Neil O'Brien
Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
2,378 (4.7%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 8th June 2017
Shadow Minister (Education)
(since November 2024)1 APPG membership (as of 28 Mar 2025)
Leasehold and Commonhold Reform3 Former APPG memberships
India, Loneliness, PsephologyDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
(43 debate interactions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
(33 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(349 debate contributions)
(10 debate contributions)
(7 debate contributions)
(6 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(51,731 words contributed)
(15,896 words contributed)
(18 words contributed)
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 5,738 signatures (1.81%)
of 131,704 signatures (0.20%)
of 59,295 signatures (0.19%)
of 153,647 signatures (0.19%)
of 246,958 signatures (0.16%)
of 234,343 signatures (0.16%)
of 226,646 signatures (0.14%)
of 153,647 signatures (0.19%)
c. 699 added daily
115,479
(Estimated)
Don't apply VAT to independent school fees, or remove business rates relief.
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 20 Dec 2024 Debated on - 3 Mar 2025 View Neil O'Brien's petition debate contributionscloses in 1 month, 1 week
Prevent independent schools from having to pay VAT on fees and incurring business rates as a result of new legislation.
Latest EDMs signed by Neil O'Brien
Social Security
Tabled by: Rishi Sunak (Conservative - Richmond and Northallerton)That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 869), dated 22 August 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 22 August 2024, be annulled.
(Most recent: 10 Sep 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 75
Independent: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 2
Scottish National Party: 1
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Neil O'Brien, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Neil O'Brien has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Neil O'Brien has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Neil O'Brien has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Neil O'Brien has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)1 Other Department Questions
Project Spire is important missional activity. The anticipated impact on parishes is an increased understanding of historic links with enslavement, which exist in many parts of the Church of England, and possible ways to share, discuss and respond.
Funding for Project Spire will be sourced entirely from the Endowment Fund managed by the Church Commissioners. None of the money from parish income, or that is given to a parish church, will be used for this fund. Therefore, no direct financial impact is anticipated for parishes.
Contested heritage guidance has been developed that may support churches in considering contested monuments within churches, but this work is not part of Project Spire, which exists to respond to links between the historic endowment of the Church and enslavement.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman Parliamentary Question of 13th of February is attached.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 20 November is attached.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Government Departments are responsible for their own social media content. The Government Communications Service does not provide a central resource for this. The Cabinet Office employs two digital officers who are responsible for producing social media content, including videos, for the Department's policies and in support of the Department's Ministers.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Cabinet Office Communications total spend (pay and non-pay) was £2,988,971.49 in FY 23/24, and it has a total budget (pay and non-pay) of £2,460,684.00 in FY 24/25.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government recognises that the UK’s aerospace and space industry is world-leading. Although the Government cannot comment on individual commercial cases, where appropriate officials will work with companies and administrators to consider how best to retain valuable Intellectual Property in the UK.
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Local Authorities are responsible for enforcement and central Government has no current plans for legislation that can be used to amend these fees.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT), including spend by predecessor Department for International Trade (DIT), spent £24,299,000 on communications in financial year 2022-2023 as reported in the Department’s annual report and accounts, available on GOV.UK.
This spend has supported DBT’s strategic efforts to promote the UK’s international trade agenda and achievements, position it as a destination for inward investment, and boost export promotion.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Bidirectional chargers for electric vehicles to enable them to export as well as import energy from their batteries is an emerging technology area. It will enable electric vehicle drivers to sell electricity back to the grid, as well as power their homes or business. This can save money for electric vehicle drivers and will contribute to delivering this Government’s clean energy superpower mission.
Whilst Government does not currently hold data on the total number of bidirectional chargers installed, over 650 were installed in homes and workplaces across the UK as part of the UK vehicle to grid innovation programme which ran from 2017 to 2022. Ongoing UK government funded innovation is supporting the further development and deployment of this important technology.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
For the financial year 2023/24 the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spent £7.6m on communications including payroll and advertising.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
2 Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Questions
(View all Neil O'Brien's DSIT questions)This public R&D regional investment target is committed to in legislation via the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023.
Increasing productivity right across the UK is fundamental to our mission to kickstart economic growth. Through our Industrial Strategy and the development of Local Growth Plans, we will build on local strengths to ensure that public and private R&D investment right across the UK helps local places to reach their potential.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In financial year 2023/2024 the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) spent a total of £8,316,561.37 on communications. This is inclusive of £3,516,253.54 which are payroll related costs for staff who work in the Communications Directorate.
