Level 3 Vocational Pathways
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
1. What steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of the
provision of level 3 vocational pathways for
students.(900320)
Mrs (Wolverhampton North
East) (Lab)
4. What steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of the
provision of level 3 vocational pathways for
students.(900323)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Qualifications must deliver on our missions, enhancing and
spreading opportunity, and growing our economy. The last
Conservative Government botched the roll-out of T-levels and
defunded them. That is why this Labour Government have announced
a pause and review of qualifications reforms, to support skills
growth and students, and to bring certainty where there has been
chaos. This short, focused review, along with other measures,
such as the curriculum assessment review and the creation of
Skills England, will allow the Government to improve skills
training, unlock opportunity and harness talent.
There are a great many opportunities for technicians and
engineers, which will only increase with the Government's plans
for clean energy and their industrial strategy. However, we are
currently short of intermediate and advanced-level skilled
workers in this country, so will the Secretary of State tell us
how her plans will ensure that more young people make the most of
those opportunities, and how our education system will deliver
the qualifications they need?
I know how passionate my hon. Friend is about ensuring that young
people in Sefton and across our country are able to seize the new
opportunities of the future. We are determined to drive forward
and make Britain a clean energy superpower. Our reformed growth
and skills levy will give businesses greater flexibility and
enable them to take on more young apprentices. Skills England
will allow us to identify the skills gaps in every corner of our
country and ensure that we drive forward on that mission.
Mrs Brackenridge
As a former deputy headteacher, I have seen at first hand the
impact of the previous Government's rushed plans to eliminate
most BTec qualifications, in the midst of a botched roll-out of
T-levels. How does my right hon. Friend intend to fix the mess
that she has inherited and ensure that the diverse aspirations
and varied talents of students in Wolverhampton North East are
met?
Given her background in education, my hon. Friend knows all too
well how important it is that all our young people have the
opportunity to achieve and thrive. She is right that we inherited
a big mess, but we have acted swiftly and we are conducting a
focused, intense review to ensure that all our young people have
options that are available to them and we make a success of
T-levels.
(Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
The Secretary of State is absolutely right that the previous
Government botched the roll-out of T-levels. In particular, the
failure to deliver the T-level in hospitality and tourism was a
huge blow to our communities in the lakes and dales. Her
predecessor said that was caused by a failure to gain placements
in the tourism and hospitality industry. Surely that is
surmountable, so what plans does she have to talk to the
hospitality and tourism industry in order to deliver the T-level
to communities like mine very soon?
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about ensuring that
placements are available. I am happy to ensure that he has a
discussion with the Minister for Skills to make sure we address
his concerns about hospitality.
Rebecca (South West Devon) (Con)
Alderman Tooling in my constituency is one of thousands of
employers now investing in the talent of tomorrow. In five years'
time, does the Secretary of State expect the number of
apprentices to be higher or lower than today?
I pay tribute to all the businesses across our country that are
providing high-quality skills training and apprenticeship starts.
However, apprenticeship starts for the under-25s fell by 38% in
the period 2015-16 to 2022-23. It will fall to this Labour
Government to turn that around.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call .
Mr (Leyton and Wanstead)
(Lab)
Apologies, Madam Deputy Speaker; I was not expecting to be called
so soon.
I thank the Secretary of State for her focus on T-levels and her
recognition of the need for a pause. I back up what my hon.
Friend the Member for Wolverhampton North East (Mrs Brackenridge)
said about the botched nature of the T-level roll-out. Does the
Secretary of State recognise that it is a challenge for many
services, such as the NHS, to absorb T-level students
effectively? Those qualifications need truly to give our young
people the opportunities they deserve. Will she meet me and local
further education experts to discuss this issue?
Madam Deputy Speaker
If Members are bobbing, they should be prepared to be called to
speak.
Yes, I would be very happy to meet my hon. Friend. In this period
of review, we are speaking to employers, training providers and
colleges to ensure that we get this right.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I call to show us how it is done.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for her response to those questions. I know
that she does not have direct responsibility for Northern
Ireland, but may I ask her about apprenticeships? In defence and
cyber-security—in Thales and Spirit AeroSystems—and in agrifood,
opportunities should be there for young ladies as well as for
young men. What is being done to ensure that there is equality of
opportunity for everyone, both male and female?
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about ensuring that
people from a range of different backgrounds, including young
women, see the opportunities that exist. I have had the
opportunity to meet my counterparts in Northern Ireland and I
look forward to working with them to ensure that, across the UK,
we can drive forward on skills, growth and opportunities for all
our young people.
Children's Social Care
(Whitehaven and
Workington) (Lab)
2. What steps she plans to take to reform children's social
care.(900321)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Reforming children's social care is critical to delivering our
opportunity mission, to ensure that a child or young person's
background does not limit their ambition. The children's
wellbeing Bill will remove barriers to opportunity and deliver
the manifesto commitments on children's social care, so that all
children have a chance to thrive in safe, loving homes.
I thank the Minister for her answer. It is just over two years
since I published the independent review of children's social
care, which was commissioned by the previous Government. The
review called for a radical reset of the whole children's social
care system, which was urgently needed, and the previous
Government took some modest steps down that track but failed to
realise the potential. Since the election, a number of the
children, families and care-experienced adults who were involved
in the review have been in touch with me to share their hopes
that we will be able to deliver on the ambition of the review. Do
the Government intend to prioritise the resources that will be
needed to implement the review in the upcoming spending
review?
