Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the value for money of the central costs of operating academy trusts.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The primary responsibility for the financial oversight of academy trusts rests with the trustees themselves, who are supported by the financial management and governance requirements set by the department in academy trusts’ funding agreements, the academy trust handbook and academies accounts direction. The department expects academy trustees to deliver strong governance and monitor the financial health of their trust or school. It is with strong financial management and governance that schools are able to operate most effectively and deliver high quality teaching and learning that prepares our children for the future.
Academy trusts can take a cut from their funding to pay for central services for their schools. This can be more efficient and cheaper than individual schools running or procuring the functions themselves.
Where academy trusts take a cut to pay for central services, they must be transparent by disclosing the basis and value in their published, audited, annual accounts. They must also include additional disclosures in their accounts about the services they deliver centrally and the charging policy they apply. They must also identify the share against each academy.
The government is clear that strong accountability is non-negotiable. That is why the government has committed to bring multi-academy trusts into the inspection system, to make the system fairer and more transparent, and to enable intervention when schools and trusts are not performing to the required standards.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2024 to Question 4283 on Schools: Admissions, what steps her Department is taking to issue guidance to Local Planning Authorities on appropriate levels of section 106 contributions from developers to meet future demand for school places.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
In August 2023, the department published two non-statutory guidance documents for local authorities planning for education, local planning authorities (LPAs) and other stakeholders involved in the delivery of schools.
The guidance on 'Estimating pupil yield from housing development’ sets out the department’s recommended approach to calculating pupil yield from housing development to inform local plans and planning decisions and to help local authorities and LPAs justify developer contributions towards education. This guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64d0f71be5491a00134b5940/Estimating_Pupil_Yield_from_Housing_Development.pdf.
The guidance on ‘Securing developer contributions for education’ promotes good practice on evidencing the impacts of development, engaging with LPAs and delivering expanded or new facilities with funding from housing development. This document can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64d0f70d7a5708001314485f/Securing_Developer_Contributions_for_Education.pdf.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of school place provision in areas with high levels of housebuilding.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Local authorities are responsible for providing enough school places for children in their area. The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. Nearly £1.5 billion of allocations have been confirmed to support local authorities to create school places needed over the current and next two academic years, up to and including the academic year starting in September 2026. Local authorities’ allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations.
Contributions from housing developers are also an important way of helping to meet demand for new school places when housing developments are driving pupil numbers. It is for the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to secure developer contributions through section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy, and to decide on the local infrastructure needs that this contribution should support. The department would encourage LPAs to secure significant contributions for new school places and work closely with colleagues planning school places in their area, including county councils when the local authority responsible for education is not the LPA.
Asked by: Josh Newbury (Labour - Cannock Chase)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents in (i) Cannock Chase constituency and (ii) Staffordshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Following the last Ofsted inspection, departmental officials have been working with Staffordshire County Council (SCC) to closely monitor progress against the areas for improvement identified by inspectors. The department appointed a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Advisor to support and work alongside SCC and the local area partnership.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with Local Area Partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.