The DSIT Communications Team is responsible for all communications conducted by the department and its Ministers to help inform, promote and explain departmental policies through traditional and new media channels. This includes a number of paid-for marketing campaigns such as those designed to encourage uptake of R&D funding made available through Horizon Europe and campaigns to build skills required for the jobs of the future.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
On the 22nd of January, I was pleased to announce that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme would continue from March 2025 to March 2026. Further details can be found here in the Written Statement.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Departmental settlements have been set following the Budget announcement on October 30. Individual programmes will now be assessed during the departmental Business Planning process.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Communications supports the government in delivering for the public, ensuring information is shared widely and effectively, informed by data and using a broad range of channels. In DCMS, an in-house team delivers communications with a limited supporting budget, used for example to help deliver campaigns that reach members of the public who don’t frequently engage with traditional media. In addition, internal communications ensures staff are informed and engaged - a proven driver of productivity - in support of delivering government and departmental priorities.
Spend on communications for the Department for Culture, Media & Sport during the 2023/24 financial year was £552,010.27 as outlined below:
Communications spending for FY 2023/24 | |
Media monitoring and services | £242,753.55 |
Campaigns | £156,121.22 |
Research & Evaluation | £107,775.00 |
Digital services & equipment | £20,510.50 |
Internal Communications | £24,850.00 |
To note, the figures for 2023/24 are still being audited and so could be subject to change. The Annual Report and Accounts to be published in November 2024 post audit.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Bid applications for the school-based nursery capital grant were assessed on four key criteria: project overview and value for money, local need for childcare, approach to early years education and management of provision.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Minister of State (Education)
The Office for Students (OfS) is the non-departmental public body responsible for higher education in England. It is independent of government.
In 2022/23, the OfS opened investigations into the quality of business and management courses at eight providers and of computing courses at three providers. It also opened investigations into grade inflation concerns at three providers and opened a further 12 investigations into potential non-compliance with condition B3, which sets minimum thresholds for student outcomes. Quality assessments are conducted as part of the quality investigations.
The OfS began publishing the subject-based investigation case reports in September 2023. Details of these, including decisions about any regulatory action, can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/about/how-we-are-run/key-performance-measures/kpm-11-efficient-regulation/.
The OfS also publishes information about enhanced monitoring of providers. The OfS does not tell the department which providers are subject to enhanced monitoring, but where that enhanced monitoring follows an investigation, it is included in the case reports. The published case reports show that the OfS has decided to conduct enhanced monitoring of the University of Bolton (the OfS has since approved a change of name for the University of Bolton to the University of Greater Manchester) and the University of Bedfordshire, until such a point at which it judges the risk of non-compliance with its quality conditions to have been acceptably minimised.
The OfS began publishing the B3 investigation case reports in July 2023. Details of these can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-providers/quality-and-standards/how-we-regulate-student-outcomes/assessment-reports/.
The case reports for the investigations into grade inflation concerns have not yet been published.
The OfS does not share details about open ongoing investigations with the department.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Overall core revenue funding for schools totals almost £61.6 billion for the 2024/25 financial year. At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26. Each school has autonomy to allocate their budgets, including for their staff, to best meet the needs of their pupils to ensure they have the best opportunities in life.
The latest three years of published data for schools’ spending relates to the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years. Our estimates in the table below for the proportions of expenditure for teachers and support staff have been compiled by combining published expenditure data sets from academies, which budget by academic year, and local authority maintained schools, which budget by financial year. We have not included cash expenditure data as combining financial and academic year data on school expenditure for different types of schools is less robust for estimating expenditure amounts than it is for estimating proportions. The pattern of expenditure in both 2020/21 and 2021/22 was affected by COVID-19.
Financial year | Primary schools | Secondary schools |
Proportions of expenditure in 2020/21 | Teachers: 50.6% Support staff: 33.0% | Teachers: 59.1% Support staff: 23.8% |
Proportions of expenditure in 2021/22 | Teachers: 49.0% Support staff: 32.8% | Teachers: 57.4% Support staff: 23.8% |
Proportions of expenditure in 2022/23 | Teachers: 48.1% Support staff: 33.1% | Teachers: 55.7% Support staff: 24.0% |
Further data on schools’ expenditure in the years following the 2022/23 financial year will be published in due course.