I thank my hon. Friend for the work he did on the independent
review of children's social care, which this Government are
considering as part of our reform programme. Children's social
care is a key priority for this Government, evidenced by our
commitment to the children's wellbeing Bill announced in the
King's Speech in July. A full programme for delivery will be
produced in order to support that commitment. We have inherited a
challenging set of economic circumstances. However, we are
committed to reforming children's social care, and that will be
brought forward, as I have already mentioned, in the children's
wellbeing Bill.
(Mid Norfolk) (Con)
In Norfolk, as in many other areas, we saw during the pandemic
some hugely complicated issues around early years, including lack
of preparation and learning difficulties, which many of our
schools are dealing with. Will the Minister reassure me that, in
this forthcoming Budget, real attention will be paid both to
supporting that network—supporting the previous Government's
introduction of early years—and to integrating better the mental
health support, the learning difficulty support and the social
care support? In the end, as these are children living one life,
they surely need only one network of support.
I thank the hon. Member for his explanation of all the various
challenges experienced by young people and children. If I had a
crystal ball, I would be able to explain what will happen in the
spending review, but as we move forward and introduce the
children's wellbeing Bill, we will bring clarity to some of the
Government's reforms. The spending review will also reveal where
the Budget lies in these things.
Office for Students
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
3. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the
Office for Students.(900322)
(Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)
23. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the
Office for Students.(900342)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
For too long, universities have been treated as political
battlegrounds. This Labour Government will treat them as engines
of opportunity and growth. On 26 July, I published the report of
the independent review of the Office for Students and appointed
Sir , who led the review, as the
interim chair. Under new leadership and with a sharpened remit,
the Office for Students will concentrate on securing the future
of universities and putting students first.
I welcome the Secretary of State to her position. Last year, the
House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee presented its
report, which was very critical of the OfS—we did not need to
read between the lines to understand just how poorly the
Committee thought of it. It felt that it was serving neither the
students nor the providers. What plans does she have to reset the
relationship with the OfS so that it gives renewed focus to the
students that it is supposed to represent?
I thank my hon. Friend for all his work in this important area to
ensure that our universities are recognised as a crucial part of
how we drive growth in our country. Sir David's review, which we
published in July, is a platform for improvement, and I welcome
and accept its core findings. The Government will support the OfS
in refocusing on fewer key priorities, to do what is most
important for students and universities, and to do it well. We
will take the necessary action to support that work.
Young people in Weston-super-Mare and across our country deserve
the very best opportunities. Since 2016, University Centre Weston
has transformed access to higher education in our town, meaning
that more can study closer to home, improving access. How will
the Labour Government seek to strengthen the strategic objective
of the Office for Students to widen participation in communities
such as mine?
I strongly agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of
widening participation, and he sets out clearly how universities
are a key part of towns and cities right across our country. The
last Government wanted to use our world-leading sector as a
political football, talking down institutions and watching on as
the situation became even more desperate. I have appointed the
new interim chair to sharpen the focus of the Office for
Students, focus far more on the financial sustainability of the
sector, and return universities to being the engines of growth
and opportunity that we want to see after 14 wasted years.
(Hereford and South
Herefordshire) (Con)
I am delighted to hear the right hon. Lady talk about engines of
growth and opportunity, because that is exactly what universities
are when they are well run. In my county we have a new
university, the New Model Institute for Technology and
Engineering, which is doing exactly that, and offering incredible
opportunities for young people to do a masters programme in three
years, and then, as we are seeing with the new cohort, to go into
companies as good as BAE Systems, Kier, Balfour Beatty, the
Atomic Weapons Establishment and others. That work has been
assisted by the Office for Students, which granted new
degree-awarding powers. Does the right hon. Lady share my view
that this is a deeply worthwhile enterprise that could be
replicated around the country, and will she come and visit
herself?
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for raising this
matter. I would be happy to meet with him to discuss it
further.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call the shadow Minister.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
We have seen attempts by hostile states to influence our higher
education sector, which the last Conservative Government took
action to counter. Does the Secretary of State therefore share
the concerns about reports that Peking University HSBC Business
School in Oxford may be partly operating under Chinese Communist
party rules, and does she expect the Office for Students to
investigate that?
The shadow Minister will know that the Office for Students is
independent, but I will ensure that it looks very carefully at
the concerns that he has set out, and addresses them
accordingly.
Academic Freedom in Higher Education
Mr (Basildon and Billericay)
(Con)
5. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of
academic freedom in the higher education sector.(900324)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
The Government fully support academic freedom. Higher education
must be a space for robust discussion and intellectual rigour,
and it was a Labour Government that enshrined freedom of
expression into law. Our recent decision to pause the
implementation of further parts of the Higher Education (Freedom
of Speech) Act 2023 was precisely because we believe in academic
freedom. It is therefore crucial that the legal framework is
workable. in the other place and officials are
speaking with a range of stakeholders. Their views will form part
of our consideration of all options for protecting academic
freedom into the future. No options are off the table.
Mr Holden
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, and welcome her
to her new position. Can she give the House a cast-iron guarantee
that when she decided to reverse the Higher Education (Freedom of
Speech) Act, she gave no consideration to the consequences of the
new freedom of speech duties that the Act would impose on
universities in terms of their financial relationship with
authoritarian regimes such as the People's Republic of China?
