Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment he has made of funding allocated via EFSA’s lagged funding methodology between the 2021-22 and the 2018-19 academic years.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak was taken into consideration when making some changes to the lagged funding mechanism for 16 to 19 education. When calculating 16 to 19 education funding allocations for 2021 to 2022, we applied an average retention factor for each provider, rather than using data from 2019 to 2020. Our intention was to provide a retention factor for 2021 to 2022 allocations that was not affected by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we changed how we calculated exceptional in year Growth funding, making it more responsive to the increase in students from Autumn 2020. This helped providers with the costs of student number growth, in year.
The department also provided specific interventions to help young people in the circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, we introduced the 16-19 Tuition Fund aimed at helping colleges and other providers to give prompt support to young people who needed it. It also designed a one year offer for 18- and 19-year-olds who were due to leave school or college in the summer of 2020. This funding helped providers to offer courses of up to one year duration in high value subjects to enable young people, who would otherwise have moved into apprenticeships or employment, to continue in education if work-based opportunities were not available to them.
In the academic year 2018/19, the total amount of 16 to 19 programme funding was £5,132 million, with an average funding per student of £4,504[1]. By the academic year 2021/22 the total amount 16 to 19 programme funding had increased to £5,881 million with an average funding per student of £4,994[1]. This followed an increase in funding rates paid for in the 2019 and 2020 spending rounds.
We are committed to investing in 16 to 19 education to ensure every young person has access to an excellent education, and to ensuring the further education sector can play its part in that and in developing adult skills, which requires it to be financially sustainable. The 2021 Spending Review has made available an extra £1.6 billion per year for 16-19 education in 2024-25 compared with financial year 2021-22. This will fully fund the additional students we anticipate in the system, pay for the increasing take-up of T Levels, maintain funding per student in real terms, and enable increased time in education for all 16 to 19 year-olds. The department will set out details of how this additional funding will be allocated in due course.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency will continue to work with further education and sixth form colleges to monitor and support their financial sustainability.
[1] This calculation is based on published allocations, taking the amount of Total Programme Funding allocated, divided by the total number of students in each academic year, at providers receiving programme funding. Some institutions receive only high needs funding, and their students are not included in this calculation.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact that the outbreak of covid-19 has had on the lagged funding mechanism used by the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and what impact that methodology has had on the Further Education sector.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The potential impact of the COVID-19 outbreak was taken into consideration when making some changes to the lagged funding mechanism for 16 to 19 education. When calculating 16 to 19 education funding allocations for 2021 to 2022, we applied an average retention factor for each provider, rather than using data from 2019 to 2020. Our intention was to provide a retention factor for 2021 to 2022 allocations that was not affected by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we changed how we calculated exceptional in year Growth funding, making it more responsive to the increase in students from Autumn 2020. This helped providers with the costs of student number growth, in year.
The department also provided specific interventions to help young people in the circumstances of the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, we introduced the 16-19 Tuition Fund aimed at helping colleges and other providers to give prompt support to young people who needed it. It also designed a one year offer for 18- and 19-year-olds who were due to leave school or college in the summer of 2020. This funding helped providers to offer courses of up to one year duration in high value subjects to enable young people, who would otherwise have moved into apprenticeships or employment, to continue in education if work-based opportunities were not available to them.
In the academic year 2018/19, the total amount of 16 to 19 programme funding was £5,132 million, with an average funding per student of £4,504[1]. By the academic year 2021/22 the total amount 16 to 19 programme funding had increased to £5,881 million with an average funding per student of £4,994[1]. This followed an increase in funding rates paid for in the 2019 and 2020 spending rounds.
We are committed to investing in 16 to 19 education to ensure every young person has access to an excellent education, and to ensuring the further education sector can play its part in that and in developing adult skills, which requires it to be financially sustainable. The 2021 Spending Review has made available an extra £1.6 billion per year for 16-19 education in 2024-25 compared with financial year 2021-22. This will fully fund the additional students we anticipate in the system, pay for the increasing take-up of T Levels, maintain funding per student in real terms, and enable increased time in education for all 16 to 19 year-olds. The department will set out details of how this additional funding will be allocated in due course.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency will continue to work with further education and sixth form colleges to monitor and support their financial sustainability.