Minister of State (Education)
Information on all open and closed establishments in England is published on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) service, which can be accessed here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/. Files available to download include information for all establishments (including name, URN and type of school) as well as a file with links to any predecessor or successor establishment. The files can be found here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Downloads.
Minister of State (Education)
The information is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
However, the department publishes the percentage of pupils achieving grades 4/5 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs by Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) deciles.
Data back to 2014/15 is published in the annual key stage 4/GCSE and equivalent statistical releases, which are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-gcses-key-stage-4. To find data by IDACI, see 'pupil residency and school location tables'.
Reformed GCSEs using the 9-1 grading scale were first introduced in 2016/17 with most GCSEs exams using the scale by 2018/19.
Minister of State (Education)
The department expects twice as many mandatory interventions in schools, through both structural intervention and targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) interventions. This is expected to total around 370 schools experiencing mandatory intervention averaged annually over the next three years, based on the pattern of Ofsted inspections in recent years and the number of schools already meeting proposed intervention criteria. Over the past three years, the numbers of maintained schools and academies placed in an Ofsted category of concern were roughly equal, and we anticipate a similar picture in future years.
The government’s consultation on school accountability reform proposes a better and faster approach to intervention in all schools, regardless of whether they are maintained schools or academies.
Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for the University of Greater Manchester. We understand the Office for Students, the independent regulator for higher education (HE) in England, has also been notified of this case. The university is conducting its own investigation, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
This government is determined to ensure the safeguarding of public money and in January we published a consultation with proposals to strengthen oversight of partnership delivery in HE.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In 2023/24, local authority gross expenditure on children's and young people's services was £14.8 billion. Over half of that expenditure was on services for children looked after, which is a total of £8.1 billion (54.9%).
Expenditure under the last administration on asylum seeker services for children, within local authority children’s services, increased by 29.7% to £341.7 million in 2023/24. This accounted for 4.2% of the total spend on looked after children.
The asylum seeker services for children spending line is unlikely to capture all expenditure on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). This spending line will only capture expenditure related to UASC that has not been recorded in other spending lines. For example, if a UASC is fostered then the associated expenditure will be captured in the ‘fostering services’ spend line by local authorities. These other lines are not disaggregated in the data collection so the department is unable to determine what proportion of fostering spend is spent on UASC.
The relevant data can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure and data guidance and a breakdown of spending categories is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/section-251-2023-to-2024/section-251-financial-data-collection-2023-to-2024-guidance-for-local-authorities-compiling-their-outturn-statement.
In 2024/25, local authorities have planned expenditure on children looked after in gross terms to be £7.8 billion, of which £268.4 million is planned to be spent on asylum seeker services for children. The relevant data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure.
Local authorities typically underbudget, so budgets are generally a poor indicator of actual spend, but they are currently the only published data available for 2024/25. For example, local authorities spent £1.5 billion, 23%, more than budgeted for in 2023/24 on looked after children. Gross planned spend on looked after children for 2023/24 was £6.6 billion and the actual spend on looked after children in 2023/24 was £8.1 billion. The relevant data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure/2023-24#dataBlock-b3207b9e-46a0-4a1e-8e8a-7bfa46e2241b-tables and here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure#explore-data-and-files.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In 2023/24, local authority gross expenditure on children's and young people's services was £14.8 billion. Over half of that expenditure was on services for children looked after, which is a total of £8.1 billion (54.9%).
Expenditure under the last administration on asylum seeker services for children, within local authority children’s services, increased by 29.7% to £341.7 million in 2023/24. This accounted for 4.2% of the total spend on looked after children.
The asylum seeker services for children spending line is unlikely to capture all expenditure on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). This spending line will only capture expenditure related to UASC that has not been recorded in other spending lines. For example, if a UASC is fostered then the associated expenditure will be captured in the ‘fostering services’ spend line by local authorities. These other lines are not disaggregated in the data collection so the department is unable to determine what proportion of fostering spend is spent on UASC.
The relevant data can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure and data guidance and a breakdown of spending categories is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/section-251-2023-to-2024/section-251-financial-data-collection-2023-to-2024-guidance-for-local-authorities-compiling-their-outturn-statement.
In 2024/25, local authorities have planned expenditure on children looked after in gross terms to be £7.8 billion, of which £268.4 million is planned to be spent on asylum seeker services for children. The relevant data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure.