Yes, I can give the right hon. Gentleman that reassurance. We
looked very carefully and very closely at the way in which the
legislation was going to operate. I want to ensure that we have
good, strong, workable legislation. I was concerned about what I
had heard from Jewish groups and other minority communities about
the unintended consequences that might follow from the
legislation. That is why I paused commencement, with a view to
getting this right, ensuring that we protect academic freedom
while avoiding a situation where hate speech is allowed to
flourish on campus.
(Gower) (Lab)
I congratulate the Secretary of State on taking the hard
decisions that are needed in Government, and I am very pleased to
hear that no options are off the table. What reassurances can she
give me and other women that she will protect female academics,
such as Jo Phoenix, Kathleen Stock and Selina Todd, from being
bullied and hounded out of successful university careers?
Like my hon. Friend, I take having strong freedom of expression
in our universities, and students being exposed to a range of
views—some of which they might find difficult or disagree
with—extremely seriously. That is why it is so important to have
a wide-ranging education. Officials will ensure that we engage
with a wide range of views in this important area as we look at
next steps, and I would be more than happy to discuss that in
more detail with her.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call the shadow Minister.
Mr Gagan (South West Hertfordshire)
(Con)
I welcome the Secretary of State to her place. The Higher
Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 would have ensured that
universities in England had the tools they needed to deal with
interference and threats to freedom of speech and academic
freedom, wherever they originated. Now that the Government will
no longer implement that Act, will she clarify her alternative
plans to protect academic freedom in the higher education
sector?
The hon. Gentleman will know that freedom of expression and
academic freedom are incredibly important. The Office for
Students sets out duties, and many of those principles are
already enshrined in law. However, I want to ensure that we get
this right. I am confident that he would not have wanted to be in
a position where the Act opened up the potential for hate speech,
including Holocaust denial, to be spread on campus—something that
the Minister in the previous Government was unable to rule
out.
Private School Closures
(Stoke-on-Trent Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
6. What information her Department holds on the number of private
schools that closed in England between 11 May 2010 and 5 July
2024.(900325)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Excluding private special schools, around 50 private schools
close each year. There are a range of reasons for closure,
including financial viability and departmental action where
schools are not meeting required standards. Some 1,102 private
schools closed between 11 May 2010 and 5 July 2024. It is also
worth noting that the number of pupils in private schools
increased in 2023-24, and that there has been a net increase of
13 private schools over that period.
St Joseph's preparatory school, a small fee-paying independent
school in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is closing its doors
at the end of this year after a period of financial viability
questions. What support will the Department offer the city
council and parents in Stoke-on-Trent to ensure that those
children can still access first-class education?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question and welcome him back to
this place. He is a tireless champion for children in his
constituency and regularly speaks up on local schools. I am aware
of the situation at St Joseph's preparatory school. Private
schools are of course businesses that are responsible for their
own finances, but the Department stands ready to assist. The
Government are committed to high and rising standards in schools,
and I hope that we can work together to achieve that.
Dame (West Worcestershire)
(Con)
Malvern college, Malvern St James girls' school, Bredon school
and other schools in West Worcestershire that offer places to
children with special educational needs not only play an
important role in our education system, but support the local
economy. Will the Minister state that he does not want to see the
closure of any of those important independent schools in West
Worcestershire?
This Government's ambition is that all children and young people
with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education
as they move into adult life. We are committed to taking a
community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in
mainstream schools, and ensuring that special schools cater to
those with the most complex needs. Children whose places in
private school have been deemed necessary by the local authority
will not be affected by the tax changes.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call the shadow Secretary of State.
(East Hampshire) (Con)
At the start of the new term, we all wish everybody well for the
academic year ahead. What will Ministers say next September to
parents who, because of Labour's education tax, find that class
sizes are bigger and more schools are full, and that fewer
children are able to get a place in their first-choice school in
Bristol, Bury, Salford or Surrey?
I welcome the right hon. Member to his place, and I very much
look forward to working with him to ensure that every child gets
the best start in life. The number of children in private schools
has remained steady despite a 20% real-terms increase in average
private school fees since 2010, and an increase of 55% since
2003. We cannot predict closures, but we will use indicators such
as occupancy to monitor that. My Department works with local
authorities to help them to fulfil their duty to secure
places.
Apprenticeships: Critical Minerals
(St Austell and Newquay)
(Lab)
7. Whether her Department is taking steps to create degree-level
apprenticeships in critical minerals industries. (900326)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
This Government will unleash the green skills we need to make
Britain a clean energy superpower and spread sustainable economic
growth across the country. Businesses can already benefit from
the level 6 mine management degree apprenticeship and we are
establishing Skills England, which will work across the country
and across the Government with employers, local partners, unions
and other experts to ensure that we have the highly trained
workforce that England needs.
In Cornwall, apprenticeships in the critical minerals industry
are so important, creating great work for the next generation,
fostering innovation and supercharging our mission for clean
energy. Will the Secretary of State outline what steps are being
taken to expand our investment in these apprenticeships and meet
the growing skills demand in that industry?
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point about the importance of
apprenticeships and skills in creating local opportunities and
national prosperity. Skills England will work with employers and
other partners to identify the skills needs of the next decade,
and ensure that the training needed for those skills, including
apprenticeships, is accessible through the growth and skills
levy.
