Found: requires improving the way demand for Integrated Education is captured through research and the schools

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings from their consultation on lifting the cap on faith-based admissions in religious free schools; and the possible socio-economic impacts of lifting the cap.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The consultation was launched on 1 May 2024 and will run for seven weeks, closing on 20 June 2024.

The department will then carefully consider all responses to the consultation and use them to inform the department’s recommendations for better meeting the policy objectives of faith schools.

The government’s response will be published on the GOV.UK website within 12 weeks following closure of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending the cap on faith school admissions.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

My Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced on 1 May 2024 that the department are consulting on faith designation reforms for new and existing free schools and special academies. This is available on Hansard at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-05-01/hcws437.

​​The consultation will run for seven weeks, closing on 20 June 2024. The department will then carefully consider all responses to the consultation and use them to inform the department’s recommendations for better meeting the policy objectives of faith schools.

​The government’s response will be published on the GOV.UK website within twelve weeks following closure of the consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary school places.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the School Capacity (SCAP) survey. The most recent SCAP data shows a need for 30,000 additional primary places and 40,000 additional secondary places between May 2023 and September 2027.

The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on the data they provide. The department has announced nearly £1.5 billion to support local authorities to create school places needed over the next three academic years, up to and including the academic year starting September 2026. This funding is on top of the department’s investment in the free schools programme and means the department has now committed Basic Need capital funding of over £14 billion to support the creation of new school places between 2011 and 2026.

The department also engages with local authorities on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, the department supports them to find solutions as quickly as possible.

Between 2010 and 2023, the department supported the creation of 722,000 primary and 466,000 secondary places in response to a substantial increase in pupil numbers. This is the largest increase in school capacity in at least two generations, following a fall of 100,000 places between 2004 and 2010. Many more places are in the pipeline.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the School Admissions Code.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The School Admissions Code (the Code) exists to ensure that places in all state-funded schools are allocated in a fair and transparent manner. Admission authorities for all state-funded schools are required to comply with the requirements of the Code and related admissions law.

The latest version of the Code came into force on 1 September 2021. The department keeps the provisions of the Code under review to ensure they continue to remain fit for purpose, however there are currently no plans to change the Code.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Selective Comprehensives 2024, published by the Sutton Trust on 11 January 2024, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the school admissions code.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The School Admissions Code sets the requirements for admission arrangements for all mainstream, state-funded schools. It requires admission arrangements to be fair, clear and objective, and contains various provisions to ensure that children from low-income backgrounds are not unfairly disadvantaged in the admissions system.

The department keeps the provisions of the Code under review to ensure they continue to remain fit for purpose.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to meet the needs of areas where there are increases in demand for school placements at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Local Authorities are responsible for providing enough school places for pupils in their area. The Department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support Local Authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. This funding supports the Government’s priority to ensure that every pupil has the opportunity of a place at a good school, whatever their background.

The Department has announced a total of £2 billion for places needed for the academic years starting in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. This funding is on top of our investment in the Free Schools programme and means the Department has now committed Basic Need capital funding of over £14 billion to support the creation of new school places between 2011 and 2026.

The Department regularly engages with Local Authorities to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When Local Authorities are experiencing difficulties, the Department supports them to find solutions as quickly as possible.

Found: Work has continued with the Department for Education on strengthening policies such as the Schools Admissions

Found: state -funded schools and local authorities in England and the document providing information about schools

Found: Admin) in which the judge (Cobb J) said that: “the phrase “laid out” means specifically ‘laid out’ in schools

Found: Admin) in which the judge (Cobb J) said that: “the phrase “laid out” means specifically ‘laid out’ in schools

Found: The current regulations will remain in place for the upcoming 2024 schools admissions round.

Found: The current regulations will remain in place for the upcoming 2024 schools admissions round.