childcare places for children in their areas, and the department will continue to speak to local authorities in England about their sufficiency of childcare. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

The department is committed to ensuring that the expansion of school-based nurseries targets areas of need, while complementing the existing childcare market. In the first phase of the programme, schools could only apply with local authority endorsement, ensuring alignment with local demand and strategic oversight. In some areas, no bids were supported, due to a lack of identified need. In the first phase of the programme, the majority of new nurseries are in the North or Midlands, increasing access to childcare in cold spots and supporting the communities that need it most.

The department is currently reviewing the targeting and implementation approach for future phases of the programme. We will learn from the initial phase and will continue working closely with the sector to inform our planning, ensuring new provision meets the needs of children, parents, and the local community.

The department's guidance on charging for school activities is clear that there should be no charge for state funded education. Section 454 of the Education Act 1996 prohibits schools from charging for education during school hours or for the supply of materials, books or other equipment, like laptops or IT equipment, that are required for education during school hours. Schools may ask parents to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of equipment, but must make clear that these are voluntary. The Act allows an exemption to enable schools to charge for equipment where a parent wants their child to own it, but parents should not be pressured into this. The guidance on charging for school activities can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charging-for-school-activities.

The review has focused on ensuring that government funding is targeted where it is most needed. In the past, a significant proportion of spending on free schools has created surplus capacity, resulting in subsequent closure of new schools. Some of that funding could have been put to better use by improving the deteriorating condition of our existing schools and colleges.

The department understands that trusts and local authorities want to have certainty about their projects as soon as possible. We will provide an update on next steps to trusts and local authorities in due course.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

The department is absolutely clear that no pupil with transitional protections will lose their entitlement to free meals before the new entitlement to free meals is introduced.

The department’s published statistics show that over half a million more children will benefit from a free meal, after accounting for the removal of transitional protections: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/estimate-of-additional-children-claiming-free-school-meals-following-expansion-of-eligibility/2025.

The National Behaviour Survey for the 2023/24 academic year is due to be published in the summer.

I refer the hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 31690.

It is the department’s ambition that parents have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and childcare. ​​This government has had to take some tough decisions to get our public finances back on track, but this government has increased investment in the early years to drive forward progress towards our plan for change target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements, as we roll out the expansion of the entitlements, so eligible working parents of children aged from nine months can access 30 hours of funded childcare. This is an increase of more than 30% compared to the 2024/25 financial year.

This increase ensures funding for the entitlements, reflects forecasts of average earnings and inflation next year, and also reflects the National Living Wage announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

The department also announced the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this, we are providing further supplementary funding of £75 million for the Early Years Expansion Grant.

We are additionally providing £25 million through the forthcoming National Insurance contributions grant for public sector employers in the early years.

From the start of September 2024, eligible working parents have been entitled to 15 hours a week of early education and care from the term after their child turns nine months. So far, over 320,000 additional parents are now accessing a place. Going further, from September 2025, eligible working parents will be able to access 30 hours of early education and childcare a week.

Parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit childcare.

The department also wants to ensure that parents are aware of and accessing all government funded childcare support they are eligible for. The department is raising awareness of the government-funded childcare support available via the Childcare Choices campaign to boost children’s life chances and parents’ work choices.

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.

The government is committed to delivering the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer, so that from September 2025 eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns nine months old to when they start school. However, this government has been clear that this will be tough to deliver as we inherited a pledge with no plan behind it. That is why the department is doing everything it can, working closely with childcare providers, to deliver the additional places the sector will need from September 2025.

All three and four year-old children are eligible for the universal 15 hours free early education entitlement from the term starting on or after 1 September, 1 January or 1 April following their third birthday.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had discussions with Brighton and Hove City Council on its proposed new school admissions policy.

When changes are proposed to admission arrangements, paragraphs 1.45 – 1.48 of the school admissions code require admission authorities to consult for at least six weeks with relevant parties. Brighton and Hove City Council held their consultation between 6 December 2024 to 31 January 2025. The council are then required to determine (agree) the final admission arrangements by 28 February 2025. Once the council have determined their admission arrangements they must publish a copy of the determined admission arrangements on their website by 15 March 2025.

Once the admission arrangements have been determined anyone who considers them to be unfair may raise an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Objections to admission arrangements must be referred to the Adjudicator by 15 May 2025.

The Adjudicator’s role is to consider whether the admission arrangements and consultation comply with the school admissions code and admissions law.