SEND Provision
Dr (Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Lab)
8. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services. (900327)
(Stevenage) (Lab)
10. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services. (900329)
(North Somerset) (Lab)
12. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services. (900331)
(Basingstoke) (Lab)
13. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services. (900332)
(Ealing Southall)
(Lab)
15. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services. (900334)
(Hexham) (Lab)
25. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision
of SEND services.(900344)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
The Conservatives left a trail of devastation across education,
and nowhere is that clearer than in our current special
educational needs and disabilities system. We know that, for too
many children and families, the system is just not working, but I
give my personal commitment to hon. Members across the House that
the Government will listen to and work with families to deliver
reform, improving inclusivity in mainstream schools and ensuring
that special schools are able to help those with the most complex
needs.
Dr Gardner
Last week, I visited Expert Citizens in Stoke-on-Trent, where
people with lived experience of using public services help to
inform system redesign. Many of my constituents across different
councils have reported issues with SEND transport, which
highlights the importance of listening to people with lived
experience. In one example, a single working mother may need to
give up her job because she does not have a car. She does not get
SEND transport because she is 0.1 miles outside and therefore she
cannot get her child to school. Does the Secretary of State agree
that SEND transport needs a service rethink—one centred and built
on the lived experience of the parents and children who use that
service?
My hon. Friend is right to stress the need to listen to children,
families and all those working in the system in order to deliver
reform. If she can share some more detail with me, I will happily
take a look.
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for her answer and to the
Minister for School Standards for her response to last week's
Westminster Hall debate, led by my hon. Friend the Member for
Hitchin (), on SEND provision in
Hertfordshire. As the Minister will recall, there are many
heartbreaking experiences faced by children and young people in
Stevenage and across Hertfordshire, where waiting times are much
higher than the national average. Will the Secretary of State
therefore consider a fairer funding settlement for SEND provision
in Hertfordshire when she is next able to do so?
My hon. Friend is right to draw attention to the significant
interest in the Westminster Hall debate, and the level of
interest today demonstrates the importance of getting this issue
right. I know from speaking to him that he is concerned about the
issue. I agree that it is important that there is a fair
education funding system that directs funding where it is most
needed. One aspect of that is the national funding formula and
allocating high-needs funding. We will take our time to look
carefully at whether any changes are required, including in
Hertfordshire.
May I ask my right hon. Friend to detail the Department's plans
to help to solve the recruitment problem for SEND professionals,
to enable schools to deal with education, health and care plans
in constituencies such as mine, North Somerset?
It is certainly the case that there is a big workforce challenge,
and making sure that we have specialists in critical areas is a
central part of making sure children and young people can access
the support they need. Our school support staff will play a
crucial role in that, which is why Labour will reinstate the
school support staff negotiating body. We will make sure that
teachers have more training alongside support staff, in order to
deliver better support and education for our young people, and
this year we are investing over £21 million to train 400 more
educational psychologists.
I welcome the Secretary of State's answer. On doorsteps, in
surgeries and over email, families across Basingstoke have told
me countless stories of the obstacles they have to go through
just to have the barest acknowledgement of their child's needs,
only to go through a similar obstacle course for their child to
be assessed, and yet again for them to get the help they are
legally entitled to. Can the Secretary of State offer families in
Basingstoke with experience of this failing system some hope that
they can expect better in future?
I joined my hon. Friend in Basingstoke during the general
election campaign, so I know that many families in Basingstoke
and right across our country were concerned about this issue, and
I can give him that commitment. Members on the Conservative
Benches may recall that the previous Education Secretary
described the system that she left behind as one that was
“lose-lose-lose”. I agree. We are determined to turn that around,
which is why we have already restructured the Department for
Education, with much more focus on support for children with SEND
as part of our schools provision.
Speech and language support for children with special educational
needs and disabilities was clearly not a priority for the
previous Government. I have seen the damage that that has done to
families in my constituency of Ealing Southall: at a recent
surgery, one mum told me that she just wants her young son to be
able to tell her when he is in pain. What steps will the
Secretary of State take to ensure that children like those in my
constituency receive the speech and language support that they
need?
My hon. Friend is right to highlight how important it is that all
of our children have strong speech and language skills. That is
why this Government will roll out early language interventions to
make sure that all of our children get support at the earliest
possible point, including extending the Nuffield early language
intervention for this academic year, because it is so important
that we make a difference when our children are young.
I thank the Secretary of State for her answers so far. People in
my constituency of Hexham—one of the largest constituencies in
the country—routinely tell me of the struggle they face in
enabling their children to access the support they need and the
education they are entitled to. Will the Secretary of State or
one of her Ministers meet with me to discuss the challenges of
accessing SEND education in such a rural constituency?
As the first ever Labour MP for Hexham, my hon. Friend will be a
champion of rural communities across the country. I would be more
than happy to meet with him—or my hon. Friend the Minister for
School Standards will meet with him—to discuss this important
concern, which I know many Members wish to discuss.
(Beverley and Holderness)
(Con)
I thank the Secretary of State for her answer, and for her
personal commitment to creating a fairer funding system for
children with special educational needs. In that light, she will
forgive me if I mention that the East Riding has the lowest
high-needs block allocation of any local authority in England. So
many people have been genuinely committed to a fairer system in
the past. Will the Secretary of State set out how she will
achieve that? It is easy to support it in principle, but it is
very hard to find a way of delivering it in practice.
