Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities in England on the impact of changes to VAT on independent schools on school places.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimations of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The TIIN is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.
Latest published figures confirm that there is additional capacity in the system. The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 60215 on Universities: Finance, whether the Office for Students has (a) agreed emergency funding not yet received to any (i) university, (ii) higher education and (iii) further education provider and (b) provided a (A) guarantee and (B) other beneficial financial package to support any university since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby
The Office for Students has not agreed any emergency funding that is yet to be received for any university, higher education provider, or further education provider, nor has it provided any guarantee or other beneficial financial package to support any university since 4 July 2024.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking through the Growth and Skills levy to introduce greater flexibility for blended and modular learning.
Answered by Janet Daby
The growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.
Initially, the department will introduce new short courses in areas such as digital, artificial intelligence and engineering, funded through the growth and skills levy, to support Industrial Strategy sectors from April 2026, with more courses added as they are developed. The skills needs to be addressed by short courses will be informed by Skills England’s engagement with employers and key stakeholders.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of serving teachers have completed continuous professional development specifically covering ADHD and dyslexia since 2020; and what plans she has to make such training compulsory.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The requested information on continuous professional development completed by teachers is not collected centrally.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other neurodiverse conditions.
From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.
The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has committed to review the ITTECF in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support. This review will include a focus on teaching pupils with SEND.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the commencement of the socio-economic duty under the Equality Act 2010 on (a) school and (b) university admissions.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The government issued a call for evidence on equality law, which included commencing the socio-economic duty under the Equality Act 2010. This closed on 30 June 2025.
All mainstream state-funded schools are required to comply with relevant legislation and the statutory School Admissions Code. It is for a school’s admission authority to decide which oversubscription criteria to include in their arrangements. They must ensure that their arrangements will not disadvantage unfairly, either directly or indirectly, a child from a particular social or racial group, or a child with a disability or special educational needs.
We will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances.
Gaps in access, completion and outcomes between disadvantaged students and others at university are unacceptably large and stubborn.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Universities have received emergency funding from the Government since 4 July 2024; and how much money has been provided as part of that process.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government has not provided emergency funding to any university since 4 July 2024.
Universities are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. If a university was at risk of failure, the department would work with the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that students are protected, recognising the significant impact university closure would have on their future. The government reserves the right to intervene to protect students’ interests, if necessary.
While the sector is autonomous, we are committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities.
To support universities in stabilising their financial positions, the OfS will continue dedicating significant resources to ensuring the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as the substantive Chair of the OfS, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment, while also expanding opportunities in higher education (HE).
Additionally, we have made the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether appointments to the School Support Staff Negotiating Body will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a Significant Appointment.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The Chair of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body will be appointed in line with normal practice and the Governance Code on Public Appointments with guidance from the department’s Public Appointments Team.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that there is an improved transition from T-levels to (a) Level 4, (b) Level 5 and (c) Level 6 apprenticeships in the (i) creative arts, (ii) media and (iii) computing sectors.
Answered by Janet Daby
There are currently 21 T Levels available in a range of subjects, including three in the digital sector. T Levels in Craft and Design, and Media, Broadcast and Production were introduced for the first time in September last year.
T Levels are based on the same occupational standards as apprenticeships, and include industry placements of at least 45 days, making them excellent preparation for higher-level apprenticeships. Students progressing from a T Level may be able to complete an apprenticeship more quickly in recognition of their prior learning. Early data shows that T Levels are providing a particularly strong route into higher apprenticeships across a range of subjects. Among the first cohort of T Level completers doing an apprenticeship, almost three quarters (72%) had progressed to a Higher or Degree apprenticeship. This is significantly higher than the rate for all level 3 learners (24%), where the vast majority go on to do an apprenticeship at the same level (52%) or at a lower level (24%).
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many referrals made by police to Local Authority Designated Officers for concerns about people (a) working and (b) volunteering with children resulted in direct action being taken by the (i) local authority, (ii) employer and (iii) voluntary organisation in each of the last three years.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department does not hold this information. Information about referrals to Local Authority Designated Officers (LADO) is held at a local level by individual police forces and the local authorities.
The outcomes of LADO investigations are also held at local level and contained in the respective LADO annual reports. The department does not collate LADO annual reports and so does not have data on the action being taken by local authorities, employers and voluntary organisations within the last three years.
Keeping children safe could not be more important to this government and we are swiftly acting to reform the child protection and safeguarding system.
That is why the department is legislating through our Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to stop children falling through the cracks and to ensure they are not out of sight of those who can keep them safe.
The department has also introduced a new mandatory reporting duty in the Crime and Policing Bill for individuals undertaking key roles with responsibility for children in England to report sexual abuse.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) private education providers have closed and (b) early years places have been removed in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.
The department does not collect this data on a monthly basis. According to the department’s most recent Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey, approximately 1,200 private nurseries closed between 2023 and 2024. In the same period around 800 new private nurseries entered the market, giving a net closures number of approximately 400. However, recent Ofsted data shows that the number of childcare places in the UK is increasing. As of the latest survey in 2024, there were approximately 1,602,500 registered childcare places, an increase of 1,370 places from March 2023.