Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children of secondary school age are (a) resident and (b) on roll at state secondary schools in (i) Yorkshire & the Humber; (ii) York Local Authority and (iii) secondary planning area 8169997; and how many places are unfilled in state secondary schools in those areas.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold information on all children and young people by residence.
Information on unfilled state secondary school places, as at May 2023, is published in the School Capacity statistics publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. This is available at region and local authority level here for Yorkshire and the Humber and York: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/2e5181ea-f132-48f7-b23f-08dccd7b0275. School level information is also available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/5f26c269-bf72-41ab-8292-e17b58ed7c98 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
This publication also contains information on the number of pupils on roll as at May 2023, to allow comparisons with data on unfilled places, however this is not the latest data for numbers on roll. The latest published data on secondary age pupils on roll in state funded secondary schools is for January 2024 and is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. This is available at a region and local authority level here Yorkshire and the Humber and York: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/ebafa0ad-e0a7-44ee-e0d3-08dccd7b577b. School level information is also available here: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/releases/6a45c262-aaca-4bda-a548-cc9d1dc63137/files/6a137329-83ce-4e2e-8043-1f15ab5c7101 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
For secondary planning area 8169997, there were 4,921 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 259 secondary school places unfilled (5.9%). In January 2024, there were 4,370 pupils on roll.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data on unfilled school capacity by 2024 parliamentary constituency she plans to publish before the Finance Bill is introduced.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes annual statistics on the capacity and pupils on roll in schools, including unfilled places, each spring. This is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. Statistics publications are pre-announced on the GOV.UK website, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-education&order=updated-newest. This is done in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics (the Code), which can be found here: https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/. The department currently has no plan to change this publication schedule. The scheduling ensures that statistics are released as soon as they are ready while abiding by standards set by the Code in terms of trustworthiness, quality and value. Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in March 2025 for school capacity statistics.
School capacity data is published at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS) to identify parliamentary constituency. GIAS currently reflects the changes made following the general election parliamentary constituency changes, and can be accessed using the following link: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/. Updates to geographical data are made on a quarterly basis using data published by the Office for National Statistics.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with local authorities to broaden holiday club access to SEND children and families during holiday periods.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is determined to ensure that there is high quality, accessible childcare for all children and families, including children with additional needs. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funding is primarily for school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM).
The majority of funding that local authorities receive should be used for holiday club places for children in receipt of FSMs. However, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision, which could include children with special educational needs. Local authorities are responsible for understanding the needs of the children and families in their area and ensuring that the programme reaches those who need it the most.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - South Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to continue the Half-Term Activities Fund in (a) Shropshire and (b) the UK.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The future of the holiday activities and food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her policy to retain Oak National Academy as an arms length body to her Department.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Teachers using the service have found Oak National Academy to be a helpful tool in their lesson and curriculum planning.
Decisions on the future funding of Oak, along with all other government spending, will be made as part of the Spending Review process.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children of secondary school age are (a) resident and (b) on the roll in (i) the North West, (ii) Salford Local Authority, (iii) secondary planning area 3550101, (iv) secondary planning area 3550102 and (v) secondary planning area 3550103; and how many school places are unfilled in state secondary schools in those areas.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold information on all children and young people by residence.
Information on unfilled state secondary school places, as at May 2023, is published in the School Capacity statistics publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. This is available at region and local authority level here for the North West and Salford: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/fb3975cc-0ccd-4aee-b241-08dccd7b0275. School level information is also available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/5f26c269-bf72-41ab-8292-e17b58ed7c98 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
This publication also contains information on the number of pupils on roll as at May 2023, to allow comparisons with data on unfilled places. However, this is not the latest data for numbers on roll. The latest published data on secondary age pupils on roll in state funded secondary schools is for January 2024 and is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. This is available at a region and local authority level here for the North West and Salford: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/11b17d43-58a5-4ff9-e0d5-08dccd7b577b. School level information is also available here: https://content.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/api/releases/6a45c262-aaca-4bda-a548-cc9d1dc63137/files/6a137329-83ce-4e2e-8043-1f15ab5c7101 and can be aggregated to planning area level.
For secondary planning area 3550101, there were 5,647 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 343 secondary school places unfilled (5.8%). In January 2024, there were 5,609 pupils on roll.
For secondary planning area 3550102, there were 3,316 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 212 secondary school places unfilled (6.2%). In January 2024, there were 3,364 pupils on roll.
