Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that the 16 to 19 tuition funding is not limited to students with low prior attainment in GCSE English and Maths.

I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on education.

The 16-19 Tuition Fund is focused on supporting those young people who are at significant disadvantage and whose learning has been impacted most severely by the outbreak.

Low prior attainment in GCSE English and/or maths at the expected standard at age 16 is the agreed measure used for disadvantage in 16-19 education and an established part of the 16-19 funding formula. Agreement to any extension of tuition funding for 16-19 students will continue to be based on this measure.

Funding is available to spend on those students without a grade 5 or above in English and/or maths GCSE, however providers are required to prioritise support for students who have not achieved a grade 4 in English and/or maths.  If providers have funding available within their allocations, they should consider whether any young people with a grade 4 also needed catch up support.

As further evidence emerges, we will consider if refinements to eligibility for tuition funding are needed to maximise its value and impact in providing catch-up support for 16-19 students.