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Written Question
Schools: Mental Health Services
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools offer professional mental health support for pupils.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The mental health of children is a priority for this government and schools play a vital role in this, particularly by providing calm, safe and supportive learning environments that promote good mental wellbeing and help pupils who need it to access early targeted support.

Schools are best placed to decide what support to provide to respond to the social, emotional and mental health needs of their pupils. This can include the provision of school-based mental health professionals such as counsellors and working with external providers and, where necessary, NHS specialist services.

The requested information on schools offering professional mental health support is not collected centrally. The department collects information on staff working in state funded schools via the annual School Workforce Census, but does not directly identify mental health professionals. The results are published in the annual ‘School Workforce in England’ national statistics release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

To expand access to early mental health support in schools and colleges, the department is working with NHS England to increase the number of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) working with schools and colleges. These teams include trained mental health professionals who can offer support to children experiencing common mental health problems and liaise with external specialist services to help pupils get the right support. As of April 2023, MHSTs covered 35% of pupils in schools and students in further education in England. We are expanding coverage to an estimated 44% of pupils/students by the end of this financial year and at least 50% by April 2025.


Written Question
Health Professions: Training
Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UCAS applications there were to healthcare support worker roles in each of the last five years.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes figures on the number of applications to subjects allied to medicine.

The latest data covering applications up to the end of the 2022 admissions cycle is available at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2022.

To access the figures, click on ‘Applications & offers’ under the ‘Sector’ heading, then select ‘Subject group – HECoS (detailed)’ from the drop-down box at the top of the page. The table then shows the number of main scheme applications to ‘(CAH02) subjects allied to medicine’. To select the full breakdown of subjects allied to medicine in the table, click on the + sign to the left of ‘(CAH02) subjects allied to medicine’. Note that figures are not available on a consistent basis prior to 2019.


Written Question
Health Professions: Training
Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UCAS applications there were to AHP courses in each of the last five years.

Answered by Robert Halfon

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publishes figures on the number of applications to subjects allied to medicine.

The latest data covering applications up to the end of the 2022 admissions cycle is available at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2022.

To access the figures, click on ‘Applications & offers’ under the ‘Sector’ heading, then select ‘Subject group – HECoS (detailed)’ from the drop-down box at the top of the page. The table then shows the number of main scheme applications to ‘(CAH02) subjects allied to medicine’. To select the full breakdown of subjects allied to medicine in the table, click on the + sign to the left of ‘(CAH02) subjects allied to medicine’. Note that figures are not available on a consistent basis prior to 2019.


Written Question
Schools: Ilford North
Thursday 23rd February 2023

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Ilford North constituency had at least one construction element in (a) condition grade C and (b) condition grade D when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have already received funding from the School Rebuilding Programme and (ii) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.

The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The data is still being prepared and it will be published as soon as possible.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.

The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for SRP:

Parliamentary constituency

Schools selected for SRP

Ilford North

John Bramston Primary School, announced December 2022

The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.

Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.


Written Question
Summer Schools: Finance
Monday 22nd November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to provide funding for face-to-face summer schools in summer 2022.

Answered by Robin Walker

The 2021 summer schools programme was part of the education recovery response to help pupils catch-up on lost education. School participation and pupil attendance were optional.

Over the summer, almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, to help pupils catch up on lost education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as helping to improve mental health and wellbeing.

The window for claims from schools for running summer schools closed on 1 November 2021. The department is currently processing claims and analysing the figures, including numbers of attendees.

The department intends to evaluate the summer schools programme in due course, the findings of which will inform our decisions on future summer schools.


Written Question
Summer Schools: Secondary Education
Monday 22nd November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of secondary school pupils on free school meals who attended a face-to-face summer school in summer 2021.

Answered by Robin Walker

The 2021 summer schools programme was part of the education recovery response to help pupils catch-up on lost education. School participation and pupil attendance were optional.

Over the summer, almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, to help pupils catch up on lost education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as helping to improve mental health and wellbeing.

The window for claims from schools for running summer schools closed on 1 November 2021. The department is currently processing claims and analysing the figures, including numbers of attendees.

The department intends to evaluate the summer schools programme in due course, the findings of which will inform our decisions on future summer schools.


Written Question
Summer Schools: Secondary Education
Monday 22nd November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of secondary school pupils who attended a face-to-face summer school in summer 2021.

Answered by Robin Walker

The 2021 summer schools programme was part of the education recovery response to help pupils catch-up on lost education. School participation and pupil attendance were optional.

Over the summer, almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, to help pupils catch up on lost education caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as helping to improve mental health and wellbeing.

The window for claims from schools for running summer schools closed on 1 November 2021. The department is currently processing claims and analysing the figures, including numbers of attendees.

The department intends to evaluate the summer schools programme in due course, the findings of which will inform our decisions on future summer schools.


