Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in reference to the Office for Students consultation on proposed regulatory advice and other matters relating to freedom of speech, announced on 26 March 2024, what discussions (a) she and (b) the Office for Students have had on this with (i) the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, (ii) other Ministers in the Department for Business and Trade, (iii) Officials in that Department, (iv) the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, (v) other Ministers in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and (vi) officials in that Department.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Officials regularly speak on matters of mutual importance across government, particularly on cross-cutting policy and new legislation. The department’s officials continue to engage with both the Office for Students (OfS) and other governmental departments (OGDs) surrounding the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (the Act).
Officials will continue to engage with the OfS and OGDs ahead of the Act coming into force, currently planned for 1 August 2024 for the main provisions, including the complaints scheme. The content of the consultation published on 26 March 2026 is a matter for the OfS.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve adult (a) numeracy and (b) literacy skills.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
This government recognises the importance of literacy and numeracy skills in both work and everyday life. Securing good levels of literacy and numeracy has a positive impact on participation in society, improves earnings and employment opportunities and opens doors to further learning.
That is why the department is continuing to support participation in English and mathematics provision through its essential skills entitlements which provide the opportunity of free study for adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to and including Level 2.
This allows learners who have not previously attained a GCSE grade 4 or higher to undertake a range of courses fully funded through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) including GCSEs, Functional Skills and other relevant qualifications from entry level to Level 2.
The department also supports adults in England who are non-native speakers to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, which is funded through the AEB.
Further training for adults is available in community settings through the AEB. Prioritised for disadvantaged learners, Community Learning can provide a stepping stone for those adults who are not ready for formal accredited learning or who would benefit from learning in a more informal way.
Currently approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority (GLA). These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and the allocation of the AEB in their local areas.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responsible for the remaining AEB in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their AEB to meet the needs of their communities.
In addition, the department funds all apprentices, including adults, to achieve up to a Level 2 in English and maths by the end of their apprenticeship, where they do not already hold a suitable equivalent qualification. In January, the department increased funding by a minimum of 54%, from £471 to £724, for new apprentices to help them gain these vital skills.
The department have also launched the Multiply Programme to improve adult numeracy. The programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is the government’s flagship fund for supporting people and places across the UK. Up to £270 million is directly available for local areas in England to deliver innovative interventions to improve adult numeracy. Delivery is now well underway. Multiply Programme provision is available across the country, with over 113,000 course starts in England since the programme began to the end of January 2024.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for informing schools of the arrangements for reimbursement of the increased contributions they are required to make for teachers pensions.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
On 11 March 2024, the department announced an additional £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate.
The £1.1 billion will mean over £920 million for mainstream schools and over £135 million for high needs settings. Additional funding will also be provided to local authorities in respect of centrally employed teachers.
This additional funding will be distributed via the new teachers’ pension employer contribution grant (TPECG) 2024. Further details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-pension-employer-contribution-grant-2024-for-schools-high-needs-settings-and-local-authorities-2024-to-2025. To help with planning, the department has published a ready reckoner for mainstream schools and academies to estimate what their TPECG 24 allocation for 2024/25 will be. The ready reckoner can be found here: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F65f2cf0eff117048966159fc%2FTPECG_2024-25_Calculator.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.
With the extra funding for pension contributions, overall school funding is rising by £2.9 billion in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24, which takes the total to £60.7 billion and the highest ever level in real terms per pupil.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spring Budget 2024, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of locating one of the 15 new special free schools in Bournemouth.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department received a total of 85 applications from local authorities to open a special free school in the most recent, very competitive application round, including two applications from Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole Council.
The department plans to select 15 successful applications from the pool of applications. This will remain a competitive process. The approach means the department can move quickly to appoint trusts to run these schools.
The department plans to announce those local authorities which have been successful for the additional special free schools by May 2024.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure all children and young people attending alternative provision settings are provided with access to high-quality physical education.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of alternative provision settings have dedicated space for (a) indoor and (b) outdoor physical education.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield, Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on alternative provision settings to deliver physical education.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Although alternative provision (AP) settings are not required to follow the national curriculum, there is an expectation that they should aim to deliver a high-quality, broad and balanced curriculum, including physical education that responds to the needs and ambitions of all children to give them the foundations and resilience to succeed in education and in their future life.
