Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is considering (a) restricting the number of children who can obtain Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and (b) replacing the EHCP system.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The evidence is clear that this government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system left in a state of disarray, with too many children not having their needs met and parents forced to fight for support.
This government is actively working with parents and experts on how children's needs can be better met, including through earlier identification and support to prevent needs escalating. We have made available £740 million to encourage councils to create more specialist places both in mainstream schools and specialist provision, and almost a £1 billion increase to the high needs budget for 2025/26 to ensure children have access to the support they need to achieve and thrive.
At the heart of any changes to the SEND system must be children’s outcomes and opportunities. The department’s aim is for the support children need to be more easily accessed earlier, and to put an end to adversarial processes with parents having to fight for support, while protecting provision currently in place. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to restore the confidence of families up and down the country and deliver the improvement they need so that they can achieve and thrive.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether people who started therapy funded by the Adoption and special guardianship support fund in 2024-25 will be permitted to carry over unused funds to fund therapy during the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point.
The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
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 changing the eligibility criteria for the Adoption and special guardianship support fund to include (a) kinship carers with informal childcare arrangements and (b) people under Special Guardianship Orders from 2025-26.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) supports children previously in care who are under special guardianship orders, residency orders or child arrangements orders. We are not proposing wider eligibility changes at this point.
The ASGSF does not allow unused funds to be carried over from one financial year to the next. However, where applications were agreed and therapy started prior to April 2025, that therapy may continue under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help decarbonise schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to supporting the UK net zero carbon targets. Since 2021, our own building standards require that all new school buildings we deliver are net zero carbon in operation and are adapted to climate change.
The department is providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering options to become more sustainable, including considering decarbonisation of their energy supply, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high quality and value to the sector. More information can be found at: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.
Additionally, the department recently announced the £80 million Great British Energy Solar Accelerator Programme in partnership with GB Energy that will install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 targeted schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in the 2025/26 financial year.
Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service can be found at: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.
Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational.
The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
Asked by: Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat - Mid Sussex)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide additional funding to non-academised sixth form colleges for increasing the pay of teachers to the same level as teachers in academised sixth form colleges.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is not responsible for setting or making recommendations about teacher pay in further education (FE) colleges, including sixth form colleges which unlike 16-19 academies are part of the statutory FE sector.
The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills they need to succeed in their education. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.
This builds on our investment to extend targeted retention incentive payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas, including in sixth form colleges. The department is also delivering funding to support those young people who do not pass mathematics and English GCSE at 16, who are predominantly studying in FE.
The department has continued to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. For the 2024/2025 academic year, training bursaries are worth up to £30,000 each, tax free, with further information about schemes for future years in due course. Additionally, we are supporting industry professionals to enter the teaching workforce through our Taking Teaching Further programme.