[1] This calculation is based on published allocations, taking the amount of Total Programme Funding allocated, divided by the total number of students in each academic year, at providers receiving programme funding. Some institutions receive only high needs funding, and their students are not included in this calculation.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with high functioning autism are being home educated.
Answered by Will Quince
The number of home educated children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) was 3,660 in 2021 and 2,983 in 2020, according to the department’s data on children with EHCPs. The department does not otherwise collect data on children who are home educated, including the number of children with high functioning autism.
The government remains committed to a form of registration system for children not in school. Further details on this will be in the government’s response to the Children Not in School consultation, which will be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with an Education Health and Care plan are home educated.
Answered by Will Quince
The number of home educated children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) was 3,660 in 2021 and 2,983 in 2020, according to the department’s data on children with EHCPs. The department does not otherwise collect data on children who are home educated, including the number of children with high functioning autism.
The government remains committed to a form of registration system for children not in school. Further details on this will be in the government’s response to the Children Not in School consultation, which will be published in the coming months.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) location and (b) opening dates are of the 24 new special free schools with provision specifically for autistic children and young people described in the national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026.
Answered by Will Quince
The free schools programme has already delivered 74 new special free schools, and 63 are working towards opening, helping to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs have access to a high-quality school place, no matter where they live.
As part of this, the department is working with trusts and local authorities to open 24 new free schools with specialist provision for children and young people with autism as soon as possible in the following local authority areas:
Bedford, Bromley, Bury, Dorset, Hertfordshire, Kent, Kingston Upon Thames, Leeds, Newham, North Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Rochdale, Salford, Sandwell, Sheffield (two projects approved), Solihull, Stockport, Suffolk, Warrington and Wiltshire.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the Special Educational Needs and Disability review.
Answered by Will Quince
The government is working at pace, and extensively with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), parents, carers, and those working in local government, education, health and care services to ensure that proposals from our SEND Review translate into improved outcomes for children and young people, with a focus on preparing them for later life and adulthood.
We will be bringing forward proposals for public consultation in the first quarter of 2022.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many supported placements exist nationally for children with high functioning autism.
Answered by Will Quince
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. This includes places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), such as those with high functioning autism. We are supporting local authorities to meet this duty by investing £300 million in the 2021-22 financial year to support local authorities to deliver places and improve existing provision for pupils with SEND, or who require alternative provision.
The department will also be investing a further £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to deliver new places and improve existing provision for pupils with SEND, or who require alternative provision. This funding represents a transformational investment in new high needs provision and will help deliver tens of thousands of new high needs places. Details of how this funding will be distributed will be announced in due course.
Local authorities are best placed to say how many places are available in their area for pupils with high functioning autism. The government does not currently collect data centrally on available capacity in high needs provision but is continuing to work with local authorities to better understand demand for SEND provision, including for children with autism, as it considers how it can best support the sector going forwards.
The SEND Review is also looking at ways to make sure the SEND system is consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future, including for those with autism.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the sufficiency of school places for children with high functioning autism.
Answered by Will Quince
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. This includes places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), such as those with high functioning autism. We are supporting local authorities to meet this duty by investing £300 million in the 2021-22 financial year to support local authorities to deliver places and improve existing provision for pupils with SEND, or who require alternative provision.
The department will also be investing a further £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to deliver new places and improve existing provision for pupils with SEND, or who require alternative provision. This funding represents a transformational investment in new high needs provision and will help deliver tens of thousands of new high needs places. Details of how this funding will be distributed will be announced in due course.
Local authorities are best placed to say how many places are available in their area for pupils with high functioning autism. The government does not currently collect data centrally on available capacity in high needs provision but is continuing to work with local authorities to better understand demand for SEND provision, including for children with autism, as it considers how it can best support the sector going forwards.
