Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on ensuring the availability of support for parents of children with severe SEND needs who require two-to-one support during the school holidays.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Local authorities have a legal duty to complete an annual childcare sufficiency assessment. In this assessment, they must have regard to the needs of parents in their area for the provision of childcare which is suitable for disabled children. Where adequate childcare provision is not available, parents have the right to request a wraparound or holiday childcare place for their child.
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funding is primarily for school-aged children from reception to year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM but who the local authority believes could benefit from HAF provision.
The department regularly meets with local authorities to discuss HAF provision and encourages them to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools with expertise in working with children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or additional needs. Local authorities are obligated to include the numbers of children with SEND or additional needs who have participated in their programme in their post provision reporting to us.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reminding parents who are claiming free childcare for working parents to reconfirm their details by (a) telephone call and (b) letter.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. The department is delivering more support to working families than ever with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare. Reconfirmation ensures that parents continue to meet the eligibility criteria. Eligibility for 30 hours is based on expected income for the next three months.
Parents receive an email and/or text prompt four weeks before their reconfirmation deadline and again two weeks before the deadline if they still have not reconfirmed. This email will remind parents that they will need to confirm their details are up to date and will provide instructions on how to reconfirm.
Parents who do not have access to a mobile phone or email address will receive letters reminding them to reconfirm.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of issuing further reminders to parents who claim free childcare for working parents to reconfirm their details after the deadline has passed.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare. Reconfirmation ensures parents continue to meet the eligibility criteria, which is based on expected income for the next three months. To reconfirm, parents receive an email and/or text prompt four weeks and two weeks before the reconfirmation deadline.
A notification is also sent on deadline date to notify a parent they are no longer eligible and to reconfirm as soon as possible.
If a child is already in a funded place, they will enter a ‘grace period’ which allows the child to continue their place temporarily. If the parent becomes eligible again during this period, the child can continue to access their place. Specific grace period dates are set out in the department’s statutory guidance.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to include media literacy within the English curriculum as part of the ongoing curriculum review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The current English language GCSE curriculum equips students with critical reading and comprehension skills. They learn to identify and interpret themes in diverse texts, read for various purposes, draw inferences, support viewpoints with evidence and identify bias.
In its interim report, the Curriculum and Assessment Review noted the importance of the curriculum keeping pace with the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information. To address this, as well as securing learning in foundational subjects, the curriculum needs to reflect the growing demand for key knowledge and skills such as digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will respond to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People's report, entitled: Laying Firm Foundations: Financial education in schools and colleges across the UK and the opportunities of devolution.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.
The government welcomes the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People to highlight the importance of financial education.
The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in core subjects, including mathematics, and a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work.
The interim report highlighted that the Review has heard, from children, young people and their parents, that they want more focus on the applied knowledge and skills that will equip them for later life and work, such as financial education.
The Review’s final report will be published in autumn, following which we will consider how to ensure the financial education pupils receive is relevant and taught by confident and committed teachers.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers receive adequate (a) training and (b) other resources to provide financial education.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21190.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to enhance the teaching of financial education within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the provision of financial education in schools beyond the mathematics curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to (a) improve and (b) expand the financial education resources available through Oak National Academy to help support schools to provide financial literacy teaching.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In April last year, Oak National Academy (Oak) launched over 80 new financial education resources to support teachers in delivering high quality lessons and preparing children for life and employment in the modern world. The resources, which cover both primary and secondary, explore core financial concepts such as budgeting, saving and taxation, as well as more contemporary areas such as keeping money safe from scams, virtual spending whilst online gaming, and assessing claims made by influencers.
These have been created in partnership with the mathematics education charity, MEI, and the Association of Citizenship Teaching, and cover mathematics, citizenship and financial education. Oak will keep its offer under review based on teacher feedback and any changes required following the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that per pupil school funding is spread evenly across (a) Greater Manchester and (b) other regional areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England.
The NFF allocates funding to local authority areas, based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics. The funding that individual schools actually receive is then based on their local authority’s funding formula.
The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of their pupils.