I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his question, and
will make sure that officials engage with him on that point. If
there is anything further he would like to share, I will happily
look at it. He is right: this is a difficult area, and we need to
make sure we get it right. I am determined to deliver a system
where all children and young people have every chance and
opportunity. Particularly when it comes to SEND support, we will
have to work across the House to get to a much stronger and
better position for our children and families.
(Boston and Skegness)
(Reform)
What is the Secretary of State going to do about the capacity
crisis that is rapidly emerging as tens of thousands of children
are being forced out of independent schools by this Government's
deeply misguided VAT policy? I have a list of 20 schools in
Buckinghamshire with no places whatsoever, and Bristol city
council is considering buying places from an independent school
to put back in that school, at taxpayers' expense, a child who
recently left that school at the parents' expense.
We were elected on a manifesto of driving high and rising
standards in our state schools. The public back our policy. We
think it is right that we prioritise investment in our state
schools where the vast majority of our children go to school,
including the vast majority of children in the hon. Gentleman's
constituency. I suggest that he spends a bit more time thinking
about their interests.
(Salisbury) (Con)
I welcome the Secretary of State's commitment to improve the
provision of SEND services in schools, but does she recognise
that many ordinary, hard-working families make extraordinary
efforts to find provision ahead of a formal assessment in
independent schools as well? Will she commit to making an
assessment of what levels of provision currently exist within the
independent sector to satisfy special educational needs, because
it will be material to the solution she will need to develop?
As the Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the
Member for Portsmouth South (), has set out, we will make
sure that, where children have an education, health and care
plan, the VAT on fees policy change will not affect those
children. I recognise the point the right hon. Member makes and I
believe that parents have a right to choose where their children
go to school, but the vast majority of parents in our country who
send their children to state school are also ambitious and
aspirational for their children.
(North Shropshire) (LD)
Maria, in my constituency, has a son who was in a specialist
placement, and in October last year that school said it could no
longer meet his need. Since then, he has not been back in
full-time education, while another headteacher keeps telling me
that special needs provision in Shropshire is decades behind
elsewhere in the country. If the Secretary of State aspires for
all children in the country to have their special needs met, how
is she going to ensure that happens in places that are struggling
so much with funding, such as Shropshire?
I recognise the challenge the hon. Lady sets out, and part of it
is making sure that our mainstream schools are better able to
cater for children with a wide range of needs. I am very sorry to
hear about the experience of her constituent, and I am sure my
hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards will be happy to
meet her or to look into that further to see if any action can be
taken to support the family.
Dr (Hinckley and Bosworth)
(Con)
In Leicestershire, special educational needs has been a real
problem that I have seen in my constituency. The last Government
made it one of the trailblazers to come together and trial some
of the new things that could be done in special educational
needs, and we started to see some progress in that. Will the
Secretary of State meet me and the other Leicestershire MPs to
discuss how we can take that forward, so we can get better
provision for Hinckley and Bosworth and for Leicestershire?
The hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to any emerging
evidence that shows new ways of doing things. As a new
Government, we are keen to do precisely what he describes to make
sure, particularly when it comes to a better join-up between
health and education, that we see faster improvement. I would be
happy to meet him and Leicestershire colleagues, although my hon.
Friend the Minister might be able to step in.
(Eastbourne) (LD)
Too many Eastbourne parents, my mum included, are forced to
relentlessly fight to get their children into the school that can
best meet their children's special educational needs. That is so
often down to a lack of funding, so will the Secretary of State
commit to meeting Eastbourne families, Eastbourne school leaders
and me to hear about the SEND landscape locally, and provide the
funding that local children with special educational needs need
and deserve?
The hon. Member is right in his characterisation of a system that
is adversarial and where so many parents have to fight to get a
good education and support for their children. I would be happy
to do so, or perhaps my hon. Friend the Minister might take that
meeting.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call the shadow Minister.
(North West Norfolk) (Con)
It was in response to growing demand that the last Conservative
Government increased the high-needs budget to £10.5 billion and
put in place a statutory override so that SEND-related deficits
did not overwhelm council budgets. With that set to expire in
2026, what is the Secretary of State's message to local
authorities: is she pushing the Chancellor to extend that
protection or for deficits to be written off?
I am genuinely surprised that the hon. Gentleman thinks that
question is a source of strength. It represents significant
failure over 14 years that we have ended up in such a desperate
position facing our councils. We will of course look closely at
all of this but, after 14 years when he will have heard that
families have been terribly let down by the last Government, a
period of reflection on his part might be in hand.
Student Mental Health
(Mid Sussex) (LD)
9. What steps her Department is taking to support the mental
health and wellbeing of students.(900328)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
This Government are breaking down barriers to opportunity by
providing young people with the mental health support they need.
The Office for Students is providing universities with £15
million this year to improve their mental health and wellbeing
support. Our further education student support champion, Polly
Harrow, is driving a strategic approach to supporting mental
health for further education students.
I thank the Minister for her answer. The Children's Society has
found that British 15-year-olds are the unhappiest in Europe, and
school absences are at record levels, often due to poor mental
health or inadequate support for special educational needs. Early
intervention is key to tackling mental health issues among our
children. Does the Minister agree that, by putting a mental
health professional into every primary and secondary school, we
could help end the youth mental health crisis?
