Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation has been undertaken of access to specialist educational provision for children with acquired brain injuries; and whether additional support is planned for emerging specialist schools such as those in Stockton-on-Tees.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to improve early identification of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional needs arising from acquired brain injury in children, particularly within school settings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of training for teachers and education support staff on recognising and supporting pupils with acquired brain injuries.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made towards meeting teacher training targets in the 2024–25 academic year.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Performance against the postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment targets for the 2024/25 academic year is published in the ITT Census here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2024-25.
In 2024/25, 88% of the postgraduate ITT recruitment target was met for Primary ITT, and 62% for Secondary ITT. This was a significant increase in secondary, where just 48% of the target was met in 2023/24. For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Computing), there were positive improvements, with 61% of the postgraduate ITT target met, compared to 47% in 2023/24. We are working hard to build on these improvements, as the government reestablishes teaching as a respected, valued profession once again.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with hospitality employers on shaping T-Level qualifications.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has engaged with employers throughout the development of T Levels. Employers from the hospitality sector were particularly involved in discussions with the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education around potentially developing T Levels in Catering and Hospitality, with a decision taken not to pursue this T Level announced in March 2025.
Hospitality employers have been involved in other T Levels, including as members of the T Level panel developing and approving the Management and Administration T Level, and through providing industry placements to learners.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on increasing the level of capital funding for school building (a) repairs and (b) maintenance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Ensuring schools and colleges have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life.
The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, including those overseen by local authorities. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.
This is in addition to investment of almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.
The department engages regularly with representatives from local authorities about capital policy and programmes.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of school funding allocations to meet increased costs associated with (a) energy, (b) staffing and (c) materials in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in financial year 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared with £61.6 billion in 2024/25.
In May, the government announced a further £615 million of additional funding for schools in 2025/26 to support them with their overall costs, including staff pay awards. Schools will, on average, be expected to find the first 1% of pay awards through plans to realise and sustain better value from existing spend. Schools will not be alone in making these decisions. The department will support schools to tackle the systemic issues that drive costs and prevent schools getting the best value for money, such as with energy, through our Energy for Schools Service.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on expanding post-16 provision in areas experiencing population growth.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department knows that the 16 to 19 population has been increasing in some parts of England and that extra capacity has been needed in post-16 places in some areas.
The post-16 Capacity Fund has already invested £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we will be investing a further £375 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to provide additional places.
In due course, we will make announcements and provide further information about the delivery of the £375 million capital funding secured for the post-16 sector.
For institutions with a significant growth in students, we recognise that there are additional costs and we provide in year 16 to 19 funding to help with these costs. The department announced its plans to support providers in offering places to young people across the country on 27 August 2025.
In support of local authorities’ statutory duty to secure suitable provision in an area, we will consider their requests to fill a gap in provision. Information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-market-entry.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support partnerships between further education providers and hospitality businesses.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is for employers and further education providers to work together to ensure that provision meets learner, labour market and employer needs. The department welcomes and encourages such partnerships.
Across all areas of England, Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) give businesses a direct route to work collaboratively with local providers and leaders to shape curricula and deliver skills provision. Over 25% of LSIPs identified Hospitality and Tourism as a priority sector with key skills needs. In these areas, key stakeholders are working in partnership to develop a skilled workforce that can support these areas' growth and sustainability.
A new round of LSIP development started on 1 October 2025 and this is an opportunity for businesses to engage with their local Employer Representative Body to discuss their skills needs and set out the challenges specific to their local economies, including in the hospitality sector.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to ensure fair funding across local authorities under the National Funding Formula.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Every year, the department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. This ensures that funding is distributed based on a fair and consistent assessment of need.
The vast majority of funding is distributed on the basis of pupil numbers and characteristics. In 2025/26, 74.2% of the schools NFF has been allocated through basic entitlement funding, which every pupil attracts. A further 17.8% (£8.6 billion) of all funding has been allocated through additional needs factors based on deprivation, low prior attainment, English as an additional language and mobility. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.
The government will continue to keep all the unit values and the wider operation of the schools NFF under review for 2026/27 and in future years.