Written Question
Schools: Dance
Tuesday 16th November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to use his Department’s covid-19 recovery funding to increase participation in dance in schools.

Answered by Robin Walker

In addition to the department’s ambitious wider spending review settlement for schools and 16-19 settings; since June 2020 nearly £5 billion in education recovery funding to support children and young people recover from the COVID-19 outbreak has been announced. The department’s recovery programmes allow early years, school and college leaders to support those pupils most in need to help them catch-up. This includes the catch-up premium in the 2020/21 academic year and the recovery premium in the 2021/22 academic year. Using evidenced based interventions, this funding can also be used to tackle non-academic barriers to success in school, such as enrichment activities like arts and sport.

The department has also committed £200 million for secondary schools to deliver face-to-face summer schools in summer 2021, giving secondary pupils access to enrichment activities, such as games, music, drama and sports that they have missed out on over the COVID-19 outbreak. Almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, this will have helped to support physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The government is committed to high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this are the arts and music. The department provides significant funding for a range of cultural education programmes, including music, which schools can access – over £620 million between 2016 to 2021, additional to core school budgets. We confirmed £80 million funding for this financial year, 2021-22, for music programmes; and we continue to provide just over £4 million for a set of tailored arts programmes. We will continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years, though our music, arts and heritage programmes, working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and others.

Alongside this, schools have continued to receive their core funding throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. The recent spending review announced that core funding for schools will rise by a further £4.7 billion by 2024-25, compared to previous plans, this builds on the largest school funding increase in a decade at the 2019 spending round.

Collectively, this will support schools to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities.


Written Question
Schools: Sports
Tuesday 16th November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to use his Department’s covid-19 recovery funding to increase participation in competitive sports in schools.

Answered by Robin Walker

In addition to the department’s ambitious wider spending review settlement for schools and 16-19 settings; since June 2020 nearly £5 billion in education recovery funding to support children and young people recover from the COVID-19 outbreak has been announced. The department’s recovery programmes allow early years, school and college leaders to support those pupils most in need to help them catch-up. This includes the catch-up premium in the 2020/21 academic year and the recovery premium in the 2021/22 academic year. Using evidenced based interventions, this funding can also be used to tackle non-academic barriers to success in school, such as enrichment activities like arts and sport.

The department has also committed £200 million for secondary schools to deliver face-to-face summer schools in summer 2021, giving secondary pupils access to enrichment activities, such as games, music, drama and sports that they have missed out on over the COVID-19 outbreak. Almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, this will have helped to support physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The government is committed to high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this are the arts and music. The department provides significant funding for a range of cultural education programmes, including music, which schools can access – over £620 million between 2016 to 2021, additional to core school budgets. We confirmed £80 million funding for this financial year, 2021-22, for music programmes; and we continue to provide just over £4 million for a set of tailored arts programmes. We will continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years, though our music, arts and heritage programmes, working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and others.

Alongside this, schools have continued to receive their core funding throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. The recent spending review announced that core funding for schools will rise by a further £4.7 billion by 2024-25, compared to previous plans, this builds on the largest school funding increase in a decade at the 2019 spending round.

Collectively, this will support schools to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities.


Written Question
Music: Education
Tuesday 16th November 2021

Asked by: Wes Streeting (Labour - Ilford North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to use his Department’s covid-19 recovery funding to increase participation in music in schools.

Answered by Robin Walker

In addition to the department’s ambitious wider spending review settlement for schools and 16-19 settings; since June 2020 nearly £5 billion in education recovery funding to support children and young people recover from the COVID-19 outbreak has been announced. The department’s recovery programmes allow early years, school and college leaders to support those pupils most in need to help them catch-up. This includes the catch-up premium in the 2020/21 academic year and the recovery premium in the 2021/22 academic year. Using evidenced based interventions, this funding can also be used to tackle non-academic barriers to success in school, such as enrichment activities like arts and sport.

The department has also committed £200 million for secondary schools to deliver face-to-face summer schools in summer 2021, giving secondary pupils access to enrichment activities, such as games, music, drama and sports that they have missed out on over the COVID-19 outbreak. Almost 2,800 secondary schools across England signed up to host a summer school, this will have helped to support physical and mental health and wellbeing.

The government is committed to high-quality education for all pupils, and integral to this are the arts and music. The department provides significant funding for a range of cultural education programmes, including music, which schools can access – over £620 million between 2016 to 2021, additional to core school budgets. We confirmed £80 million funding for this financial year, 2021-22, for music programmes; and we continue to provide just over £4 million for a set of tailored arts programmes. We will continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years, though our music, arts and heritage programmes, working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Arts Council England and others.

Alongside this, schools have continued to receive their core funding throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. The recent spending review announced that core funding for schools will rise by a further £4.7 billion by 2024-25, compared to previous plans, this builds on the largest school funding increase in a decade at the 2019 spending round.

Collectively, this will support schools to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities.