Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of access to 15 hours of government-funded childcare support by (a) single and (b) disabled parent families.
Answered by David Johnston
Working parent entitlements are aimed at supporting parents to get back into work, or to work more hours if they wish to. This is available to both two parent families and single parent families who meet the eligibility criteria.
The department is expanding the free childcare offer from September 2025 to enable eligible working parents in England to access 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks per year from the term after their child turns 9 months old to when they start school.
Since April 2024, eligible working parents of two year olds have been able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week over 38 weeks of the year from the term after the child’s second birthday. Over 210,000 two year olds are now confirmed to have places for 15 hours a week of free childcare, as part of the largest ever expansion of childcare in England. Applications are now open for the September phase of the expansion, which will see the offer extended to eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months.
The income eligibility criteria are applied on a per parent basis, so working parents who individually earn more than £9,518 but less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year will be eligible. For families with two parents, both must be working to meet the criteria, unless one is receiving certain benefits such as carers allowance, incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance. Single parents in receipt of specified benefits will also need to be working and meet the income requirements in order to be eligible for the working parent entitlement.
Parents who claim Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment for themselves or their child may be eligible for this entitlement, if they are working and meet the income requirement. More information is available at https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working.
However, parents who are already receiving some additional forms of government support can receive 15 hours of funded early education, including childcare, for two year olds. This is separate from the new entitlement for working parents and is available to parents whose child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance. All parents regardless of employment status or income levels are eligible for the universal 15 hours for three and four year olds.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase access to 15 hours of childcare support for (a) single and (b) disabled parent families.
Answered by David Johnston
Working parent entitlements are aimed at supporting parents to get back into work, or to work more hours if they wish to. This is available to both two parent families and single parent families who meet the eligibility criteria.
The department is expanding the free childcare offer from September 2025 to enable eligible working parents in England to access 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks per year from the term after their child turns 9 months old to when they start school.
Since April 2024, eligible working parents of two year olds have been able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week over 38 weeks of the year from the term after the child’s second birthday. Over 210,000 two year olds are now confirmed to have places for 15 hours a week of free childcare, as part of the largest ever expansion of childcare in England. Applications are now open for the September phase of the expansion, which will see the offer extended to eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months.
The income eligibility criteria are applied on a per parent basis, so working parents who individually earn more than £9,518 but less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year will be eligible. For families with two parents, both must be working to meet the criteria, unless one is receiving certain benefits such as carers allowance, incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance. Single parents in receipt of specified benefits will also need to be working and meet the income requirements in order to be eligible for the working parent entitlement.
Parents who claim Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment for themselves or their child may be eligible for this entitlement, if they are working and meet the income requirement. More information is available at https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working.
However, parents who are already receiving some additional forms of government support can receive 15 hours of funded early education, including childcare, for two year olds. This is separate from the new entitlement for working parents and is available to parents whose child is entitled to Disability Living Allowance. All parents regardless of employment status or income levels are eligible for the universal 15 hours for three and four year olds.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to work with local authorities to reduce rates of criminalisation of black children in the care system.
Answered by David Johnston
The department recognises that children in care are more likely than their peers in the general population to have contact with the criminal justice system. In 2018, the department published a joint national protocol with the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on reducing the unnecessary criminalisation of looked after children and care leavers, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-protocol-on-reducing-criminalisation-of-looked-after-children. Since the publication of the protocol, the proportion of children in care aged 10 to 17 who are charged with an offence or receive a caution has reduced from 3% in 2019 to 2% in 2023. The latest data for the year ending in March 2023 also shows that 3% of care leavers age 19 to 21 were in custody. This figure has remained the same for the last 5 years.
The department is also taking action on risk factors that can lead to criminal behaviour, including through its work to improve school attendance.
Through the care leaver Ministerial Board, the department is working closely with MoJ to improve the support for and outcomes of care-experienced people in the criminal justice system.
MoJ is currently updating its strategy for people with care experience in the criminal justice system, to ensure that their time in the criminal justice system is used to support them to lead crime-free lives. The strategy will include a focus on race and its role in shaping the experiences and outcomes of those with care experience and will link to wider departmental efforts to address racial disproportionality in the criminal justice system. The MoJ are aiming to publish this strategy in 2024.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to develop a black foster care network to improve the experiences of Black children in care.
Answered by David Johnston
The government would like to see people from all backgrounds feel able to come forward to foster, whatever their ethnicity, sexuality, gender or relationship status. Children should be cared for in a way that recognises and respects their identity. Carers should be given the training and support they need to meet the child’s needs.
The department will engage with foster carer representative bodies to see how the department can further support black foster carers, including considering developing a black foster care network.
The department is investing over £36 million this parliament to deliver a fostering recruitment and retention programme, so that foster care is available for more children who need it. This will boost approvals of foster carers, as well as taking steps to retain the foster carers we have. Greater financial support for foster carers will help improve the experiences of all children in care. For the second year running, the department is uplifting the national minimum allowance (NMA) above the rate of inflation. For 2024/2025, the NMA will increase by 6.88%. This is on top of a 12.43% NMA increase in 2023/24.
In addition, the department estimates that changes to tax and benefit allowances will give the average foster carer an additional £450 per year, as well as simplifying the process for self-assessment returns for most foster carers.
The department will also build on its investment since 2014 of over £8 million to help embed the Mockingbird programme, which is an innovative model of peer support for foster parents and the children in their care where children benefit from an extended family environment.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which organisations (a) have received funding from her Department to tackle bullying in schools and colleges since 2021 and (b) will receive such funding in the next 12 months.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Department is providing over £3 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2024, to five anti bullying organisations to support schools across the country to tackle bullying. These five organisations are the Anti bullying Alliance, the Anne Frank Trust, Diana Award, Diversity Role Models and EqualiTeach.
Current grant agreements come to an end in March 2024 and the funding and approach for the 2024/25 financial year will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of ensuring that all secondary school pupils have an opportunity to undertake work experience on (a) disadvantaged children and (b) inclusivity.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Every pupil should have first hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. Experiences of the workplace should be tailored to the individual needs of the pupils involved and can demonstrate the capabilities of these pupils while providing them with first hand knowledge of the working environment.
Research evidence analysed for The Careers & Enterprise Company suggests that work experience, supported internships or employment, employee preparation programmes, self determination training and family involvement are effective in enabling pupils and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to make a successful move from school to further or higher education, training, employment, or self-employment.
Research has also shown that disadvantaged pupils, who have fewer connections and social networks, disproportionately benefit from high quality interactions with employers. The Department knows that pupils who have had four or more encounters with employers, are 86% less likely to become not in education, employment or training (NEET), and they are likely to go on to earn 18% more.
The Careers & Enterprise Company works with employers to open experiences of the workplace with the benefit of improving the career outcomes for pupils. Employers who take an active role in the careers process of pupils, can realise a whole host of benefits, from identifying a diverse range of skills and abilities they need within their own business, to improving their employee engagement and development.
Secondary schools and colleges are expected to adopt the Government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, to develop and improve their careers programmes. The benchmarks describe eight aspects of high quality careers guidance based on international evidence. The proportion of schools and colleges fully achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6, experiences of the workplace, has increased from 37% in 2017/18 to 52% in 2021/22. Recent analysis also shows that 93% of students in reporting schools and colleges had at least one employer encounter last academic year, up from 82% in 2018/19. This shows that pupils are gaining more opportunities for work and the skills they need to succeed.
The Department’s grant funding arrangement with The Careers & Enterprise Company represents good value for money to the public purse, at around £30 million this year. This funding is provided to support schools and colleges in delivering high quality careers programmes, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and including support for schools and colleges to facilitate experiences for the workplace for pupils.
The current delivery model, working towards the eight Gatsby Benchmarks with support from The Careers & Enterprise Company, encourages schools and colleges to take a strategic approach to employer engagement, ensuring careers provision is embedded and sustainable in the long term.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of providing work experience for all secondary school pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Every pupil should have first hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. Experiences of the workplace should be tailored to the individual needs of the pupils involved and can demonstrate the capabilities of these pupils while providing them with first hand knowledge of the working environment.
Research evidence analysed for The Careers & Enterprise Company suggests that work experience, supported internships or employment, employee preparation programmes, self determination training and family involvement are effective in enabling pupils and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to make a successful move from school to further or higher education, training, employment, or self-employment.
Research has also shown that disadvantaged pupils, who have fewer connections and social networks, disproportionately benefit from high quality interactions with employers. The Department knows that pupils who have had four or more encounters with employers, are 86% less likely to become not in education, employment or training (NEET), and they are likely to go on to earn 18% more.