Local authorities typically underbudget, so budgets are generally a poor indicator of actual spend, but they are currently the only published data available for 2024/25. For example, local authorities spent £1.5 billion, 23%, more than budgeted for in 2023/24 on looked after children. Gross planned spend on looked after children for 2023/24 was £6.6 billion and the actual spend on looked after children in 2023/24 was £8.1 billion. The relevant data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure/2023-24#dataBlock-b3207b9e-46a0-4a1e-8e8a-7bfa46e2241b-tables and here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure#explore-data-and-files.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is currently exploring the suitability of using the NHS number as a single unique identifier with Wigan local authority. This process will take several months. This first phase of work will explore whether success rates of linking children’s records can be improved within a local authority by using the NHS number provided by the NHS Personal Demographic Service. This work will inform future tests and pilots.
The department anticipates several rounds of piloting the different aspects of implementation to establish where it can have the right impact, and to understand the system costs and business process changes associated with its usage.
We will be working with NHS England and local authorities as part of the piloting process, to ensure that the data processed as part of the pilot is secure and meets legal requirements around the data subject's rights to be informed about how their information is processed. One way children and families are informed about how their personal information is used, is via privacy notices. Wigan’s privacy notices that are relevant in this context can be accessed at: https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Council/DataProtection-FOI-Stats/Privacy-notices/Privacy-Notices-for-all-services.aspx.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Apprenticeship level was not collected by the previous government as part of the public sector data return.
The latest data on public sector apprenticeship new starts for the years it was collected can be found in the links below.
2023/24 financial year: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/680d7c76-ab1a-4fea-d82c-08dd4a33315d.
2022/23 financial year: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/ef860ba0-ea81-4edf-d82d-08dd4a33315d.
2017/18 to 2021/22 financial years: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/81667830-1958-49f0-d82e-08dd4a33315d.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to offering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England, beginning with the launch of an early adopter scheme in summer term 2025.
Schools were invited to express their interest in taking part by 20 December 2024. A list of participating schools will be published in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s consultation document explained that, overall, we expect twice as many mandatory interventions in schools, through both structural intervention and targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) interventions. This is expected to total around 370 schools experiencing mandatory intervention averaged annually over the next three years, based on the pattern of Ofsted inspections in recent years and based on the numbers of schools which already meet our proposed eligibility criteria but have not had structural intervention to date.
Minister of State (Education)
Computing hubs are embedded within individual schools which provide free computing continuing professional development (CPD), met a ministerially approved quality bar and are supported by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE). 28 schools in England are currently part of a computing hub.
The support offered by computing hubs is, for the most part, aimed at teachers only. Being enrolled at a school which is also a computing hub does not therefore mean that a pupil is enrolled in, or directly accessing, the computing support the hub offers. The only support from computing hubs which is aimed directly at pupils is hub-run outreach events. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 3,700 young people attended an NCCE outreach event.
Minister of State (Education)
There are currently 15 language hubs across England, typically comprising one lead school, working with seven partner schools and feeder primary schools, in addition to supporting wider networks of schools within their region.
The support offered by language hubs is aimed at schools and teachers only. Being enrolled at a school which is also a language hub does not therefore mean that a pupil is enrolled in, or directly accessing, the languages support the hub offers.
Minister of State (Education)
The department will fund schools to provide the new breakfast clubs.
The department published its funding methodology alongside guidance for early adopters on 16 January, and it has worked closely with schools on these rates to ensure they were sufficient for the ask.
Funding for national rollout is subject to the next spending review.
Funding rates for schools as part of the national roll out will be informed by learning from early adopters.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department will fund schools to provide the new breakfast clubs.
The department published its funding methodology alongside guidance for early adopters on 16 January, and it has worked closely with schools on these rates to ensure they were sufficient for the ask.
Funding for national rollout is subject to the next spending review.
Funding rates for schools as part of the national roll out will be informed by learning from early adopters.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The information on staff teaching qualifications is not centrally held on the department’s HR system. Seeking the information across the department’s full workforce could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to delivering a free breakfast club of at least 30 minutes in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England.
Breakfast clubs boost attainment and attendance, and delivering free universal breakfast clubs will ensure children are set-up to learn. Schools will not be able to charge for the 30-minute funded breakfast club. Schools must not create an expectation that parents have to pay for additional provision in order to access the free 30 minutes, and clubs must be available to all pupils from reception to year 6. Beyond these requirements schools will have discretion to set-up their clubs in a way that works for the families they serve.
