Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what strategies are in place to improve access for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma young people to (1) further education, (2) higher education, and (3) apprenticeships.

Children from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are able to take advantage of early years education provision. Since 2013, over half a million of the country’s most disadvantaged two year olds, including those from Gypsy Roma and Traveller populations, have benefitted from 15 hours of free early education a week, and can continue this early education with 15 hours of free early education at ages 3 and 4. In the recently published strategy ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’ a copy of which is available in the Library of the House of Lords, an ambition was laid out to close the word gap backed by over £100 million of investment. Once a child is at school the Pupil Premium is provided, an additional funding provision that continues with nearly £2.5 billion this year alone, to help schools improve the progress and attainment of their disadvantaged pupils. High proportions of Gypsy Roma and Traveller pupils are eligible for and benefit from this support.

The department also provides a number of financial support programmes for economically disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds to help with the costs associated with staying in post 16 education such as travel and course equipment.

The department is taking action to ensure that high quality apprenticeships are accessible to all. The Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network and recently launched partnership with five major cities in England, aim to drive up apprenticeships among underrepresented groups.

In Higher Education, providers will now be required to publish application data broken down by ethnicity and those charging higher fees will be required to agree Access and Participation Plans. The plans will set out measures to support the access and successful participation for disadvantaged and under-represented groups, including those from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

In January 2018 the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller stakeholder group was established to inform policy development to raise the attainment and participation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils at all stages of education. In March 2018 a review of exclusions was launched, exploring why certain pupil groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils, are over-represented in exclusions statistics. The department continues to collaborate with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on their 2018-19 pilot programme to improve the social integration of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. In addition as part of the Careers Strategy, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller youth will be included as a target group for a pilot testing ways of providing guidance on routes into careers to vulnerable groups.