Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding to ensure that the Lifelong Links programme can be extended to all children in care.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to helping children thrive and wants the best for every child and family. We know that a stable support network and loving relationships are crucial to supporting children in care and care leavers to thrive.
To support this, the department is currently funding 50 family finding, befriending and mentoring programmes, being delivered by 45 local authorities. These programmes will help children in care and care leavers to identify and connect with the important people in their lives and create safe, stable loving relationships. Of the 45 local authorities, 23 are delivering Lifelong Links as their family finding programme.
The family finding, befriending and mentoring programme is being evaluated and this will inform decisions about the future of the programme.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that education, health and care plan assessments are (a) progressed and (b) issued promptly.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 26 November to Question 14834.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers have the (a) classroom support and (b) equipment needed to support pupils with SEND.
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.
High quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with SEND are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. 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 National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs). The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high quality, evidence based training. This is crucial given the central role SENCOs play in supporting pupils with SEND.
A new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) is due to be implemented from September 2025, which contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, such as developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils.
The availability of training and career progression opportunities for teaching assistants helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high quality education. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has recently approved a new Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, allowing teaching assistants to specialise in one of three areas: SEND, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, or Curriculum Provision. The apprenticeship will be available for candidates to undertake in 2025.
In addition, assistive technology (AT) can break down barriers to opportunity for students with SEND. The department is broadening the effective use of AT for teachers through research, training and guidance.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the pupil premium for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond. This government is committed to breaking the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success. That is why removing barriers to opportunity and raising school standards are at the heart of the department’s mission to transform life chances and ensure all children can achieve and thrive.
The department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding in 2024/25 to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England.
The department is taking time to consider the various funding formulae going forward, recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed. We will consider the pupil premium as part of that process, and decisions on pupil premium funding for 2025/26 will be taken later this year.
The department will continue to support schools to achieve maximum impact from the pupil premium.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Budget 2024 Briefing, published by Tech First in October 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of child poverty on resource allocation in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The schools national funding formula (NFF) targets funding to schools which have pupils with additional needs. In the 2024/25 financial year, over £4.4 billion (10.2%) of the formula is allocated according to deprivation factors in the NFF, including free school meals (FSM) for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and over £7.8 billion (17.8%) is allocated for additional needs overall.
The department has recently published provisional factor values for the 2025/26 NFF, including the increases to the deprivation factors within the formula. This is published at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pre-16-schools-funding-local-authority-guidance-for-2025-to-2026.
The core schools budget grant (CSBG), announced earlier this year to support schools with the costs of the 2024 pay awards for support staff and teachers, likewise includes a deprivation factor. This means pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point over the past six years attract additional funding to their schools through the CSBG.
On top of this funding through the NFF and CSBG, the department also provides additional funding to schools through the pupil premium to improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2024/25 financial year, total pupil premium funding is worth over £2.9 billion.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to financially support the early years sector to deliver the expanded 30-hour offer.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The new childcare entitlements for eligible working parents of children aged from nine months will increase from 15 hours to 30 hours from September 2025, helping hundreds of thousands of families with the cost of childcare and supporting parents to work.
The Autumn Budget confirmed £1.8 billion in the 2025/26 financial year to support the expansion with a further £15 million of capital funding to expand school-based nurseries. This £1.8 billion will mean the budget for childcare entitlements next year will be over £8 billion, reflecting the additional money needed for the 30 hour expansion and ensuring funding for the entitlements reflect forecasts of average earnings and inflation next year.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to make the education, health and care plan application process more efficient.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.
This government’s ambition is for all children and young people with SEND, or in alternative provision, to 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.
The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources.
Our approach will support families, breaking down the barriers to opportunity for their children.
The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, EHC plans are issued as quickly as possible. We will work with children, young people, parents, local authorities, schools and colleges and their partners to deliver improvements, so that children and young people can access the support they need.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to reform the SEND system.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.
This government’s ambition is for all children and young people with SEND, or in alternative provision, to 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.
The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources.
Our approach will support families, breaking down the barriers to opportunity for their children.
The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, EHC plans are issued as quickly as possible. We will work with children, young people, parents, local authorities, schools and colleges and their partners to deliver improvements, so that children and young people can access the support they need.