Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase funding for sixth form colleges in England in 2019-20.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
For the current academic year 2019-20, the department is protecting the base rate of funding at £4,000 for 16 to 19-year-olds at all types of provider, including sixth forms colleges. We are continuing to provide additional funding, for example over £500 million to support disadvantaged students. One new element of funding in this academic year is the advanced maths premium which provides additional funding of £600 for every additional young person studying specified level 3 maths qualifications. Our commitment to the 16 to 19 sector has contributed to the current record high proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds who are participating in education or apprenticeships, the highest since consistent records began.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of Exchequer announced on 31 August 2019 that the government will invest an extra £400 million in 16-19 education in 2020-21. This represents an increase of 7% in overall 16 to 19 funding and the biggest year-on-year increase since 2010, with funding increasing faster for 16-19 than in 5-16 schooling. This will ensure that we are building the skills that our country needs to thrive in the future. As part of this, the base rate of funding for all types of providers, including sixth form colleges, will be increased by 4.7% in academic year 2020-21, from £4,000 to £4,188.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the eligibility of EU citizens without settled status to receive state-funded education up to the age of 18.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Schools and local authorities cannot take into account nationality or immigration status when deciding which pupils to admit, and there will be no change to this after exiting the EU. Parents or carers of pupils who are EU, EEA or Swiss citizens will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 2020.
The Department has issued advice for schools on how to prepare for exiting the EU, which includes information on the EU Settlement Scheme and on accessing school places after exiting the EU. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-exit-no-deal-preparations-for-schools-in-england/eu-exit-no-deal-preparations-for-schools-in-england.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of demand for school places for (a) boys and (b) girls in Luton in the next five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient school places for pupils, including accurately forecasting demand. The Department collects forecasts of future demand for pupil places from each local authority, covering the next five years, through the annual school capacity survey (SCAP). Local authorities do not distinguish the gender of pupils within this data.
The latest published SCAP data, relating to the position as reported at May 2015, can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-capacity-academic-year-2014-to-2015. Local authority level data for pupil forecasts can be found in tables A5 for primary and A6 for secondary. This data covers the periods 2015 to 2019 for primary and 2015 to 2021 for secondary.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department spent on developing and supporting the Saint Anne's High School for Girls free school project in Luton prior to its cancellation.
Answered by Edward Timpson
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda the Department’s policy is to publish expenditure data in a manner helpful to the public. With that in mind we publish the full pre-opening revenue cost of cancelled or withdrawn free school projects once the amount of expenditure has been finalised. Once it has been finalised, the expenditure for Saint Anne’s High School for Girls will be published on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26162, when she plans to publish details of the unspent funding returned to her Department by Luton Girls' Academy or people associated with its free school application.
Answered by Edward Timpson
£155,153 of pre-opening expenditure was spent on Luton Girls’ Academy after taking into account a refund of £24,847 made by the Trust. This was published on GOV.UK in May 2016:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the establishment of co-operative schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government’s ambition is to provide an excellent education for all, through an autonomous, self-improving system. Good co-operative schools with strong governance are and will continue to be a part of this system.
As increasing numbers of schools are opting to become academies, we have worked with the Society for Co-operative Schools (SCS) to update our model articles of association for co-operative trusts. This will ensure that co-operative schools are able to convert to academy status and form multi-academy trusts (MATs) using a model based on robust governance structures that also reflects co-operative principles.
The new co-operative model articles will be published shortly.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2016 to Question 26162 on free schools: Luton, whether she plans to publish details of the repayments made by Luton Girl's Academy or people associated with its application, by date, in March 2016.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Total pre-opening revenue costs for Luton Girls’ Academy will be published by end March 2016. This will take into account a repayment of grant which was made by the Trust in July 2015.
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda the Department’s policy is to publish expenditure data in a manner helpful to the public. With that in mind we publish the full pre-opening revenue cost of cancelled or withdrawn free school projects once the amount of expenditure, taking into account any repayments, has been finalised.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is her Department's policy to publish details of repayments to the public purse made by cancelled or withdrawn free schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Total pre-opening revenue costs for Luton Girls’ Academy will be published by end March 2016. This will take into account a repayment of grant which was made by the Trust in July 2015.
In line with the Government’s transparency agenda the Department’s policy is to publish expenditure data in a manner helpful to the public. With that in mind we publish the full pre-opening revenue cost of cancelled or withdrawn free school projects once the amount of expenditure, taking into account any repayments, has been finalised.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what payments her Department has provided to Luton Girl's Academy or people associated with its application to achieve free school status since 2013; on what dates such payments were made; and on what dates the school or such individuals repaid payments to her Department.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Proposer groups whose applications are approved into the pre-opening stage of the free school process receive a fixed rate project development grant to cover essential expenditure to establish a new school.
Total pre-opening revenue costs for free schools that opened or were withdrawn before opening, are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/revenue-expenditure-for-free-schools.
The Department plans to publish updated expenditure for free schools that were open or withdrawn in 2015, which will include Luton Girls’ Academy, by end March 2016. Any unspent funding is returned to the Department by the trust.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions officials from her Department have had with Luton local authority on the implications of the decision to withdraw approval for Luton Girls' Academy.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All free school projects approved to enter the pre-opening stage are paid a grant to support the project through to opening – the Project Development Grant (PDG). The PDG is essential to financially support the school during pre-opening. Where a project is withdrawn from the programme, payment of the PDG is stopped. To date, Ace Trust Limited has received two PDG payments amounting to £180,000 and the department will take steps to recover any unspent funds.
The Regional Schools Commissioner for North West London and South Central held a meeting with senior officers from Luton Borough Council on 14 November 2014. The department received written correspondence from the Corporate Director, Children & Learning at Luton Borough Council on 5 January 2015 and a subsequent telephone discussion took place on 14 January 2015 between officials and the team responsible for admissions and pupil place planning in Luton to discuss secondary pupil place need and the potential implications of withdrawing the Luton Girls’ Academy free school project. This ensured the views of the council were taken into account prior to any decision being made, and the impact on pupils was carefully considered.
The decision to withdraw approval for Luton Girls’ Academy was taken on 26 January 2015 and communicated to Ace Trust Limited in a letter dated 27 January 2015.