Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will undertake a review of further education funding, in the context of the pay dispute with teachers at non-academised sixth forms.

This government recognises the vital role that further education (FE) teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills that they need to succeed in their education, and will consider workforce sufficiency and what this might mean for FE funding in future years.

The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.

Government plays no role in recommending or setting pay or terms and conditions of employment within the FE sector. Institutions remain solely responsible for the pay, contractual conditions and terms of service for their workforce, and for managing their own industrial relations.

The department encourages sixth form colleges both to ensure good industrial relations and, if necessary, to take appropriate mitigations to ensure that young people’s learning can continue during industrial action.