Oral Answers to Questions

Catherine McKinnell Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con)]

2. What estimate she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer national insurance contributions on the number of redundancies in schools.

[The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)]

I am pleased to inform the House that the Government are over a third of the way to meeting our plan for change milestone: compared to last year, we have over 2,300 more teachers in schools and over 1,000 more in training. Whether on private school tax breaks or on teacher recruitment and retention, the Conservatives’ scaremongering is not coming to fruition, but they continue to talk down our education system, to be disconnected from reality and to be wrong.

[Bob Blackman]

May I update the Minister, who seems to be very complacent on this issue? In Harrow, where I have been out to see many of our schools, since we passed the resignation date, vacancies are not being filled and many staff feel threatened with being made redundant from our schools. That is not good for our children or for the education system. All the schools say that these issues are because of the national insurance hikes that have taken place, which are penalising school budgets. Will the Minister take action to ensure that money is provided to enable schools to recruit the staff that we need?

[Catherine McKinnell]

There is absolutely no complacency on the Government Benches—we saw complacency over the past 10 years, and we are picking up the pieces and fixing the system. We have committed significant funding to schools. We are providing mainstream schools and high needs settings with over £930 million to support them with increases in national insurance contributions. At the spring Budget, we announced additional funding to the tune of £4.7 billion per year by 2028-29, compared with 2025-26. We are supporting schools to get on and improve education, creating excellent outcomes for every child, and we will continue to do so.

[Deirdre Costigan (Ealing Southall) (Lab)]

I very much welcome the 2,300 extra teachers that Labour’s plan for change has seen in our schools, but school support staff are just as important as teachers in ensuring the delivery of the well-run schools we have in Ealing Southall. Will the Minister update the House on progress in reinstating the school support staff negotiating body, which was abolished by the Conservative party in 2010?

[Catherine McKinnell]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw attention to the fantastic work done in our schools not only by teachers, but by all school staff. One of the first things we did in Government was to introduce legislation to bring back the school support staff negotiating body, to ensure that those staff are recognised for their vital work and that they are part of the conservation about terms, conditions and pay. That process is under way in Parliament, and we are in strong negotiations on a continuous basis through our improving education together plan, which allows stakeholders to get around the table.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) (Con)]

The last Conservative Government added 27,000 extra teachers. Although we would never know it from the Minister’s answer, there are 400 fewer teachers in our schools than last year. Labour promised 6,500 more teachers, but it is ignoring the loss of 2,900 primary school teachers, because apparently they do not count. The loss of teachers is not a coincidence. The Confederation of School Trusts and the Association of School and College Leaders have shown that schools have been left up to 35% short in compensation for the national insurance rise. Will Ministers finally admit that they broke their promise to fully compensate schools for that tax rise?

[Catherine McKinnell]

I think the hon. Gentleman’s maths need a bit of work. He will know as well as anybody that pupil numbers in primary are down and keep on falling, yet recruiting and retaining expert teachers is crucial to this Government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. That is why we have committed to recruiting 6,500 additional expert teachers, and we are targeting them at the sectors in which they are most needed. It is not the Government’s fault that those on the Opposition Front Bench do not seem to be able to add up or pay proper attention.

[Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con)]

3. If she will take steps to stop the use of smartphones in schools.

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[Phil Brickell (Bolton West) (Lab)]

10. What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of outdoor education provision in the national curriculum.

[The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)]

It is important for young people to enjoy the benefits of spending time in nature, as part of a balanced curriculum. Beyond the curriculum, the Department is also working on an enrichment framework to support schools in developing their offer, which includes a variety of outdoor education opportunities. Our National Education Nature Park initiative also aims to support young people’s wellbeing and develop skills for the future.

[Phil Brickell]

Learning in the outdoors allows children and young people to build their confidence and push their boundaries in a safe but challenging environment, yet all too often young people from more deprived communities, including in my constituency, do not have access to opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what more can be done to support schools in rolling out the Duke of Edinburgh’s award across Bolton, Blackrod, Horwich and Westhoughton?

[Catherine McKinnell]

I join my hon. Friend in recognising the value of outdoor pursuits and the value of the Duke of Edinburgh’s award, which I benefited from taking part in myself when I was at school. The Department has funded 300 schools in areas of high deprivation to start offering the award, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is providing funding of a further £1.5 million this financial year to extend the scheme. My hon. Friend is of course keen to ensure that his constituents benefit and I would be delighted to meet him to discuss that further.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Minister very much for her answers. Worryingly, obesity levels are predicted to rise between 20% and 30% in the next five to 10 years. To combat that, physical education is important, as is the Government looking at children’s diets at school. Those two things can address obesity, so I am keen to hear the Minister’s thoughts on them.

[Catherine McKinnell]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. We want all schools to offer a broad and balanced curriculum, including outdoor activities, sport, PE and physical activity, and to ensure that every child can benefit. That is why we are legislating to ensure that the national curriculum applies to all schools, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

[Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)]

12. What steps she is taking to develop a SEND strategy.

[The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)]

Colleagues across the House have already heard today about the “lose, lose, lose” system that we inherited from the Conservatives. Improving the special educational needs and disabilities system is a priority. We are working to improve outcomes for all children. Parents should not have to fight for support for their children. We will be setting out further details in our schools White Paper in the autumn.

[Rachael Maskell]

Given the sharp rise in diagnosis in York of children with SEND, we have established a SEND-focused family hub. We are also reviewing other services. I am particularly concerned about the culture within schools. We need nurturing and inclusive education, so that we have a therapeutic learning environment. Will the Minister say what she is doing to ensure that schools, local authorities and others can feed into the White Paper to share best practice and raise concerns?