The Adjudicator can only act on an objection that they have received through the correct channels. Information on how to object to an admission authority’s admission arrangements can be found on the Office of the Schools Adjudicator’s website, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-admissions-arrangements.

As Brighton and Hove City Council’s admission arrangements have not yet been determined, an objection cannot be raised.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had discussions with Brighton and Hove City Council on its proposed new school admissions policy.

When changes are proposed to admission arrangements, paragraphs 1.45 – 1.48 of the school admissions code require admission authorities to consult for at least six weeks with relevant parties. Brighton and Hove City Council held their consultation between 6 December 2024 to 31 January 2025. The council are then required to determine (agree) the final admission arrangements by 28 February 2025. Once the council have determined their admission arrangements they must publish a copy of the determined admission arrangements on their website by 15 March 2025.

Once the admission arrangements have been determined anyone who considers them to be unfair may raise an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Objections to admission arrangements must be referred to the Adjudicator by 15 May 2025.

The Adjudicator’s role is to consider whether the admission arrangements and consultation comply with the school admissions code and admissions law.

The Adjudicator can only act on an objection that they have received through the correct channels. Information on how to object to an admission authority’s admission arrangements can be found on the Office of the Schools Adjudicator’s website, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-admissions-arrangements.

As Brighton and Hove City Council’s admission arrangements have not yet been determined, an objection cannot be raised.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had discussions with Brighton and Hove City Council on its proposed new school admissions policy.

When changes are proposed to admission arrangements, paragraphs 1.45 – 1.48 of the school admissions code require admission authorities to consult for at least six weeks with relevant parties. Brighton and Hove City Council held their consultation between 6 December 2024 to 31 January 2025. The council are then required to determine (agree) the final admission arrangements by 28 February 2025. Once the council have determined their admission arrangements they must publish a copy of the determined admission arrangements on their website by 15 March 2025.

Once the admission arrangements have been determined anyone who considers them to be unfair may raise an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Objections to admission arrangements must be referred to the Adjudicator by 15 May 2025.

The Adjudicator’s role is to consider whether the admission arrangements and consultation comply with the school admissions code and admissions law.

The Adjudicator can only act on an objection that they have received through the correct channels. Information on how to object to an admission authority’s admission arrangements can be found on the Office of the Schools Adjudicator’s website, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-admissions-arrangements.

As Brighton and Hove City Council’s admission arrangements have not yet been determined, an objection cannot be raised.

This government believes admissions arrangements should be fair, lawful and support good outcomes for all children.

School admission arrangements are set and applied locally by the admission authority for each school. After providing highest priority to looked after and previously looked after children, it is for the council, as the admission authority for the community and voluntary-controlled schools in its area, to decide what oversubscription criteria to apply for places at its secondary schools and in what order the criteria are applied. The purpose of consultation is to provide the local community the opportunity to express any concerns that they may have about the proposed admission arrangements.

Admission arrangements must be fair, clear and objective, and comply with the school admissions code. To ensure that a school’s admission arrangements meet the needs of their local community, the admission authority is required to consult on them locally when making a change.

The consultation for Brighton and Hove City Council went live on 6 December 2024 and closed on 31 January 2025. The council is required to determine the final admission arrangements for September 2026 by 28 February 2025.

Once the council has determined their admission arrangements, anyone who feels they are unlawful or unfair may raise an objection to the schools adjudicator. Objections to admission arrangements must be referred to the adjudicator by 15 May in the year they were determined. The adjudicator’s role is to consider whether the admission arrangements and consultation comply with the school admissions code and admissions law. The adjudicator’s decisions are binding and enforceable.

Schools that are still due to convert and join a high-quality multi-academy trust or are due to move into a new high-quality multi-academy trust in early 2025 will do so.

The department’s first 20 RISE advisers are now in post and work has begun with the first RISE schools. The advisers will work alongside the department to help support schools break down the barriers to opportunity and end the link between background and success. A full list of these advisers has been published on GOV.UK.

In addition to the RISE advisers in post, the department launched a recruitment campaign for a full cohort of advisers to start in the spring and summer term. We will be informing candidates of the outcome of this campaign shortly. Workforce allocations for 2025/26 have not yet been set.

The support offered by computing hubs is, for the most part, aimed at teachers only.

Hubs have also previously supported the National Centre for Computing Education's (NCCE) outreach programme aimed at pupils. NCCE will continue with outreach activity in 2025/26 continuing to raise awareness of careers in computing and digital. Data for the number of pupils who have attended hub outreach events since 2018 is not available.