The SEND Review is also looking at ways to make sure the SEND system is consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future, including for those with autism.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the proposal for the introduction of T-Levels and for subjects where there is no T-Level route, what qualifications will be available; what will be the (a) content and (b) assessment process for those qualifications; and will those qualifications be available for the start of the 2023-24 academic year.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Our final plans setting out the groups of qualifications that will be available alongside T Levels and A levels in future were published on 14 July.
We will fund two groups of technical qualifications alongside T Levels for 16 to 19 year olds. The first will be qualifications that are designed to enable entry into occupations where there are no T Levels. The second will be qualifications that develop more specialist skills and knowledge than could be acquired through a T Level alone, helping to protect the skills supply into more specialist industries or occupations.
Adults will be able to study a broader range of technical qualifications than 16 to 19 year olds. T Levels will be available for adults but we believe these should exist alongside a range of other high quality technical qualifications that are backed by employers. This includes smaller technical qualifications that enable entry into occupations that are already served by T Levels, and qualifications focusing on cross-sectoral skills that are transferrable across different occupations such as management, leadership, and digital. Qualifications within safety critical industries will also be available for adults.
We are phasing the introduction of reformed qualifications in line with the national rollout of T Levels, starting with a single test route (pathfinder) concentrating on the Digital route in the 2023/24 academic year. This means technical qualifications that lead to occupations in the Digital route that are not covered by T Levels will be available for young people and adults from 2023/24.
From the 2024/25 academic year, building on learning from the pathfinder, we will scale up the introduction of reformed technical qualifications including those which lead to occupations not covered by T Levels in the Education and Childcare, Construction, Health and Science, and Engineering and Manufacturing routes. All remaining technical and academic qualifications for young people and adults, including technical qualifications that lead to occupations in routes where there is no T Level will be introduced in 2025/26.
Detailed criteria for approval including qualification content and assessment are still in development and we will continue to work with sector experts to finalise these, including the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, Ofqual, employers, awarding organisations and post-16 providers. Guidance, qualification approval criteria and funding approval criteria for qualifications approved for delivery from 2023 will be published later in 2021. Approval criteria for qualifications to be delivered from 2024 and beyond will be published in 2022.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what options are available to learners aged 19 and over for progression to L3 qualifications and to support further progression to higher education or employment following the removal of BTEC courses.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Employers are facing a skills shortage that we must act to address. It is vital in a fast moving and high-tech economy that technical education closes the gap between what people study and the needs of employers. This is why we are introducing over 20 T Levels, developed with 250 leading employers, and reviewing the wider post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. The department’s plans for reform of level 3 qualifications were published on 14 July 2021. We will continue to fund high quality qualifications that can be taken alongside or as alternatives to T Levels and A levels where there is a clear need for skills and knowledge that T Levels and A levels cannot provide.
The department is streamlining and improving the quality of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below. We are strengthening the pathways to progression, creating clearly defined routes to further study, and/or skilled employment.
The call for evidence on qualifications and study at level 2 and below closed on 14 February. This asked for views on the range of options and types of support needed to support both 16 to 19 year olds and adults to progress to level 3 and above. We are considering feedback to the call for evidence and will consult on proposals later this year.
Our final plans setting out the groups of level 3 qualifications that will be available to adults in future were published on 14 July. This followed a consultation on level 3 qualifications that ran from 23 October 2020 to 31 January 2021.
It is intended that T Levels will be available for adults, and we believe these should exist alongside a range of other high-quality technical qualifications that are backed by employers. Adults will be able to study technical qualifications that allow entry to occupations, including those served by T Levels, and qualifications focusing on cross-sectoral skills that are transferrable across different occupations such as management, leadership and digital. Qualifications within safety critical industries will also be available for adults.
Adults progressing into further study will have access to the same range of academic qualifications as 16 to 19 year olds, as set out in the consultation response. We will also fund Access to HE Diplomas to support adults who do not have traditional qualifications to progress into higher education or to reskill.