Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to (a) local and (b) devolved authorities on the (i) continuation, (ii) funding and (ii) provision of ESOL courses.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department recognises that English language skills are essential to help people integrate into life in the UK, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. That is why we want to support people in the UK to secure the English language skills they need.
The department funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision for eligible adults aged 19 and over through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the AEB in their local areas.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB to meet the needs of their communities. Guidance for these providers is set out in the ESFA Adult Education Budget Funding Rules 2022/23, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2022-to-2023.
In addition, the department continues to improve the ESOL offer for learners. The department is also ensuring the continued quality of ESOL qualifications through the Qualifications Review. We have also acted quickly to make new arrivals from Afghanistan and Ukraine under designated schemes immediately eligible for fully or co-funded ESOL through the Adult Education Budget.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help ensure that ESOL courses are continually funded in England.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department recognises that English language skills are essential to help people integrate into life in the UK, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. That is why we want to support people in the UK to secure the English language skills they need.
The department funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision for eligible adults aged 19 and over through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the AEB in their local areas.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB to meet the needs of their communities. Guidance for these providers is set out in the ESFA Adult Education Budget Funding Rules 2022/23, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2022-to-2023.
In addition, the department continues to improve the ESOL offer for learners. The department is also ensuring the continued quality of ESOL qualifications through the Qualifications Review. We have also acted quickly to make new arrivals from Afghanistan and Ukraine under designated schemes immediately eligible for fully or co-funded ESOL through the Adult Education Budget.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of ESOL for adult learners seeking to improve their levels of English to help them gain employment.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department recognises that English language skills are essential to help people integrate into life in the UK, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression. That is why we want to support people in the UK to secure the English language skills they need.
The department funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision for eligible adults aged 19 and over through the Adult Education Budget (AEB).
Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the AEB in their local areas.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas, where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB to meet the needs of their communities. Guidance for these providers is set out in the ESFA Adult Education Budget Funding Rules 2022/23, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-education-budget-aeb-funding-rules-2022-to-2023.
In addition, the department continues to improve the ESOL offer for learners. The department is also ensuring the continued quality of ESOL qualifications through the Qualifications Review. We have also acted quickly to make new arrivals from Afghanistan and Ukraine under designated schemes immediately eligible for fully or co-funded ESOL through the Adult Education Budget.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure an early diagnosis of dyslexia in school.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department is taking actions to improve early identification and intervention for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), such as dyslexia, through the reforms outlined in the Schools White Paper and SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper. These build on measures already in place to identify pupils who are facing challenges, including with literacy and reading, and to help teachers understand how best to support them. There are a number of standardised assessments that schools carry out which measure progress and help teachers identify where pupils may require additional support, such as the Phonics Screening Check and end of key stage 1 and key stage 2 statutory assessments.
The department’s SEND Code of Practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with dyslexia is not dependent on a diagnostic label or test. Instead, the department expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. To support teachers in doing this the department has launched the English Hubs programme, introduced a new National Professional Qualification for Leading Literacy, and updated the list of high-quality phonics programmes for schools.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the number of children playing sport at school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Through the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium, the Department has devoted over £2 billion of ringfenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport since 2013.
The premium supports primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport. The Government has announced that the £320 million primary PE and sport premium and funding for School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year.
The Government is supporting schools to open their sports facilities beyond the school day to offer more opportunities for pupils and communities to play sport and be physically active. Building on an initial £1.6 million in 2020, £10.1 million of extra funding has supported schools across England to open their sports facilities outside of the school day. In October 2021, the Government announced that it will spend nearly £30 million per year to fund phase three of the Opening School Facilities programme, as well as to improve the teaching of PE and sport at primary school.
The Government is updating the cross-Government School Sport and Activity Action Plan. This will be published in due course, to align with timing of the Government’s new sport strategy.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the independent review of children’s social care final report, published in May 2022, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing kinship carers with (a) paid time off work when a child starts living with them and (b) financial allowances at the same rate as foster carers.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department recognises the invaluable and important role that kinship carers play in their kin children’s lives. The recently published Independent Review of Children’s Social Care set out recommendations on how the government can better support kinship families.
The department is now considering how to take these recommendations forward, including the recommendations to create a financial allowance and a new paid parental leave entitlement for kinship carers.
The department is working on an ambitious and comprehensive response to the recommendations in the review.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2022 to Question 30078 on Carers’ Benefits, what progress her Department has made in considering the recommendations on kinship carers set out in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The department recognises the invaluable and important role that kinship carers play in their kin children’s lives. The recently published Independent Review of Children’s Social Care set out recommendations on how the government can better support kinship families.
The department is now considering how to take these recommendations forward, including the recommendations to create a financial allowance and a new paid parental leave entitlement for kinship carers.
The department is working on an ambitious and comprehensive response to the recommendations in the review.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to uprate the maximum maintenance loan students can claim in line with inflation for the second semester of the 2022-23 academic year.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Decisions on student support are taken on an annual basis.
The department is reviewing options for uprating maximum loans and grants for the 2023/24 academic year and an announcement will follow in the autumn.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools can continue to supply essential classroom materials in the context of increases to the cost of living.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
This Government has invested significantly in schools funding, which will help schools manage their costs. Overall, core schools funding (including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs) is increasing by £4 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, compared to the previous year.
Schools will also benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is running from 1 October 2022 until at least 31 March 2023. This will reduce how much schools will need to spend on their energy and give schools greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months. The details of the scheme can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers.
HM Treasury will lead a review to consider how to support households and businesses, including schools, with energy bills from April 2023.
The Department established Oak National Academy as its new arm’s length curriculum body on 1 September 2022, providing schools with continued access to completely optional, free, adaptable curriculum resources.
The Department’s Schools Resource Management offer also includes a free range of practical tools and information to help all schools unlock efficiencies which they can then reinvest based on their own priorities. Further information can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-financial-health-and-efficiency.
It is for Head Teachers to decide how best to manage their budgets, as they know best how to support the needs of their pupils with the budget available. The Department knows that every school’s circumstances are different. If schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency.