Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for further education provision in Cheshire as a result of the the announcement made on 9 March 2018 of the proposed closure of the Hartford Campus by Warrington and Vale Royal College; and if he will make a statement.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) allocates funds to colleges on an annual basis and institutions in Cheshire are funded through the same national funding formulae and systems as the rest of England, with levels of funding directly linked to levels of learner enrolment.

The ESFA is aware of the decision made by Warrington and Vale Royal College with respect to its Hartford campus. College corporations are responsible for their own financial and strategic decisions, and are expected to ensure financial sustainability and protect learner interests. The ESFA are monitoring the college to ensure it is developing a robust financial plan moving forward whilst continuing to deliver an accessible, high-quality further education offer for young people, adults and employers.

Warrington and Vale Royal College has informed the ESFA that free, or subsidised travel, will be available to approximately 300 learners whose courses will mostly transfer to the college’s Winsford campus, or to a lesser extent, the Warrington campus.

The ESFA will continue to work with the college to ensure these arrangements are implemented to maximise continued access for learners, and that appropriate support is offered during a period of transition. The ESFA 16-19 bursary fund and adult discretionary learner support funds also help students to overcome barriers to participation, such as transport, so they can remain in education.

As is the case now, learners will also have the opportunity to access the range of provision offered by other Cheshire colleges and learning providers, in addition to provision outside of the county.

The ESFA will work with Cheshire West and Chester local authority to ensure that proposed changes do not result in a significant gap in accessible local provision. Local authorities have broad duties to encourage, enable and assist young people to participate in education or training, including to secure sufficient suitable education and training provision for all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19 or aged 19 to 25 and for whom an Education, Health and Care plan is maintained, as set out in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-of-young-people-education-employment-and-training.