Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the quality and availability of industry placements for T Levels.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
T Levels are providing excellent opportunities for young people to progress into skilled jobs and careers, and 96% of students in receipt of a T Level result completed their industry placement last year.
The national Skills for Life campaign raises awareness of skills development that includes T Levels, ensuring businesses and learners understand their value. Our network of over 1,000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community.
The department supports employers to host high-quality placements through guidance, workshops and direct support. Our digital Connect service supports local providers and employers to connect with each other and our updated delivery approaches allow greater flexibility for providers to design a high-quality placement experience.
We provide targeted support for industry placements in specific sectors and localities, with seven industry placement coordinators currently in local NHS integrated care systems, and an employer support fund supporting small and medium sized enterprises and priority sectors with the essential costs of hosting a placement.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage businesses to offer work placements for 16 to 18 year-olds within and outside the T Level programme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
T Levels give young people a strong route into skilled employment, with 96% of completing students completing their industry placement last year.
The Skills for Life campaign raises awareness of T Levels and other training, ensuring businesses understand their value. Our network of over 1,000 T Level ambassadors strengthens understanding and engagement with businesses.
The Careers & Enterprise Company provides resources to help employers engage with schools and colleges. Local careers hubs coordinate employer encounters such as work experience placements, career talks and mentoring.
The department is delivering a targeted small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) campaign to increase awareness of T Level industry placements and encourage more employers to take part. The government is investing £6.3 million through the employer support fund to encourage SMEs and key‑sector employers to host T Level placements supporting with hosting costs.
As part of the construction skills package, the government has committed £100 million to support 40,000 industry placements each year for level 2 and 3 construction learners.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase employer awareness of training programmes available beyond apprenticeships.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Skills for Life campaign promotes the wide range of range of training options available to employers, including apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications. This includes digital advertising, public relations, social media, trade press partnerships and collaboration with business organisations.
We offer support, events and guidance to T Level providers to develop and implement effective employer engagement strategies. Our network of over 1000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community.
1,390 businesses of all sizes are using our Employer Standards framework to assess and report on the impact of their employer engagement, helping to open new pathways and opportunities in their sector for young people.
Local Skills Improvement Plans bring together local employers, leaders and training providers to identify and address skills needs, giving employers a strategic voice in shaping skills provision and support to recruit/train skilled workforces.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to address levels of school exclusion in West Berkshire.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.
The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support
The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.
Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to help reduce levels of school exclusion related to (a) drugs and (b) alcohol in West Berkshire.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.
The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support
The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.
Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address regional disparities in school exclusion rates.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.
The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support
The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.
Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools and colleges in the transition to V Levels.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are currently consulting on post-16 pathways, including the introduction of V Levels. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026.
Schools and colleges can expect to be supported with the transition to V Levels through access to a comprehensive package of guidance and resources. Dedicated online information will provide timely updates and practical materials to help prepare for delivery. Clear guidance will set out the structure and requirements of the new qualifications, supporting staff understanding and effective implementation. Exemplar pathway documents will assist providers in planning learner routes, while study programme guidance will explain how V Levels can be used to develop meaningful programmes of study.
In addition, we expect awarding organisations to supply specifications, sample assessments and training materials to support accurate delivery and assessment. Together, these measures will provide schools and colleges with the clarity and confidence needed for the successful implementation of V Levels.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to educators to support their understanding of kinship care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises that there is a need for greater awareness of the needs of kinship children and families and the importance of improving data collection in this space and is therefore exploring including kinship in the school census.
Following the Care Review, the government has updated ‘Kinship Care Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’. This guidance outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families.
The government has also extended both the delivery of over 140 kinship carer peer support groups across England and the virtual school head (VSH) role (on a non-statutory basis) to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care.
The government intends to make this role statutory through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will publish updated statutory guidance setting out how VSHs will be expected to work with kinship carers and guardians to support the educational outcomes of these children.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include kinship care in the school census.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises that there is a need for greater awareness of the needs of kinship children and families and the importance of improving data collection in this space and is therefore exploring including kinship in the school census.
Following the Care Review, the government has updated ‘Kinship Care Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’. This guidance outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families.
The government has also extended both the delivery of over 140 kinship carer peer support groups across England and the virtual school head (VSH) role (on a non-statutory basis) to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care.
The government intends to make this role statutory through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will publish updated statutory guidance setting out how VSHs will be expected to work with kinship carers and guardians to support the educational outcomes of these children.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the quality and supply of industry placements for T Levels.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
T Levels are providing fantastic opportunities for young people to progress into skilled jobs and careers, and 96% of students completed their industry placement last year.
The department supports employers to host high quality placements through guidance, workshops and direct support. The department’s digital ’Connect’ service supports local providers and employers to connect with each other and our updated delivery approaches allow greater flexibility for providers to design a high quality placement experience.
We provide targeted support for industry placements in specific areas, with seven industry placement coordinators currently in local NHS integrated care systems, and an employer support fund supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and priority sectors with the essential costs of hosting a placement.
The national ’Skills for Life’ campaign raises awareness of skills development and promotes T Levels, ensuring businesses and learners understand their value, and our network of over 1,000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community.