Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that young people in Knowsley have access to academic A-levels within their borough.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley will have A level provision restored through its delivery at SK College Group’s Knowsley campus from September 2018. The 2018/19 prospectus has been published, setting out the A levels available.
The Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) understands that the college has received 95 A level applications to date for the 2018/19 academic year, and that it is currently reviewing each in order to make an appropriate offer to each young person.
The ESFA is working closely with Knowsley local authority, ensuring the implementation of ‘Knowsley Better Together’; the wider local plan for improving access to A levels in Knowsley.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will ensure that the level of Government funding provided to (a) Liverpool City Council and (b) Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council is sufficient to allow those local authorities to support the mandatory provision of 30 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
By 2019-20, the government will be spending around £6 billion a year on childcare support, including £1 billion to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and pay the higher funding rates that we introduced in April 2017.
Our funding rates are based on evidence from our “Review of Childcare Costs”, which was described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. Local authorities’ individual funding rates are set by the new early years national funding formula which takes account of relative children’s needs and costs of delivery.
Through ‘Childcare Works’, we are supporting all local authorities to deliver 30 hours of free childcare, and we are monitoring carefully its implementation.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to make sufficient funding available to (a) Liverpool City Council and (b) Knowsley Metropolitan Council to ensure they are able to comply with the mandatory provision of 30 hours of free childcare for three and four-year-olds within those local authority areas.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
By 2019-20, the government will be spending around £6 billion a year on childcare support, including £1 billion to deliver 30 hours of free childcare and pay the higher funding rates that we introduced in April 2017.
Our funding rates are based on evidence from our “Review of Childcare Costs”, which was described as “thorough and wide ranging” by the National Audit Office. Local authorities’ individual funding rates are set by the new early years national funding formula which takes account of relative children’s needs and costs of delivery.
Through ‘Childcare Works’, we are supporting all local authorities to deliver 30 hours of free childcare, and we are monitoring carefully its implementation.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to visit the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Since his appointment, the Secretary of State does not yet have a confirmed visits schedule in place. He is looking forward to visiting a range of educational institutions across the country.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by what date she expects the provision of academic A Levels to be restored in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley?
Answered by Anne Milton
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley will have A level provision restored through its delivery at SK College Group’s Knowsley campus from September 2018. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) understands that the college has received 60 A level applications to date for the 2018/19 academic year, and is assured that the college continues to participate in activity with Knowsley local council, and schools, to promote the expansion of the A level offer.
The department is in discussions with the local council Executive Director (Children) on a continual basis, to determine the future demand for A level provision beyond existing accessible provision. The local council, as the commissioning body, acknowledges that there is no need to establish a new A level provider in Knowsley at present. However, should this position change, the ESFA would support the local council’s submission of a 16-18 market entry application to the department to help determine the appropriate provider type to enter the borough. The decision on which would dictate the applicable capital funding method.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will allocate capital funding to the Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council area to enable a new provider of academic A Levels to be established in Knowsley?
Answered by Anne Milton
The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley will have A level provision restored through its delivery at SK College Group’s Knowsley campus from September 2018. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) understands that the college has received 60 A level applications to date for the 2018/19 academic year, and is assured that the college continues to participate in activity with Knowsley local council, and schools, to promote the expansion of the A level offer.
The department is in discussions with the local council Executive Director (Children) on a continual basis, to determine the future demand for A level provision beyond existing accessible provision. The local council, as the commissioning body, acknowledges that there is no need to establish a new A level provider in Knowsley at present. However, should this position change, the ESFA would support the local council’s submission of a 16-18 market entry application to the department to help determine the appropriate provider type to enter the borough. The decision on which would dictate the applicable capital funding method.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how schools in Knowsley Metropolitan Borough will benefit from her Department's Level 3 Maths Support Programme to increase A Level provision?
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Level 3 Mathematics Support Programme is a new programme designed to support schools and colleges setting up and maintaining level 3 mathematics provision, including AS/A level mathematics and further mathematics, and level 3 core maths qualifications. We are in the process of procuring an organisation to deliver this initiative.
As part of its remit, the programme is expected to target eligible schools and colleges in opportunity areas and areas of low level 3 mathematics participation for additional support, and to work with them to increase participation. Therefore, any school or college opening level 3 provision in Knowsley would fall within the scope of the targeted element of the programme.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Liverpool Garston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she next plans to visit the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Secretary of State does not currently have plans to visit the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, but looks forward to visiting when her diary permits.