Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the access to (a) sport and (b) physical education for (i) primary and (ii) secondary school-aged children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government is committed to providing all children and young people with more opportunities to be physically active. This government has set out its intention to support more children to be active by protecting time for physical education (PE) in schools and working across government to support the role grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport and physical activity.
To further support children to be active, the government has committed £320 million for the primary PE and sport premium in the 2024/25 academic year, benefiting over 18,000 schools and around 3.9 million pupils in England.
In the 2023/24 academic year, the country-wide network of 450 School Games Organisers, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), provided 2.3 million opportunities for school children to engage in local and inclusive sporting competitions across 40 different sports and activities.
We have also launched an open procurement for a new grant programme from spring 2025, of up to £300,000 a year. This will focus on improving and increasing PE, school sports and physical activity opportunities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
The department is working with DHSC and DCMS when considering future investment into PE and school sport, to ensure this provides children and young people with as many opportunities as possible to be physically active.
The department also launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review in 2024 which will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, art, PE and drama, as well as vocational subjects. The Review’s interim report was published on 18 March 2025.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for confirming 2026-27 funding for (a) the PE and sport premium and (b) School Games Organisers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Stafford to the answer of 10 March 2025 to question 33607.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment she has made of the level of attainment of (a) girls and (b) boys under 11 in (i) maths and (ii) sciences in Stafford constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
A breakdown of attainment is not available for the Stafford constituency, however a breakdown for Staffordshire local authority is as follows. Data for Stafford Constituency is available at key stage 2, however this is not split by sex.
In the 2023/24 academic year, 74% of boys in Staffordshire met the expected standard in mathematics and 79% of boys in Staffordshire met the expected standard in science at the end of key stage 2. In the same year, 74% of girls in Staffordshire met the expected standard in maths and 86% of girls in Staffordshire met the expected standard in science at the end of key stage 2. At the end of key stage 2, children are 10 or 11-years-old.
The multiplication tables check is taken by pupils, aged 8 or 9 years old, at the end of year 4. In the 2023/24 academic year, the average attainment score for boys in Staffordshire was 21.2 and 20.8 for girls.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to SEND services in Staffordshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Staffordshire County Council to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors. These areas were that coproduction was weak and that the quality of education, health and care plans was poor.
The department has appointed a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Advisor to support and work alongside Staffordshire County Council and the local area partnership.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.