Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with specialist schools that deal with children with the most complex disabilities on the increase in employer National Insurance contributions announced in the budget.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government has agreed that the department will be compensated for the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) paid by state-funded schools, and work is in progress to determine how much the department will receive for those employers within its remit and how that funding will be distributed. The department will engage with key stakeholders on our approach to the NICs funding and will provide more information as soon as is practicable.
Compensation for the NICs will be additional to the £1 billion increase to high needs funding announced at the 30 October Budget. Due to timing constraints, NICs funding will need to be provided as a separate grant, alongside the dedicated schools grant, in 2025/26.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his timetable is for providing Bramhall High School with details of (a) funding and (b) a start date for as under the School Rebuilding Programme.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Bramhall High School is currently in the ‘feasibility’ stage of the School Rebuilding Programme. The feasibility will determine the scope of the project, programme and the budget. Once the feasibility is concluded, the department will procure a contractor to undertake the detailed design of the scheme and secure planning permission.
The department currently anticipates appointing a contractor in spring 2025 with construction beginning from summer 2026.