The Careers & Enterprise Company works with employers to open experiences of the workplace with the benefit of improving the career outcomes for pupils. Employers who take an active role in the careers process of pupils, can realise a whole host of benefits, from identifying a diverse range of skills and abilities they need within their own business, to improving their employee engagement and development.
Secondary schools and colleges are expected to adopt the Government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, to develop and improve their careers programmes. The benchmarks describe eight aspects of high quality careers guidance based on international evidence. The proportion of schools and colleges fully achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6, experiences of the workplace, has increased from 37% in 2017/18 to 52% in 2021/22. Recent analysis also shows that 93% of students in reporting schools and colleges had at least one employer encounter last academic year, up from 82% in 2018/19. This shows that pupils are gaining more opportunities for work and the skills they need to succeed.
The Department’s grant funding arrangement with The Careers & Enterprise Company represents good value for money to the public purse, at around £30 million this year. This funding is provided to support schools and colleges in delivering high quality careers programmes, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and including support for schools and colleges to facilitate experiences for the workplace for pupils.
The current delivery model, working towards the eight Gatsby Benchmarks with support from The Careers & Enterprise Company, encourages schools and colleges to take a strategic approach to employer engagement, ensuring careers provision is embedded and sustainable in the long term.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people aged 18 and under have undertaken work experience in each year since 2013.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Every pupil should have first hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and expand their networks. Experiences of the workplace should be tailored to the individual needs of the pupils involved and can demonstrate the capabilities of these pupils while providing them with first hand knowledge of the working environment.
Research evidence analysed for The Careers & Enterprise Company suggests that work experience, supported internships or employment, employee preparation programmes, self determination training and family involvement are effective in enabling pupils and young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to make a successful move from school to further or higher education, training, employment, or self-employment.
Research has also shown that disadvantaged pupils, who have fewer connections and social networks, disproportionately benefit from high quality interactions with employers. The Department knows that pupils who have had four or more encounters with employers, are 86% less likely to become not in education, employment or training (NEET), and they are likely to go on to earn 18% more.
The Careers & Enterprise Company works with employers to open experiences of the workplace with the benefit of improving the career outcomes for pupils. Employers who take an active role in the careers process of pupils, can realise a whole host of benefits, from identifying a diverse range of skills and abilities they need within their own business, to improving their employee engagement and development.
Secondary schools and colleges are expected to adopt the Government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance, to develop and improve their careers programmes. The benchmarks describe eight aspects of high quality careers guidance based on international evidence. The proportion of schools and colleges fully achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6, experiences of the workplace, has increased from 37% in 2017/18 to 52% in 2021/22. Recent analysis also shows that 93% of students in reporting schools and colleges had at least one employer encounter last academic year, up from 82% in 2018/19. This shows that pupils are gaining more opportunities for work and the skills they need to succeed.
The Department’s grant funding arrangement with The Careers & Enterprise Company represents good value for money to the public purse, at around £30 million this year. This funding is provided to support schools and colleges in delivering high quality careers programmes, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks and including support for schools and colleges to facilitate experiences for the workplace for pupils.
The current delivery model, working towards the eight Gatsby Benchmarks with support from The Careers & Enterprise Company, encourages schools and colleges to take a strategic approach to employer engagement, ensuring careers provision is embedded and sustainable in the long term.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of career hubs for facilitating work experience for students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Through the Careers & Enterprise Company and the network of Careers Hubs and Enterprise Advisers, the department is supporting schools and colleges to provide high quality experience of workplaces for pupils. In the ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ white paper, the department set out its ambition to continue the extension of Careers Hubs across all communities in England. More than 90% of schools and colleges are now part of a Careers Hub.
Evidence tells us that sustained engagement with Careers Hubs leads to wider and more intensive employer engagement, helping more learners have a chance to engage with a range of local sectors.
81% of schools and colleges that have been in Careers Hubs since 2018 had at least 10 businesses involved in careers activity this year compared to 48% for those not engaged. As mentioned in the recent Education Select Committee for ’Careers education, information, advice and guidance’, 70% of schools and colleges currently have access to business advisers who are vital in supporting young people to access work experience.
The department will continue to assess the effectiveness of this work and Careers Hubs more widely in facilitating work experience for young people.