Data on the amount and type of outdoor space for all schools, including state-funded AP schools can be found here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
The department does not hold information on dedicated space for indoor physical education in AP settings.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the phased removal of the tolerance of students who do not meet the 16 to 19 maths and English condition of funding from 5% to 0%, starting in academic year 2026-27, on (a) further education colleges and (b) independent training providers.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
This government recognises the importance of literacy and numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life. Securing good levels of literacy and numeracy has a positive impact on participation in society, improves earnings and employment opportunities and opens doors to further learning.
The changes to the mathematics and English condition of funding are intended to have a positive effect on 16-19 students, giving them the English and mathematics skills they need to progress in life and work. The changes also bring England in line with other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where 16-19 students receive significantly more hours of English and mathematics teaching. For the 2024/2025 academic year, the department expects providers to comply as far as reasonably possible with the changes, so they have time to plan and prepare before the department measures compliance from the 2025/2026 academic year. Only then will the department begin the phased removal of the tolerance. More information about mathematics and English condition funding can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding.
As the department works with the sector on implementation, the department remains committed to considering the impacts on students in further education colleges and independent training providers. This includes the workforce implications, and maximising the benefits for them.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of the impact of the 16 to 19 maths and English condition of funding on (a) student experience of learning at and (b) staffing levels in (i) further education colleges and (ii) independent training providers.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
This government recognises the importance of literacy and numeracy skills, both in work and everyday life. Securing good levels of literacy and numeracy has a positive impact on participation in society, improves earnings and employment opportunities and opens doors to further learning.
The changes to the mathematics and English condition of funding are intended to have a positive effect on 16-19 students, giving them the English and mathematics skills they need to progress in life and work. The changes also bring England in line with other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), where 16-19 students receive significantly more hours of English and mathematics teaching. For the 2024/2025 academic year, the department expects providers to comply as far as reasonably possible with the changes, so they have time to plan and prepare before the department measures compliance from the 2025/2026 academic year. Only then will the department begin the phased removal of the tolerance. More information about mathematics and English condition funding can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding.
As the department works with the sector on implementation, the department remains committed to considering the impacts on students in further education colleges and independent training providers. This includes the workforce implications, and maximising the benefits for them.
Asked by: Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following statistics published on 21 March showing that the percentage of young carers who missed at least ten per cent of school is almost twice as high as that for pupils without caring responsibilities, what steps they are taking to improve the (1) identification of, and (2) support for, young carers in schools.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Young carers make an enormous contribution by caring for their loved ones. The department wants to ensure young carers are supported in their education and can take advantage of opportunities beyond their caring responsibilities.
The department introduced The Young Carers (Needs Assessments) Regulations in 2015. This is an assessment of needs, conducted by the local authority which must consider whether it is appropriate or excessive for the child or young person to provide care for the person in question, in light of the young carer’s needs and wishes. It also helps to determine whether the care which the young carer provides, or intends to provide, impacts on the young carer’s well-being, education and development.
The department added young carers to the annual school census in 2023 for the first time and identified 38,983 young carers, raising their visibility in the school system and allowing schools to better identify and support their young carers. This is providing the department with strong evidence on both the numbers of young carers and their educational outcomes. This also provides an annual data collection to establish long-term trends.
As this is a new data collection, the department expects the quality of the data returns to improve over time as the collection becomes established. All schools (except nursery schools) must send this information as part of the spring school census. However, the recording and handling of the information is at the school’s discretion. 79% of schools recorded no young carers in 2023.
The department recognises that absence is often a symptom of other problems. The department has a comprehensive support-first strategy to improve attendance, which includes:
The department is also building a system of family help by reforming children’s social care. The £45 million Families First for Children Pathfinder programme is testing how multi-disciplinary family help teams can improve the support that children, families and young carers receive.