This new offer will also support parents to have more choices on when to work and will support families with the cost of childcare.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
From April 2025, up to 750 early adopter schools will be funded to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes that includes food. The government has published guidance explaining the role of schools taking part in the breakfast clubs early adopter scheme. Through the early adopters, the department will test and learn what works to shape plans for the national rollout of free and universal breakfast clubs in every primary school. Schools will have flexibility over staffing their clubs and there is no government expectation that schools would need to direct teachers to staff breakfast clubs, decisions will be taken by schools at local level.
The guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has conducted initial new burdens impact assessments, in line with normal practice, for measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Once the new burdens assessments have been finalised, where it is assessed there is a new burden on local government, all additional net costs will be funded by central government in line with the New Burdens Doctrine.
Minister of State (Education)
The department will announce future funding for the Music and Dance Scheme for the 2025/26 academic year following the conclusion of the Spending Review in the spring. This includes consideration of the grant to the Choir Schools Association for the Choir Schools Scholarship Scheme.
The department has provided a grant of over £216,000 per year for the Choir Schools Scholarship Scheme between 2010 and 2025.
Minister of State (Education)
The department will announce future funding for the Music and Dance Scheme for the 2025/26 academic year following the conclusion of the Spending Review in the spring. This includes consideration of the grant to the Choir Schools Association for the Choir Schools Scholarship Scheme.
The department has provided a grant of over £216,000 per year for the Choir Schools Scholarship Scheme between 2010 and 2025.
Minister of State (Education)
The average Progress 8 and Attainment 8 overall and for boys and girls by ethnic group are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cb96bc10-b240-4f42-5969-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
The average Progress 8, Attainment 8, and percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs by ethnic group and region are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9a0ba337-3764-486e-596e-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet “Table LA8”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet SFR01/2018, sheet “Table LA8”).
Minister of State (Education)
The average Progress 8 and Attainment 8 overall and for boys and girls by ethnic group are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cb96bc10-b240-4f42-5969-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
The average Progress 8, Attainment 8, and percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs by ethnic group and region are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9a0ba337-3764-486e-596e-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet “Table LA8”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet SFR01/2018, sheet “Table LA8”).
Minister of State (Education)
The average Progress 8 and Attainment 8 overall and for boys and girls by ethnic group are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cb96bc10-b240-4f42-5969-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics national tables”, sheet “Characteristics Summary”).
The average Progress 8, Attainment 8, and percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs by ethnic group and region are published at the following links:
- 2018/19 to 2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9a0ba337-3764-486e-596e-08dd3479441b.
- 2017/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-and-multi-academy-trust-performance-2018-revised (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet “Table LA8”).
- 2016/17: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/revised-gcse-and-equivalent-results-in-england-2016-to-2017 (See the “Characteristics local authority tables”, sheet SFR01/2018, sheet “Table LA8”).
Minister of State (Education)
The department has a contract in place with the National Institute of Teaching to deliver the multi-academy trusts CEO development programme to two cohorts of leaders that started their training in February and September 2024 respectively. The current contract runs to March 2026.
The government is committed to supporting the development of school leaders and has announced a review of the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), which will consider the support needed to meet the current and emerging training needs of leaders. NPQs provide training grounded in the best evidence and practice in education at every leadership level, including for executive leaders.
Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston to the answer of 29 July 2024 to Question 1038.
Minister of State (Education)
School uniforms can play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of branded uniform items costing families hundreds of pounds. That is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities.
The department does not routinely collect school-level data on uniform requirements. However, based on the department’s 2023 Cost of School Uniforms Survey of parents, we estimate that one third of primary schools and seven in ten secondary schools will have to remove compulsory branded items from their uniforms to comply with the new limit. Many schools will only have to remove one or two items, although those with excessive numbers of branded items will have to remove more.
This research report can be accessed at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e2b4df6cc3c902a6e6fbcc/DfE_Cost_of_School_Uniform_Survey_Report.pdf.
Minister of State (Education)
Every child deserves a cutting-edge curriculum taught by expert, qualified teachers, which sets them up with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve throughout life. The Bill will require all state schools to teach the reformed national curriculum, giving parents certainty of the high quality education their children will receive.
Many academies already choose to follow the national curriculum and have the facilities they need to deliver it. The department will not commence the new requirement until a reformed national curriculum is introduced following the advice of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. This will give all teachers and all schools, including academies, sufficient time to plan and prepare for the changes, including developing their facilities as needed.
Minister of State (Education)
There are currently 11,245 academies in England that would be in scope of the measure in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Minister of State (Education)