The government will continue to fund the NCCE in the 2025/26 financial year to support the teaching of computing and increase participation in computer science qualifications.

The department’s continued investment in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) for the 2025/26 financial year will continue to support the teaching of computing, increase participation in computer science qualifications at level two and three, including from female students, and support computer science A level students in achieving high grades.

The NCCE will continue to deliver the ‘I Belong’ programme, which aims to improve schools’ awareness of the barriers to girls’ engagement with computing and supports them in taking a sustained course of action to improve the take up of computer science qualifications within their school.

The NCCE also delivers industry-led, virtual events for pupils which raise awareness of digital opportunities and careers in sectors such as cyber and artificial intelligence, and Isaac Computer Science, an online platform supporting GCSE and A level computer science students with revision support and careers information events. In the 2022/23 academic year, 98% of the 1,297 schools with computer science A level results used Isaac.

Due to the fiscal challenges inherited from the previous government, this government has had to make tough decisions across the public sector to get our finances back under control and to ensure we deliver on our priorities through our Plan for Change. Funding beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be considered through the upcoming spending review.

The department’s continued investment in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) for the 2025/26 financial year will continue to support the teaching of computing, increase participation in computer science qualifications at level two and three, including from female students, and support computer science A level students in achieving high grades.

The NCCE will continue to deliver the ‘I Belong’ programme, which aims to improve schools’ awareness of the barriers to girls’ engagement with computing and supports them in taking a sustained course of action to improve the take up of computer science qualifications within their school.

The NCCE also delivers industry-led, virtual events for pupils which raise awareness of digital opportunities and careers in sectors such as cyber and artificial intelligence, and Isaac Computer Science, an online platform supporting GCSE and A level computer science students with revision support and careers information events. In the 2022/23 academic year, 98% of the 1,297 schools with computer science A level results used Isaac.

Due to the fiscal challenges inherited from the previous government, this government has had to make tough decisions across the public sector to get our finances back under control and to ensure we deliver on our priorities through our Plan for Change. Funding beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be considered through the upcoming spending review.

The ongoing investment in the National Centre for Language Education (NCLE) in the 2025/26 financial year will continue to support the teaching of languages and increase participation in languages qualifications, including through continued professional development and new support models which are anticipated to reach more schools.

One of NCLE’s key aims is to increase access to home, heritage and community languages. It is, however, up to schools to decide which languages are taught as part of their curricula.

The impact assessment was published on 30 January.

The current contract for the Latin Excellence Programme, put in place by the previous government, is due to end on 28 February 2025. The Latin Excellence Programme has cost £2,071,000 to date since 2022. All schools on the programme will continue to have access to the programme’s curriculum resources and all students will sit their planned exams this summer.

Funding for hubs has been part of wider funding for the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) and the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE). Funding for the NCCE and NCLE will continue in the 2025/26 financial year. It is not possible to quantify how much money will be saved through reshaping the programmes because no spending baselines for individual programmes for 2025/26 and beyond were set ahead of the spending review.

NCCE and NCLE will continue to deliver high quality continuing professional development and teaching resources to support and enrich lessons which are expected to reach a greater number of teachers nationally compared to last year.

Any spending in future financial years will be subject to the multi-year spending review. The department will not be making spending commitments outside of that process.

I refer the hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 14 January 2025 to Question 22724.

In line with the contract agreed by the previous government, the department has allocated £19 million in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years to the Opening School Facilities fund. The contract is ending in March 2025, as agreed at the outset of the programme.

Information on the school workforce is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

Figures for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in June 2025.

Details of Ministers’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK. Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

The government is delivering on its commitment to put education back at the forefront of national life and break down barriers to opportunity for all children and young people.

This government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in our country’s finances and is taking the difficult decisions necessary to fix the foundations and get our economy back on track. This means prioritisation on how money is spent right across the public sector to ensure we deliver on our priorities, including protecting core funding for schools.

Given this, the department has made the difficult decision not to extend the Latin Excellence Programme beyond the end of the three year contract, which will end on 28 February 2025. The department is grateful for the excellent work of the Centre for Latin Excellence and that of the schools who have participated in the programme.