For secondary planning area 3550103, there were 4,162 secondary pupils on roll in May 2023, with 189 secondary school places unfilled (4.4%). In January 2024, there were 4,235 pupils on roll.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Independent - Coventry South)
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 including (a) taekwondo and (b) other martial arts in the activity lists for (i) GCSE, (ii) AS and (iii) A-Level physical education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The current GCSE, AS and A level PE activity lists were last reviewed in 2018. These lists are based upon the reliability and practicality of activities as a basis for assessing whether students had demonstrated the skills required by the relevant qualification specification.
The government has launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review covering ages 5–18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review will consider the current qualification pathways available at Key Stages 4 and 5. A call for evidence will be published in the coming weeks which will set out the areas where the review group would particularly welcome input. More information about the Review is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-curriculum-and-assessment-review. Decisions on any possible changes to specifications and assessment arrangements for exams will be taken in the light of the Review.
Asked by: Anna Dixon (Labour - Shipley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve children's mental health and well-being in schools in Shipley constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to improving mental health and wellbeing support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning.
The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why this government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. We will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.
Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) currently cover 44% of children and young people in schools and colleges across England. These MHSTs have three core functions: i) to deliver evidence-based early interventions for emerging and actual mental health issues, 1-1 and in groups, ii) to support a school or college’s mental health lead to embed an effective approach to promote and support mental health and wellbeing, and iii) to advise school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services, to help pupils and learners to get the right timely support and stay in education.
Data specifically on how many schools and colleges in Shipley constituency work with an MHSTs is not currently available. As of April 2024, 28% of pupils and learners in Bradford local authority are in schools and colleges that work with an MHST, compared to 44% nationally: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.
A resource hub for mental health leads and a targeted mental wellbeing support toolkit are available on the Mentally Healthy Schools platform. Data is available at a local authority level on the schools and colleges that have taken up the offer of the department’s funded mental health lead training grant. By the end of March 2024, 73% of schools and colleges in Bradford local authority had claimed a senior mental health leads training grant, compared to 74% nationally.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to provide funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The primary PE and sport premium will continue in the 2024/25 academic year and, as in previous years, individual school allocations will be confirmed when the department issues updated guidance later in the term.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that young people have the necessary skills to gain employment.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government aims to create a clear, flexible, high quality skills system that supports all young people, thereby breaking down the barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth.
The department has already taken steps to reform the skills system.
Firstly, the department has established Skills England, which is a new organisation that will ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver national, regional and local skills needs, aligned with the Industrial Strategy. It is a critical part of the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably across the whole country to support people to get better jobs and to improve their standard of living.
Secondly, the department has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18 and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to refresh the curriculum to ensure it is cutting edge, fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people to support their future life and work. The review will be undertaken in close partnership with stakeholders, including employers. A call for evidence will be launched in the coming weeks which will set out the areas where the review group would particularly welcome input.
Thirdly, the department is undertaking a short, internal review of post-16 qualifications reform. The review will examine the current planned reforms to look at how the department can ensure high quality qualifications like T Levels are open to as many people as possible, whilst also ensuring there are high-quality alternatives available where they are needed. To allow space for the review, the department has paused the planned defunding of qualifications in construction and the Built Environment, Digital, Education and Early Years, and Health and Science, which was due to go ahead in July 2024. The department will conclude and communicate the outcomes of this review before the turn of the year. Defunding decisions for 2025 onwards will be confirmed after the short review.
T Levels will continue to be rolled out as high quality qualifications which include direct experience of the workplace, providing young people with a firm foundation for their future. 21 T Levels are now available, including Media, Broadcast and Production, Craft and Design, and Animal Care and Management, which are being taught for the first time from this September.
The government will continue to take steps to reform the skills system, as part of a comprehensive post-16 education and skills strategy.
The department will introduce a Youth Guarantee of access to training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work for all 18 to 21 year olds. This will bring together existing funding and entitlements to help to lower the number of young people who are not learning or earning. This is vital to prevent young people becoming excluded from the world of work at a young age.
The department is transforming the Apprenticeship Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy, to create opportunities for learners of all ages and to give employers greater flexibility to train and upskill their workforce by allowing investment in a broader range of skills training.
The department will establish Technical Excellence Colleges, which will work with businesses, trade unions, and local government to provide opportunities to young people and adults, developing a highly skilled workforce that meets national and local needs.
These reforms will support all young people to have access to the skills and training opportunities to enable them to succeed in the workplace.