I thank the hon. Member for her question and sincere concern
about the mental health of children and young people. This
Government are committed to improving mental health and wellbeing
support for all children and young people. It is vital that the
right support is available to every young person who needs it.
That is why we will provide access to specialist mental health
provision professionals in every school.
(Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
As I have already mentioned in the House a number of times, I am
a former teacher, I am married to a current teacher and most of
my friends are teachers—[Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”]She'll be
pleased with that. The mental health of teachers after the last
14 years is at rock bottom. What steps will the Department take
to support not just the mental health and wellbeing of our
students, which is really important, but the mental health and
wellbeing of our teachers?
I thank my hon. Friend for making it extremely clear that he is a
teacher and has teachers within his network. He is right to
mention the welfare and wellbeing of professionals and of
teachers. I would like to offer him a meeting with an Education
Minister to discuss that further.
(Ashfield) (Reform)
Every year in the UK, hundreds of teenagers take their own
lives—children as young as 12, like Riley Townsend in the
constituency of Ashfield, who took his own life just a few weeks
ago because of mental health problems. What more can we do to
support our young people through the social care and education
systems to stop this epidemic?
I thank the hon. Member for highlighting that very serious
concern. Student suicide is serious and a concerning matter. In
the academic year ending 2020, the suicide rate for higher
education students in England and Wales was lower than in the
general population of the same age group. However, every suicide
is tragic and suicide expert Sir Louis Appleby is overseeing the
national review of higher education suicides to learn more to
prevent suicides. It has seen excellent engagement from the
sector and will report on that.
(Birmingham Northfield)
(Lab)
Last year, there was a 38% increase in the number of CAMHS
referrals in Birmingham, while also a sharp fall in the number of
young people seen within six months of a referral. Does the
Minister agree that we need much more preventive support in
schools, and closer working between education and health
bodies?
My hon. Friend is right. This Government have committed to
recruiting 8,500 additional staff across children and adult NHS
mental health services. That will help to reduce delays, provide
faster treatment and ease pressure on busy mental health
services. Family hubs are also crucial to providing that.
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
I call the shadow Minister.
Mr (South West Hertfordshire)
(Con)
The previous Conservative Government introduced mental health
support teams in schools, and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic
is still being felt by students, particularly regarding mental
health. Will the Secretary of State commit to continuing those
mental health support teams to ensure that students can access
the mental health care that they need?
I thank the shadow Minister for his question. As I have already
outlined, this Government are committed to improving the mental
health and wellbeing of children and young people, and we will
provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every
school.
Teacher Recruitment
McAllister (West Dunbartonshire)
(Lab)
11. What steps she is taking to recruit more teachers.
(900330)
(Penrith and
Solway) (Lab)
17. What steps she is taking to recruit more teachers.
(900336)
The Minister for School Standards ()
As a first step in our mission to break down barriers to
opportunity, we will recruit 6,500 additional teachers. We have
kickstarted the recruitment campaigns, and made a 5.5% pay award,
resetting the relationship with the education workforce. We will
re-establish teaching as an attractive expert profession after
years of damage under the previous Government.
McAllister
This Government have promised change in education, and made a
commitment to raising school standards and increasing teacher
numbers after 14 years of Tory neglect. The Scottish National
party's 17 years in power have led to falling standards,
under-resourced schools and a growing attainment gap between the
richest and the rest. Does the Minister agree that it is time for
change, given the Scottish National party's dismal record on
education in Scotland?
Breaking down barriers to opportunity is a key mission for this
Government and the Scottish Labour party. The SNP has seen
attainment gaps widen and child poverty soar, but we will
transform our education system so that all young people get the
opportunities that they deserve, by driving high and rising
standards across our education system. That is the change that
this Labour Government will deliver.
Many teachers in my constituency welcome the drive to recruit
more teachers, but they also want the Government to recognise the
pressures on those already in the profession. What steps will the
Department take to improve teacher retention in constituencies
such as Penrith and Solway?
I want teachers to not only remain in the profession, but to
thrive in it. That is why we are listening and acting on
feedback. The Department, alongside school leaders, has developed
a workload reduction toolkit and the education staff wellbeing
charter. We will deliver a range of measures to make teaching a
better valued and respected profession.
(North Herefordshire)
(Green)
I recently visited Herefordshire, Ludlow and North Shropshire
college, which provides excellent further education opportunities
for students in my constituency. However, there is not parity of
funding for teachers in the FE sector and those in the schools
sector, meaning that post-16 education is now better funded for
those pursuing academic courses than for those pursuing
vocational courses. Will the Secretary of State roll out the 5.5%
pay rise to teachers in the FE sector also, so that there is no
increase in inequality between academic and vocational
opportunities?
We accepted the School Teachers Review Body's recommendation of a
5.5% award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools in
England from September. It is a substantial award that recognises
the hard work of those in our teaching profession. We recognise
the challenges in the FE sector also and the issues that the hon.
Lady outlines. We will continue to keep the matter under review,
because we want to ensure that every child has the best
opportunities, whether that is in our school system or in our FE
sector.
(Twickenham) (LD)
The new Government's focus on the serious recruitment and
retention crisis is welcome. However, as we have heard, the
recent pay announcement overlooked teachers who work in colleges,
who already face a pay gap of more than £9,000. We have twice the
proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in our
colleges as in school sixth forms, so the recruitment issue is
even more pressing in our colleges. Why is it that teachers of
16-year-olds in schools deserve a pay rise, but teachers of
16-year-olds in colleges do not?
