Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of maintaining current levels of core educational funding for 16 to 18 year olds on (a) educational outcomes and (b) further education provision; and what plans she has for (i) funding and (ii) resourcing further education in the next five years.

The post-16 system is performing well and a record proportion of 16 to 18-year olds are now participating in education or apprenticeships. The results in the first of the reformed A levels were released last month, with students continuing to achieve effectively against the high standards of the qualification and demonstrating their readiness for the demands of higher education. Overall A level results this year were stable compared to last year.

A record number of 18-year olds applied for places in Higher Education this year and the entry rate for English 18-year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds is at a record high.