Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will allocate capital funding to the Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council area to enable a new provider of academic A Levels to be established in Knowsley?

The Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley will have A level provision restored through its delivery at SK College Group’s Knowsley campus from September 2018. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) understands that the college has received 60 A level applications to date for the 2018/19 academic year, and is assured that the college continues to participate in activity with Knowsley local council, and schools, to promote the expansion of the A level offer.

The department is in discussions with the local council Executive Director (Children) on a continual basis, to determine the future demand for A level provision beyond existing accessible provision. The local council, as the commissioning body, acknowledges that there is no need to establish a new A level provider in Knowsley at present. However, should this position change, the ESFA would support the local council’s submission of a 16-18 market entry application to the department to help determine the appropriate provider type to enter the borough. The decision on which would dictate the applicable capital funding method.