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Written Question
Pre-school Education and Primary Education: Down's Syndrome
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) early years learning and (b) primary education for children with Down's Syndrome.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to improving the life outcomes and opportunities for children with Down syndrome, including through follow-up to the Down Syndrome Act 2022. From 2025, the department will begin collecting data on the numbers of children and young people with Down syndrome in schools and colleges. This will help inform the planning locally of long term services.

The special educational needs and disability (SEND) system in education settings provides support for all children with SEND. The system focuses on removing barriers to education and putting the right support in place to meet need, regardless of the specific condition a child may have. The department set out its mission for more children and young people with SEND to have their needs met effectively in mainstream settings in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in March 2023. The SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-and-alternative-provision-improvement-plan.

In the Improvement Plan, the department confirmed that frontline professionals, such as teachers and early years practitioners, would be equipped with the skills and expertise to make best use of provision and to identify needs early, accurately and consistently. The department is developing a suite of practitioner standards to help early years staff, teachers and teaching assistants to identify and support the needs of children and young people they work with, prioritising areas such as speech and language development. The department is funding up to 7,000 early years staff to gain an accredited Level 3 early years special educational needs co-ordinator qualification.

Additionally, the department is investing £2.6 billion in new specialist places to increase the number of places for those children who need specialist support in mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision. These developments will help children with Down syndrome in early years settings and primary schools reach their full potential.

Specifically on early years learning, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow, including learning and development requirements. The EYFS includes specific requirements for supporting children with SEND, including those with Down syndrome. All early years providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.


Written Question
Teachers: Workplace Pensions
Monday 25th March 2024

Asked by: Barbara Keeley (Labour - Worsley and Eccles South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of ending funding for employers' contributions to the teachers' pension scheme for music teachers employed by music hubs unattached to schools on costs to the public purse.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

In March 2024, the department announced an additional £1.1 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to support schools and local authorities with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate. This additional funding will be distributed in 2024/25 via the new teachers’ pension employer contribution grant (TPECG) 2024.

The department is providing additional funding through the TPECG 2024 to local authorities in respect of teachers categorised as centrally employed on the schools’ workforce census 2023. The department expects local authority-based Music Hub teachers to be recorded on the schools’ workforce census, and so to be in scope for this grant.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non-local authority hubs for the current academic year, until August 2024, and officials are working to agree the precise amount. Further details, including funding rates and allocations, will be provided soon.


Written Question
Childcare: South West
Friday 22nd March 2024

Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase childcare provision in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

In the government’s 2023 Spring Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By the 2027/28 financial year, this government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping families with pre-school children with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever and is set to save working families using the full 30 funded hours up to £6,500 per year from when their child is nine months until they are five years old by September 2025.

Funding will be key to delivering the existing and expanded childcare entitlements. The department has substantially uplifted the hourly rate paid to local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers. In the 2024/25 financial year, the department is investing over £400 million additional funding to deliver a significant uplift to hourly rates, building on the £204 million of additional funding paid in September.

To support the sector further to deliver the expansion of childcare support, the government is confirming that the hourly rate that providers are paid to deliver the free hours offers will increase in line with the metric used in the Spring Budget 2023. This reflects that workforce costs are the most significant costs for childcare providers and represents an additional £500 million of investment over financial years 2025/26 and 2026/27.

Alongside increasing funding rates, the government is allocating £100 million in capital funding to local authorities in the 2023/24 financial year to support the expansion of childcare places for eligible working parents and to increase the supply of wraparound care in primary schools. The funding is anticipated to deliver thousands of new places across the country.

Following the department’s consultation on changes to the early years foundation stage framework, the department has introduced flexibilities that aim to make things easier for providers, as well as continuing to explore how the department can support the sector to deliver the additional places that will be required.

The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity. On 2 February 2024, the department launched ‘Do something big, Work with small children’, a new national recruitment campaign to support the recruitment and retention of talented staff to support the expansion of the 30 hours offer. This campaign will raise the profile of the sector, support the recruitment of talented staff, and recognise the lifelong impact those working in early years and childcare have on children and their families.