We recognise the challenges that the hon. Lady sets out. We are
facing an incredibly challenging fiscal position. From the
previous Government, we inherited a £22 billion black hole to
make up. This is about the opportunities of young people in this
country, and we take the issues that she outlines incredibly
seriously. We will continue to do what we can within the fiscal
envelope that we have, and within the system that we have
inherited. That is why we honoured the recommendations of the
STRB review, and we will continue to do what we can in FE.
Children in Care: Educational Outcomes
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
14. What steps she is taking to help improve educational outcomes
for (a) children in social care and (b) other care-experienced
young people. (900333)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
I thank my hon. Friend for all the work that she has done in
standing up for children in social care in recent years. We will
champion the ambitions of all children and ensure that background
is no barrier to success. In our children's wellbeing Bill, we
will set out our plans to raise standards for all children in
social care and will ensure that they are supported to
thrive.
The drop-out rate from university for care-experienced students
is 38%, compared with just 6% for non-care-experienced young
people. As thousands of students are arriving at university for
the first time this week, what steps is the Minister taking to
ensure that there is a consistent package of support for
care-experienced students at every university to help them
overcome the barriers that they too often face, and to ensure
that university is a place where they feel welcome and can
thrive?
I thank my hon. Friend for her question and the passion with
which it was delivered. I recently spoke to members of a children
and young people's advisory group, who told me about some of the
challenges they face at university. In some cases, they had not
even been informed about the option of university, which is quite
shocking. We are committed to providing the best university
experience for care leavers. Access to higher education should be
based on ability and attainment, not background, but too many
children across our country do not get the chance to succeed. The
previous Government could have done much more.
We will act to address the persistent gaps when it comes to
access and positive outcomes for care-experienced young people.
We have issued guidance to universities on supporting
care-experienced young people and introduced statutory financial
support, including a £2,000 bursary, but after the last 14 years,
there is still so much more to do.
Children's Wellbeing Bill
(Liverpool Walton) (Lab)
16. When she plans to bring forward the children's wellbeing
Bill. (900335)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
The children's wellbeing Bill will be introduced as soon as
parliamentary time allows. The Bill aims to put children and
their wellbeing at the centre of the education and children's
social care systems, and to ensure that every child has a
fulfilling childhood, enabling them to succeed and thrive.
I know from visiting schools in my Walton constituency that some
of the most difficult challenges that teachers face often come
from the difficult socioeconomic challenges of the area spilling
over into schools, so I welcome the Government's focus on
children's wellbeing. Most important to my constituents will be
the roll-out of free breakfast clubs. Could the Minister tell me
a little bit about how and when they will be rolled out?
I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Breakfast clubs are
about more than just food: they provide opportunities for
children to play, to learn and to socialise at the start of the
school day. The Government are giving parents more choice in
childcare, and are supporting families with the cost of living
crisis. Our plans for breakfast clubs will remove barriers to
opportunity by ensuring that every child of primary school age,
no matter their circumstances, is well prepared for school.
Topical Questions
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms )
We are moving on to topicals; the questions will be short, and
the ministerial responses will be snappy.
(Macclesfield) (Lab)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(900345)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
As we start the new academic year, I want to say thank you to all
staff working across education, and to wish all learners the best
for the year ahead. It will be the mission of this new Government
to break down barriers to opportunity, so that where a person is
from does not determine what they can go on to achieve, and so
that every child has the best start in life. We launch our
mission against a backdrop of many inherited challenges: a
childcare pledge without a plan for delivery; a crumbling schools
estate; a school attendance crisis; large attainment gaps; and
falling apprenticeship starts and training opportunities. I am
determined to turn this around. We will drive high and rising
standards across education, from early years right through to
adult learning.
Across the Macclesfield area, we have fantastic schools, but the
legacy of 14 years of Conservative mismanagement means that they
have some of the lowest funding in the country. Will Ministers
meet me to discuss how we can turn the situation about and fund
our schools properly?
I know that my hon. Friend cares deeply about the life chances of
children in Macclesfield and across Cheshire East. I would be
happy to meet him to discuss the matter further.
(East Hampshire) (Con)
The Opposition share the Secretary of State's good wishes to all
for the new term and the new year, but does she recall that last
time Labour was in office, not only did England tumble down the
world education rankings, but we ended up as the only country in
the developed world where the literacy and numeracy of recent
school leavers was worse than that of the generation who were
about to retire? If she continues to follow the same failed
Labour approach, does she expect a different result this
time?
The right hon. Gentleman, as a former Minister in the Department,
knows all too well that he and others were cautioned about how
they should be using data. When we look at the raw numbers, we
see that under the last Conservative Government, reading
standards were going down, as were standards in maths and
science. One in four children did not reach the required standard
at the end of primary school, and one in five young people was
persistently absent from our schools. We will drive high and
rising standards right across academic subjects, but we will also
ensure that all our children and young people have a range of
opportunities in music, sport, art and drama, not just those with
parents who can afford it.
(Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)
T2. As the new school year begins, far too many students in my
constituency have not yet been able to secure a school place of
their choice. Does my hon. Friend agree that the schools
allocation policy needs a desperate overhaul? Many people believe
that it is not fit for purpose. Could she tell the House what
steps the Government are taking to address this extremely
important issue?(900346)
The Minister for School Standards ()
We recognise the challenges that my hon. Friend raises, which is
why the Government will introduce changes, so that state-funded
schools can be asked to co-operate with local authorities on
admissions and place planning. Local authorities have a
responsibility to allocate all applicants a school place on
national offer day. If children in his area are still without
places, I would be happy to meet him, and to support him in
resolving those issues.
