Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes to levels of funding on the adequacy of provision of special needs education.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We have listened to the concerns of local authorities and others about high needs cost pressures. That is why we will provide additional high needs funding allocations for all local authorities, totalling £250 million over 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020. This brings the total allocated for high needs this year to £6.1 billion and £6.3 billion in 2019 to 2020. We recognise that the high needs budget faces significant pressures and this additional investment will help local councils to manage those pressures.
Of course, extra funding cannot be our only response and we have also set out plans to support local authorities in their role of providing strategic leadership and oversight of the provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We will continue engaging with local authorities, health providers, families, schools and colleges to build our understanding of what is driving the cost pressures on high needs budgets and to work with the sector to help manage them.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding levels for maintained nursery schools in (a) Birmingham, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In recognition of the costs that maintained nursery schools (MNS) experience over and above other providers, we are providing supplementary funding of approximately £60 million per year to MNS.
This is additional to funding received under the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF). This funding has been provided to enable local authorities to protect the pre-EYNFF funding levels available to MNS until the period 2019 to 2020.
Individual authorities’ allocations of the supplementary funding given to MNS for the period 2018 to 2019 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.
MNS make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. We have commissioned new research on the value offered by MNS, which will be published in the autumn.
Ministers continue to meet a wide variety of early years and MNS sector representatives on a wide variety of topics, including MNS funding.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the role of maintained nursery schools in improving educational attainment among children from families living in poverty.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In recognition of the costs that maintained nursery schools (MNS) experience over and above other providers, we are providing supplementary funding of approximately £60 million per year to MNS.
This is additional to funding received under the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF). This funding has been provided to enable local authorities to protect the pre-EYNFF funding levels available to MNS until the period 2019 to 2020.
Individual authorities’ allocations of the supplementary funding given to MNS for the period 2018 to 2019 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.
MNS make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. We have commissioned new research on the value offered by MNS, which will be published in the autumn.
Ministers continue to meet a wide variety of early years and MNS sector representatives on a wide variety of topics, including MNS funding.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received from local authorities on supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools beyond 2020.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
In recognition of the costs that maintained nursery schools (MNS) experience over and above other providers, we are providing supplementary funding of approximately £60 million per year to MNS.
This is additional to funding received under the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF). This funding has been provided to enable local authorities to protect the pre-EYNFF funding levels available to MNS until the period 2019 to 2020.
Individual authorities’ allocations of the supplementary funding given to MNS for the period 2018 to 2019 can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019.
MNS make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. We have commissioned new research on the value offered by MNS, which will be published in the autumn.
Ministers continue to meet a wide variety of early years and MNS sector representatives on a wide variety of topics, including MNS funding.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are adequate levels of support in schools for LGBT+ pupils.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The public sector equality duty requires all schools to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality and foster good relations between lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) pupils and those who do not share those protected characteristics. It is up to schools to decide how to support LGBT pupils and the Government is taking steps to support them.
Research shows that individuals who are, or are perceived to be, LGBT are disproportionately affected by bullying. That is why the Government Equalities Office is funding school programmes aimed at building schools’ knowledge and capacity to prevent and tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. The Government Equalities Office has also provided this guidance and links to support and services for LGBT individuals, including support for children and young people: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advice-and-support-for-lgbt-people#children-and-young-people-up-to-the-age-of-19.
The Department is developing a resource to help schools to create Respectful School Communities, which aims to reduce bullying behaviour both offline and online. This work will help schools deliver their equalities, behaviour, bullying and safeguarding duties in a way that minimises the burdens upon them. Sex and Relationship Education also helps to provide pupils with key knowledge and skills to ensure that they can develop healthy and positive relationships, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to increase the availability of pastoral support in primary and secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is for schools to decide what pastoral support to put in place, based on the needs of their pupils. Many schools build pastoral support around their relationships and health education provision.
To support all schools to deliver high quality Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education, the Government is consulting on new statutory guidance and regulations for schools. Following this consultation, updated guidance and regulations will be laid in both houses for debate.
In addition, the Government has provided guidance in several areas to enable schools to put pastoral support in place. ‘Preventing and Tackling Bullying’, which was updated in July 2017, provides links to sources of support for pastoral activity with different groups of pupils: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623895/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdf.
‘Counselling in Schools’ provides advice on how to set up high quality support for those experiencing problems: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools.
The ‘Peer Support for Children and Young People’s Mental Health’ programme is supporting schools to set up peer support programmes, engaging pupils as part of a whole school approach to pastoral support. The Department will share the evidence and impact of the programme nationally to help schools understand what is needed to establish and maintain good practice.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had and with whom on the number of children who are at risk of experiencing hunger during school summer holidays in 2018.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government recently announced a programme of research and pilots across the country that will explore ways of supporting children from disadvantaged families to access free enrichment activities and healthy food during school holidays.
This programme of work will investigate how to provide a balanced programme for the most disadvantaged school-age pupils, combining engaging activity with a healthy and nutritious meal. Work is already underway and further piloting in 2019 will follow the initial research taking place in the 2018 summer holidays.
In developing this programme of work, I met with both the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North and with the right hon. Member for Birkenhead, and my officials have met with a wide range of stakeholders to discuss this important issue.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to higher education funding on student numbers at the Open University in each year since 2011.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The government recognises the decline in part-time study within the sector, and is aware of the impact this has had on the Open University. That’s why the government is committed to supporting part time students and since 2012, it has paid the tuition fees of students studying on part-time courses up-front through a system of subsidised fee loans.
In addition, new part-time students attending degree level courses from August 2018 onwards will, for the first time, be able to apply for up-front loans to help them with their living costs. Subject to the development of a robust control regime, these loans will be extended to students on distance learning courses from August 2019.
The government continues, through the Office for Students (previously Higher Education Funding Council for England), to provide direct grant funding to support successful outcomes for part-time students. This was worth £72 million in the current academic year (2017/18), and the Open University received a sizeable amount of this funding.
This funding reflects the particular costs associated with recruiting and retaining part-time students and includes funds to support successful outcomes for part-time students. The Open University received £48 million to support teaching activity in 2017/18.