Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish details of schools (a) at risk of collapse and (b) containing unsafe building materials.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.
The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will increase funding for (a) schools and (b) colleges.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This Government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has channelled significant funding into education to achieve that.
The Autumn Statement in November 2022 announced that there would be an additional £2 billion of funding in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review. In July 2023, the Department announced a further £525 million of funding in 2023/23, to support schools with the teachers’ pay award, and £900 million in 2024/25. This means funding for mainstream schools and high needs is over £3.9 billion higher in 2023/24 alone, compared to 2022/23, on top of a £4 billion cash increase last year. That represents a 16% increase in just two years.
In 2024/25, school funding will be more than £59.6 billion, the highest ever level in real terms per pupil, as measured by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
This additional funding will enable head teachers to continue to spend in the areas that the Department knows positively impact educational attainment, including high quality teaching and targeted support to the children who need it most.
The Department has also increased overall funding for 16 to 19 education, with an extra £1.6 billion of funding provided in the 2024/25 financial year compared with 2021/22, which is the biggest increase in 16 to 19 funding in a decade.
16 to 19 funding has seen significant recent increases. In January 2023, the Department announced funding of £125 million for the 2023/24 financial year. In July 2023, the Department announced a further £185 million for the 2023/24 financial year and £285 million for the 2024/25 financial year.
This funding will help colleges and other 16 to 19 providers to address key priorities as they see fit, including tackling recruitment and retention issues in high value technical, vocational and academic provision which are of critical importance to economic growth and prosperity.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with trade unions on trends in levels of per pupil spending since 2010-11.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department meets regularly with trade unions to discuss a wide range of issues, including school funding.
The November 2022 Autumn Statement announced additional funding of £2 billion in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review, and matching what unions told us was needed in their open letter last year.
The Department recognises that inflation continues to impact schools, as it does in other sectors. In July 2023, the Department announced an additional £525 million this year to support schools with the teachers’ pay award, and £900 million in 2024/25.
This means funding for mainstream schools and high needs is over £3.9 billion higher in 2023/24 alone, compared to 2022/23, in addition to a £4 billion cash increase last year. That’s a 16% increase in two years. Next year, school funding will be more than £59.6 billion, the highest ever level in real terms per pupil, as measured by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with trade unions on the impact of increases in inflation on schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department meets regularly with trade unions to discuss a wide range of issues, including school funding.
The November 2022 Autumn Statement announced additional funding of £2 billion in each of 2023/24 and 2024/25, over and above totals announced at the 2021 Spending Review, and matching what unions told us was needed in their open letter last year.
The Department recognises that inflation continues to impact schools, as it does in other sectors. In July 2023, the Department announced an additional £525 million this year to support schools with the teachers’ pay award, and £900 million in 2024/25.
This means funding for mainstream schools and high needs is over £3.9 billion higher in 2023/24 alone, compared to 2022/23, in addition to a £4 billion cash increase last year. That’s a 16% increase in two years. Next year, school funding will be more than £59.6 billion, the highest ever level in real terms per pupil, as measured by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to introduce funding for adults in families with deaf children to learn British Sign Language; and whether funding is available for local authorities that wish to commission sign language courses.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in, or focussing on, British Sign Language (BSL), up to and including level 2. Approximately 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas.
ESFA funded AEB qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL. It will depend on an individual’s circumstances as to whether they are entitled to free provision or are expected to meet part of the cost through co-funding. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.
For some BSL courses, Advanced Learner Loans (ALLs) are available and parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible here: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available at: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.
For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is also additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers preventing them from accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) community and (b) private training providers holding traineeship contracts are able to access 16-19 study programmes.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is committed to providing a comprehensive skills offer for employers and individuals. We have decided to integrate the Traineeship programme into the 16 to 19 study programme and adult education provision from 1 August 2023. All the elements of the Traineeship programme will continue to be funded for 16 to 19-year-olds, as part of the national 16 to 19 study programme, and for adults through the adult education budget (AEB).
Providers with access to funding, including further education colleges and independent training providers, can choose to continue to offer Traineeship programmes for young people who need support to get into work, apprenticeships, or further learning.
In areas where the AEB has been devolved, Mayoral Combined Authorities and Greater London Authority will decide on how best to support young adults in their areas.
The department is continuing to work with the sector and combined authorities to ensure there is a smooth transition and there are no gaps in provision, so that young people can continue to gain the skills they need to support them into apprenticeships, work, or further learning.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of closing the national traineeships programme on (a) disadvantaged young people and (b) young people who need additional support to access the employment market.
Answered by Robert Halfon
I refer the honourable member for Liverpool West Derby to the answer I gave on 23 January 2023 to the questions 126871 and 126872.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
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 offering the financial value of the traineeship programme to (a) further education colleges and (b) sixth form providers that do not currently deliver traineeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is integrating the traineeship programme into 16-to-19 study programmes and adult education provision from 1 August 2023. This is part of the government’s commitment to provide a comprehensive and clear skills offer for employers and individuals.
All the elements of the traineeship programme - English and Maths, work experience, employability and occupational skills and qualifications - will continue to be funded for 16–to-19-year-olds as part of the national 16-to-19 study programme, and for adults through the adult education budget. This means that providers with access to funding will continue to offer traineeship type programmes for young people who need support to get into work, apprenticeships, or further learning.
The department is continuing to work with the sector and Combined Authorities to ensure that there is a smooth transition to ensure that young people can continue to gain the skills they need to support them into apprenticeships, work, or further learning.
The department will also continue to support young people to get the skills they need for apprenticeships or other employment through government-funded programmes such as T Levels and the T Level transition programme, Bootcamps, and Sector-Based Work Academies. The new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign is also raising awareness of apprenticeships, which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the planned closure of the national traineeship programme on access routes to apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is integrating the traineeship programme into 16-to-19 study programmes and adult education provision from 1 August 2023. This is part of the government’s commitment to provide a comprehensive and clear skills offer for employers and individuals.
All the elements of the traineeship programme - English and Maths, work experience, employability and occupational skills and qualifications - will continue to be funded for 16–to-19-year-olds as part of the national 16-to-19 study programme, and for adults through the adult education budget. This means that providers with access to funding will continue to offer traineeship type programmes for young people who need support to get into work, apprenticeships, or further learning.
The department is continuing to work with the sector and Combined Authorities to ensure that there is a smooth transition to ensure that young people can continue to gain the skills they need to support them into apprenticeships, work, or further learning.
The department will also continue to support young people to get the skills they need for apprenticeships or other employment through government-funded programmes such as T Levels and the T Level transition programme, Bootcamps, and Sector-Based Work Academies. The new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign is also raising awareness of apprenticeships, which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to analysis by Child Poverty Action Group, published in June 2022, what steps he is taking to help ensure that all children defined as living in poverty are guaranteed access to healthy meals at school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments to provide support.
The Department will continue to keep Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility under review, ensuring that these meals are supporting those who need them most. The Department believes that the current threshold is the right one, which enables pupils to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools.
The latest published statistics show that around 1.9 million pupils are claiming FSM. This equates to 22.5% of all pupils, up from 20.8% in 2021. Together with a further 1.25 million infants supported through the Universal Infant Free School Meal policy, 37.5% of school children are now provided with FSM.