The department is also continuing to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places across the sector. The department’s childcare and early years provider survey shows that both the number of places available and the workforce has increased since 2022.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, supports the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.


Written Question
Childcare
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the availability of high-quality childcare.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is delivering the largest expansion of childcare in England’s history. Latest projections show that more than 150,000 children will benefit by early April. The department expects that number to grow in the coming months and years. The department continues to support the sector’s expansion with £400 million additional funding to uplift hourly rates next year and a guarantee that rates will increase in line with cost pressures for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years.

By the financial year 2027/28, this government expects to be spending more than £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping families with pre-school children with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.

Alongside increasing funding rates, government is allocating £100 million in capital funding to local authorities in financial year 2023/24 to support the expansion of childcare places for eligible working parents and to increase the supply of wraparound care in primary schools. The funding is anticipated to deliver thousands of new places across the country.

The department is also taking steps to support the early years workforce. Following the consultation on changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, the department has introduced flexibilities that aim to make things easier for providers, as well as continuing to explore how to support the sector to deliver the additional places that will be required.

On 2 February 2024, the department launched ‘Do something Big, Work with small children’ a new national recruitment campaign to support the recruitment and retention of talented staff to support the expansion of the 30 hours offer. This campaign will raise the profile of the sector, support the recruitment of talented staff, and recognise the lifelong impact those working in early years and childcare have on children and their families. The department is also providing £1,000 to eligible joiners and returners to the workforce as part of a financial incentives pilot and are supporting childminders through a £7.2 million start-up grant scheme, open to all new childminders who registered on or after 15 March 2023.

The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity. The department will continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places across the sector. The department’s Childcare and Early Years Provider Survey shows that both the number of places available and the workforce have increased since 2022.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department and the local authority discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and where needed support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

The department continues to work closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms as it delivers this substantial expansion.


Written Question
Music: Workplace Pensions
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Barbara Keeley (Labour - Worsley and Eccles South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has committed to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for Music Hubs this academic year.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department has secured £1.25 billion to support eligible settings with the increased Teachers’ Pension Scheme employer contribution rate in the 2024/25 financial year. This includes additional funding of £9.3 million to local authorities for their centrally employed teachers, including those employed in local authority based music hubs.

The Teachers’ Pension Employer Contribution Grant 2024 will provide funding to local authorities in respect of teachers categorised as centrally employed on the schools workforce census 2023. The department expects local authority based music hub teachers to be recorded on the census.

The department has also committed to providing funding to cover the increase in employer contribution rates for existing non local authority hubs for the current academic year (until August 2024), and departmental officials are working to agree the precise amount. Further details, including funding rates and allocations, will be provided soon.


Written Question
Education: Assessments
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Education to help close the gap in exam results between boys and girls.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Raising attainment for all pupils, no matter their gender or background is at the heart of this government’s agenda, and we are committed to providing a world-class education system for all.

The latest data show that, while girls continue to outperform boys across most headline measures, the gender gap between boys and girls is narrowing.

At KS2 in 2022/23, the gender gap between boys and girls at the expected standard in reading, writing and maths has decreased since 2021/22 and is the lowest it has been since 2016/17. KS4 results show the gender gap has narrowed across all headline measures when comparing 2022/23 with both 2018/19 and 2021/22.

The Schools White Paper (March 2022) was clear about the direction of travel needed to improve attainment. It set out our long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.

This is supported by significant investment in education. Next year, including the recently announced funding for pension contributions, overall school funding is increasing by £2.9 billion compared to 2023-24, taking the total to £60.7 billion in 2024-25 – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.

Alongside this, the department takes a range of steps to improve attainment and outcomes for all pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, increasing attendance, and providing targeted support where needed.

We know that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. This is why we provide additional funding as part of schools’ overall funding to support disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which will rise to over £2.9 billion in 2024-25, an increase of £80 million from 2023-24.

Programmes such as Free School Meals that support over 2 million children, the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF), and support for up to 2,700 breakfast clubs also support disadvantaged pupils.

