Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will extend the free childcare entitlement to the equivalent of 30 hours a week for 52 weeks of the year.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department plans to spend around £3.5 billion on early education entitlements this year alone. Government funding is intended to deliver 570 or 1140 hours a year, over no fewer than 38 weeks of the year of free, high quality, flexible childcare for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds. This equates to 15 or 30 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year to mirror school terms.
All the free entitlements can be “stretched” by taking fewer hours per week over up to 52 weeks of the year to cover term-time and the school holidays and free places can also be delivered at weekends (for example, 23 hours a week for 48 weeks of the year). These entitlements will allow providers to respond flexibly to parents’ individual needs and requirements so that parents are supported to work.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support deaf children’s education in the upcoming Spending Review.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Our ambition for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including hearing impairments, is exactly the same as for every other child and young person, to achieve well in school and college, find employment and go on to live happy and fulfilled lives.
Over 90% of children identified with hearing impairment as their primary type of need are in mainstream schools. Overall school funding is over £43.5 billion this year. This includes £6.3 billion of high needs funding for children and young people with the most complex SEND, up from £5 billion in 2013.
However, we are well aware that local authorities and schools are facing challenges in managing their budgets in the context of increasing costs and rising levels of demand. We are looking carefully at how much funding for education will be needed in future years, as we approach the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department taking to fund performing arts education for young people under 18 years-old.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Performing arts education is an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum and should not be the preserve of the elite, but the entitlement of every child. Between 2016-20, the Government is providing almost £500 million funding for a range of creative and performance arts education programmes including the Music and Dance Scheme, and the Dance and Drama Awards.
The Government is also funding performing arts education through their Youth Performance Partnerships scheme which brings arts organisations and schools together to teach practical performance skills both on and off stage. The scheme is providing £5 million in funding between 2018-21 and aims to provide new opportunities for children and young people (aged 8-18) from areas of low cultural engagement and high levels of deprivation to take part in putting on productions, as well as developing backstage and technical skills including dance, art, creative writing, lighting, sound and set design. The Youth Performance Partnerships will be delivered by Arts Council England and will reach 10,000 young people.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to encourage more women into apprenticeships.
Answered by Anne Milton
Women are well-represented in terms of overall apprenticeship starts. In the first half of 2018/19, 47% of apprenticeship starts were by women, which is an increase from 45.8% for the equivalent period in 2017/18.
However, we also want to make sure that more women are able to access apprenticeships in traditionally male-dominated fields as well as in fields that offer the highest returns. Starts by women in the construction, planning and the built environment sector increased by 36.7% in the first half of 2018/19, compared to the same period in 2017/18, from 790 starts to 1,080 starts.
Through the Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network (ADCN), we are championing gender representation in apprenticeships amongst employers in industries where improvement is needed. This includes making sure that more women can access science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) apprenticeships and it is encouraging to see the progress that is being made. For example, ADCN member GlaxoSmithKline are well ahead of their aim to achieve 25% of women representation in their STEM apprenticeships. Women now make up 47% of their UK intake. The ADCN has recently published an update on its work which can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802200/ADCN-Report-2019-LR-v2.pdf.
Furthermore, we are working to raise awareness of apprenticeships and the benefits that they bring to people of all backgrounds. Our ‘Fire It Up’ communication campaign seeks to change the way that people think about apprenticeships and to demonstrate that they are an aspirational choice for anyone. ‘Fire It Up’ advertising features apprentices from a diverse range of backgrounds and showcases female apprentices in STEM occupations.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that schools receive equitable levels of funding under the national funding formula.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The national funding formula (NFF) will mean that, for the first time, school funding will be distributed based on the specific characteristics of every school and pupil in the country. It is directing money where it is most needed – not accidents of geography or history.
Schools are already benefitting from the gains delivered by the NFF. This year, all schools are attracting an increase of at least 1% per pupil compared to their 2017-18 baselines. Those schools that have been historically underfunded will attract up to 6% more per pupil compared to 2017-18, as we continue to address historic unfairness. Details of the NFF beyond 2019-20 are subject to the next Spending Review.
Local authorities continue to have some flexibility on how this funding is distributed locally, in consultation with schools. Flexibility allows local authorities, in consultation with their schools, to smooth the transition toward the NFF, where this represents a significant change.
Asked by: Stephen McPartland (Conservative - Stevenage)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the outcomes of children with special educational needs and disability.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The department is taking steps to ensure every child and young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can achieve highly in education, find employment and lead happy and fulfilled lives.
We have established a SEND System Leadership Board that will focus on improving how local health, education and social care partners can plan better, commission strategically and work jointly to provide services and improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission continue to inspect local areas to identify strengths and weaknesses in relation to children and young people with SEND. Where there are concerns, the local area is required to produce a Written Statement of Action. The area will be revisited within 18 months to ensure improvements have been made.
To support local authorities, we have provided an additional £250 million in high needs funding up to 2020 on top of the funding increases we had already committed. This brings the total allocation for high needs in 2019-20 to £6.3 billion and will help local authorities to manage the significant pressures on their high needs budgets.