[Catherine McKinnell]

I know that my hon. Friend cares very deeply about this issue. I can reassure her that we are actively collaborating with sector parents and experts on how we drive forward our SEND reforms. That includes working closely with Dame Christine Lenehan, our strategic adviser on SEND, and Tom Rees, who leads the expert advisory group on inclusion. Changes we make will focus on improving support for children and parents, ending that fight for support, and protecting existing provision. We are listening very closely as we develop the plans.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

It is rare but very encouraging when a constituent comes into a surgery with some solutions. A couple of months ago, Elizabeth Cordle came into my surgery to talk about Corefulness, which is a series of short, simple, evidence-based exercise programmes to mature essential movement skills and help improve a child’s readiness to learn and break down barriers to learning. She is uncertain on how exactly it could be applied to assist with SEND, but she is absolutely clear that, through the national roll-out that she is leading, it has enormous potential. Will the Minister to engage with me and Elizabeth, so that as the strategy is being developed, we can examine whether that programme has a wider application?

[Catherine McKinnell]

I agree that we need to take a constructive and collaborative approach in how we improve outcomes for all children, and intervene in children’s lives to ensure their needs are met at the earliest stage possible. We will support schools to do that in any way we can. I would be more than happy to engage with the right hon. Gentleman on his constructive suggestion.

[Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)]

13. What steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for the adoption of children in foster care.

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[Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab)]

T6. In Rossendale and Darwen, the Valley leadership academy is a vital school serving some of our most disadvantaged communities, yet it was recently identified as a stuck school following successive “requires improvement” Ofsted assessments. The staff and leadership at the school are working incredibly hard to drive improvement, and we are starting to see positive signs. Will the Minister therefore please update me on what Labour is doing to support them?

[The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)]

Labour is delivering a new era of high and rising school standards, because we know that when standards slip it is disadvantaged children who suffer, and we will not let that happen. That is why Labour’s regional improvement for standards and excellence teams are spearheading a stronger, faster system, prioritising stuck schools, sending in advisers with a proven track record of turning schools around, and backing that up with up to £20 million—

[Mr Speaker]

Order.

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[Lee Barron (Corby and East Northampton-shire) (Lab)]

T9. I set up the Corby and east Northants SEND roundtable to help seek solutions to fix the broken system. One of the outcomes of the discussions was the need to improve SEND provision in our mainstream schools. What is the Minister doing to engage with teachers to make schools more inclusive and maximise the potential of every child?

[Catherine McKinnell]

We are investing significantly to make mainstream schools more inclusive for SEND students. By strengthening our evidence of effective inclusive practice, we are equipping teachers with proven tools and strategies to deliver excellent inclusive education supported by expert teaching and a world-class curriculum. We will set out more details in our White Paper in the autumn.

[John Lamont (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)]

T4. Scottish education was once the envy of the world, but under the SNP it is being destroyed. Data shows that a quarter of 11-year-olds in Scotland are not achieving expected literacy levels. Does the Minister agree that the SNP needs to drop its weird obsessions and get back to the basics of sorting out Scotland’s education?

[Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)]

T10. Earlier this month, I opened the Launch Pad, a new SEND provision at Sandhurst school, and I was shown around by Ben, who told me how the Launch Pad had helped him to access education. As the Government work at pace to fix the broken SEND system, what is the Minister’s message for young people like Ben?

[Catherine McKinnell]

We know that there are lots of great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision, such as the one my hon. Friend recently opened, enabling children to achieve and thrive in mainstream school and providing excellent support to children with speech and language needs. We have allocated £740 million to support mainstream schools to increase their SEND provision, and we want to reassure his constituent that we will continue to prioritise that in our work.

[Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con)]

T8. Another private school, Queen Margaret’s school for girls in York, has announced its closure, months after the Carrdus school in my constituency announced its closure. Over 11,000 children have left the private sector in this first year, which is more than three times what the Government expected. Does the Minister believe that the impact assessment of the introduction of VAT on private schools is correct? Will she look again at the flawed case for it?

[Callum Anderson (Buckingham and Bletchley) (Lab)]

Just two in five young people recall receiving any financial education at school, and those who did so often received less than an hour per month. While I welcome the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will require all schools to teach financial literacy, does the Minister agree that the curriculum and assessment review gives us an opportunity to go even further? Will she meet me to discuss how Government, industry and civil society can ensure that children in my constituency get this vital life skill?

[Catherine McKinnell]

I absolutely agree with the importance of financial education. We are looking at the curriculum and assessment system and making sure that we take the advice of the independent review on these matters. I would be more than happy, given my hon. Friend’s enthusiasm—and parents’ enthusiasm—for this subject, to discuss it further with him.

[Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)]

Last week the Chancellor committed £9.6 billion over the next four years to the school rebuilding programme. Hornsea school and language college in my constituency is in dire need of a full rebuild, so can the Secretary of State commit today to including it in the next tranche of rebuilds? If she needs any persuading, I would be delighted to invite her to make a short detour on her way back to Sunderland and to come and have a look for herself.

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[Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)]

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Sign Language, I know that the thousands of BSL first-language speakers in this country are very supportive of the introduction of a new BSL GCSE. However, I understand that progress on that has slightly stalled, so I would be grateful if the Minister could provide an update on the roll-out.

[Catherine McKinnell]

The British Sign Language GCSE is a key feature of our commitment to enhancing the status of British Sign Language, both in education and in society. Ofqual is currently running a public consultation on its proposed assessment arrangements and expects to confirm its decision on the qualification rules in autumn 2025.

[Luke Taylor (Sutton and Cheam) (LD)]

In April, I wrote to the Minister for School Standards about the Angel Hill free school, which will provide 96 desperately needed places for children with SEND in my constituency. I thank her for her response in which she said that we would get an update shortly. I ask again: when does she expect construction of the Angel Hill free school in Rosehill to begin?