At the Autumn Budget 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer took difficult decisions in order to restore economic and fiscal stability, which included increasing Employer National Insurance Contributions from April 2025. Working people’s living standards were protected by raising the National Living Wage, keeping bus fares down, and not increasing income tax, employee national insurance or VAT.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school transport and deliver this through both in-house services and a range of external providers, as such the department holds no central assessment of Employer National Insurance Contributions. Departmental officials engage regularly with local authorities to understand the challenges they face across the services they deliver.

The most recent application window for the Trust Capacity Fund opened on 1 March 2024 and closed on 25 June 2024. A total of 190 applications were received from 174 establishments, mainly trusts.

This government is clear it wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. That is why we have set out a clear ambition to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools, while ensuring that special schools cater for those with the most complex needs.

The window for trusts to apply to run these schools closed on 19 July. The department will provide an update in due course.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances.

Trusts have played, and continue to play, an important role in supporting collaboration between schools and spreading best practice in pursuit of high standards. Against a challenging fiscal inheritance the government has had to make difficult choices and ensure that limited funding is best targeted. On 1 November, we announced that we would be ending the academy conversion grant from 1 January 2025.

Voluntary conversion is a choice for schools. The department thinks that the benefits, including financial, of joining a strong structure are well understood in the sector and schools and trusts should continue to make these informed choices.

Additionally, latest published figures show 98% of academy trusts and 87% of local authority maintained schools are in cumulative surplus or breaking even. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for 2025/26, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion next year, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25, after technical adjustments.

High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances.

Trusts have played, and continue to play, an important role in supporting collaboration between schools and spreading best practice in pursuit of high standards. Against a challenging fiscal inheritance the government has had to make difficult choices and ensure that limited funding is best targeted. On 1 November, we announced that we would be ending the academy conversion grant from 1 January 2025.

Voluntary conversion is a choice for schools. The department thinks that the benefits, including financial, of joining a strong structure are well understood in the sector and schools and trusts should continue to make these informed choices.

Additionally, latest published figures show 98% of academy trusts and 87% of local authority maintained schools are in cumulative surplus or breaking even. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for 2025/26, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion next year, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25, after technical adjustments.

The number and proportion of pupils in independent schools with special educational needs who do not have an education, health and care plan is published annually in the statistical release ‘Special educational needs in England’. The release can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.

The information requested can be found in the section titled ‘Pupils with special educational needs in schools’.

Data collected by the 2024 survey of childcare and early years providers has been used to estimate the average unit costs of delivering childcare per child in a setting. This data can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673b14b8fc572967fe66a92e/Providers__finances_Evidence_from_the_2023_Survey_of_Childcare_and_Early_Years_Providers.pdf.

The department no longer publishes providers’ total costs as differences between providers largely reflect differences in the average number of children that attend them and the average number of hours that they attend for.

There are limitations to the unit cost measure because of some challenges in gathering information from providers on total costs, such as the difficulty in estimating costs shared with other settings for group-based providers that are part of a chain. Furthermore, the number of hours of care provided was estimated. As a result, caution should be applied to the interpretation of the unit cost measures.

The department published ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’ on 18 November, setting out our vision for reform to children’s social care. Our legislative proposals will keep families together and children safe, remove barriers to opportunity for children in care and care leavers, make the care system child-centred, and tackle profiteering.

To deliver reform across children’s social care, the department announced £44 million for 2025/26 at the Autumn Budget 2024 to support children in kinship and foster care, and £90 million to provide safe and suitable homes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people.

The government has confirmed its commitment to further reforms to children’s social care in future spending reviews, to make sure every child, irrespective of background, has the best start in life.

On 2 September, the government announced that the use of single headline grades for Ofsted’s school inspection would end with immediate effect, and that a new system of report cards would be launched from September 2025. Single headline grades were overly simplistic, being low information for parents and high stakes for schools.

Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation, the largest in Ofsted’s history, evidenced widespread concerns about single headline grades and the need for reform. Ofsted found that single headline grades were supported by only 3 in 10 professionals and 4 in 10 parents. The schools section of the consultation found that only 1 in 8 respondents agreed that the number of good and outstanding providers was reflective of the overall quality of the sector. Therefore, it was right for the government to act quickly and decisively to address this.

The department is currently engaging closely with Ofsted to develop proposals for new reporting arrangements, through a report card system, to capture the performance of schools in a much richer way, and to provide more helpful information to parents and support school improvement. The new reporting system will be accompanied by improved support arrangements through Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams. Proposals for the new arrangements will be subject to public consultation in the new year.

An equalities impact assessment will be carried out as part of the process of reform in the usual way.