We also continue to collaborate with other government departments to address out-of-school factors that we know have a significant impact on attainment outcomes.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs: Finance
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for Education, Health and Care Plans.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In 2024/25, high needs funding for children and young people with complex needs is increasing by £440 million, compared to this financial year 2023/24. This will bring total high needs funding to over £10.5 billion next year, an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations. Of that total, City of York Council is due to receive a high needs allocation of £28.5 million through their 2024/25 dedicated schools grant, which is a cumulative increase of 27% per head over the three years from 2021/22.

The significant increases to high needs funding over recent years have helped to support local authorities and schools with the costs of supporting children and young people with an Education, Health and Care plan.


Written Question
Teachers: Labour Turnover and Recruitment
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of school building conditions on trends in the level of teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

There are now record numbers of full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, totalling over 468,000, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010.

The department appreciates that there is more to do, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The department is offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. For the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, the department will be doubling the rates of the Levelling Up Premium to up to £6,000 after tax.

This is on top of the 6.5% pay award that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received for 2023/24, which was the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years, delivered on our manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country. This, combined with the increase in the LUP, means a new maths teacher in Blackpool could be receiving the equivalent of £38,570 starting salary next year, before accounting for the 2024/25 pay award.

To further support recruitment to high-priority subjects, the department also provides financial incentives worth up to £196 million, including bursaries worth £28,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £30,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to teach mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

To help retention, the department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices. The department has convened a workload reduction taskforce to explore how it can further support trust and school leaders to minimise workload for teachers.

Well-maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the department. Responsibility for keeping buildings safe and well-maintained lies with schools and their responsible bodies, such as local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided bodies. The department supports them by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.

The department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to keep schools safe and operational, including £1.8 billion in 2023/24. This is informed by consistent data on the condition of the school estate. The department’s School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings in poor condition at over 500 schools. New buildings are already being delivered across the country with modern designs that are designed to be net zero carbon in operation.


Written Question
Pupils: Exercise
Wednesday 20th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase levels of physical activity in (a) pre-school, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school children.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published the Get Active strategy in 2023, which aims to build a more active nation. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-active-a-strategy-for-the-future-of-sport-and-physical-activity#Details. Central to this is a focus on ensuring that children establish a lifetime of engagement with sport and physical activity. The strategy sets an ambition that all children should meet the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines on physical activity, with a target of getting 1 million more active children by 2030.

In July 2023 the Department for Education published an update to the cross-government School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP) which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-sport-and-activity-action-plan. The plan sets out actions to help all pupils take part in sport and do more physical activity. The update builds on the government’s announcement in March 2023 that set out new ambitions for equal access to physical education (PE) and sport for girls and boys, 2 hours of PE a week alongside over £600 million funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium (in academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25) and the School Games Organiser Network.

The department will shortly be publishing new non-statutory guidance on PE and sport, exemplifying practice from primary and secondary schools. In recognition of the importance of young children being physically active, physical development is one of the three prime areas of learning as set out in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework that all early years providers in England must follow. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.


Written Question
Preventive Medicine: Young People
Monday 18th March 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to (a) identify young people most at risk of poor health in later life and (b) mitigate that risk.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government recognises the significant impact that youth health can have across a person’s life course, and is committed to keeping young people healthy, preventing ill-health, and providing treatment and support where needed. The Department leads a range of universal public health interventions and guidance for those aged between zero and 19 years old, that provide universal support, and help identify further needs and safeguarding concerns for children and young people most at-risk.

People with both physical and mental health conditions face poorer clinical outcomes, and a significantly lower quality of life, than people with a physical health condition alone. This is why the Government is rolling out mental health support teams to schools and colleges in England, to detect and offer evidence-based interventions to young people experiencing mild-to-moderate mental health issues. These currently cover 3.4 million children, or approximately 35% of pupils, which will increase to 50% by 2025. When deciding where to introduce mental health support teams, integrated care boards consider how teams will reach young people most at risk of poor outcomes. In addition, on 27 February 2024 we announced extra funding for 24 early support hubs for young people across England, so that thousands of children and young people will receive earlier, open-access mental health interventions in local communities.