(Twickenham) (LD)
Disadvantaged pupils between 16 and 19 are likely to be up to
four grades behind their more affluent peers. We know that
funding drops by about a third at 16, yet 16-to-19 tuition was
axed in July, and the pupil premium has never applied to that age
group. If the Secretary of State is serious about smashing the
glass ceiling, will she consider increasing funding targeted at
this group?
I share the hon. Lady's concern about making sure that we target
funding in the most effective way. That is why I have said that
my No. 1 priority is ensuring that we support children and young
people at the earliest possible point, and give a real commitment
around early education and childcare, because that is the single
biggest way to ensure that our children arrive at school really
well prepared and to stop those gaps opening up as children
progress through education.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
T4. The early years sector faces significant challenges in
delivering the roll-out of the expanded childcare offer promised
by the last Government. The sector consistently cites the
inability to recruit and retain staff as the biggest difficulty.
Can the Minister confirm when the Government plan to publish the
promised workforce strategy for the early years, and what
opportunities there will be for the sector to have its
say?(900348)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
I thank my hon. Friend for all her hard work while in opposition
on these important issues. This Government see early education as
more than just childcare; it is central to our mission to give
every child the best start in life. We recognise the inherited
workforce challenges, in both recruitment and retention. In the
coming weeks and months, this Government will set out plans for
reform, beginning with a complete reset with the sector, so that
the workforce feel supported and valued.
(Bridlington and The
Wolds) (Con)
T3. As was alluded to by my right hon. Friend the Member for
Beverley and Holderness (), children with special
educational needs and disabilities in some urban local
authorities receive three times more funding than they do in the
East Riding of Yorkshire. Will the Secretary of State or her
Minister meet me and East Riding colleagues, so that we can
secure a fairer future for our local children? (900347)
The Secretary of State has set out extensive responses to
extensive questions on the inherited challenges in the SEND
system. We recognise the issues that the hon. Gentleman raised,
and will be happy to meet him and his colleagues around his local
authority area to discuss this further.
(Shrewsbury) (Lab)
T6. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the
Shrewsbury Colleges Group in my constituency on yet another
excellent round of results this summer, with A-level pass rates
at over 98% and 210 vocational students achieving a triple
distinction? It is a superb institution in our rural area,
working to drive up engagement and standards for vocational
qualifications, which are the bedrock of our industrial strategy
and central to the Government's mission to break down the
barriers to opportunity. Will she join me in celebrating its
success, and assure it that it has parity of esteem with its
academic school counterparts, and will she perhaps book a
visit?(900350)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Further education is front and centre of unlocking opportunity. I
join my hon. Friend in congratulating the Shrewsbury Colleges
Group on its excellent results.
(South Devon) (LD)
T5. Schools in Devon are missing out on £23.5 million a year due
to the national funding formula—the equivalent of 450 full-time
teachers across the county. Will the Minister meet me to discuss
how Devon's school children are missing out, particularly those
living in the most deprived areas?(900349)
I recognise the concerns the hon. Lady raises. The Government
intend to take time to consider the various funding formulas the
Department and local authorities currently use to allocate
funding for schools. It is really important that we have a fair
education funding system that directs funding to where it is
needed, and I would be happy to meet her to discuss the
particular challenges in her area.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
T7. The Steiner school in my constituency, with its nurturing and
therapeutic pedagogy, is most challenged by the VAT policy, yet
it enables many children who have anxiety or who would otherwise
not be in education to access school. Will the Secretary of State
meet me to discuss my report on the impact of the VAT policy and
find ways to keep this school open and the children in
education?(900351)
We expect that private schools will want to continue to
demonstrate wider public benefit through the provision of
means-tested bursaries and partnerships with state-funded schools
after the changes are made. As this is a taxation matter, His
Majesty's Treasury is leading the implementation of the policy.
It published a technical note about the proposed changes on 29
July and will confirm its plans at Budget. I encourage all
private schools to engage with that process, and I would happily
meet my hon. Friend to discuss her report.
(Thornbury and Yate) (LD)
T9. I draw the attention of the House to my entry in the Register
of Members' Financial Interests, as I am still a South
Gloucestershire councillor. As last Thursday's packed debate
showed, children with SEND are being let down. Many local
authorities are currently locked into safety valve agreements
with the Department for Education, which were put into place
pre-pandemic and contain unrealistic targets that no longer
reflect the situation on the ground. Will the Secretary of State
review those agreements, and meet me and local leaders to discuss
the situation in South Gloucestershire?(900353)
The hon. Lady raises a concern that many have raised. She will
have seen the level of concern at the special educational needs
inheritance that this Government have taken on. Current safety
valve agreements will continue to operate, as they are agreed,
but we will look at their use going forward. I would be happy to
meet her to discuss the particular challenges in her area.
(Stratford and Bow) (Lab)
T8. May I take this opportunity to welcome my right hon. Friend
to her place, and to welcome students across Stratford and Bow
back to school as they start their new term? The Secretary of
State understands as well as I do the struggles some parents have
in getting their children back to school, especially those with
mental health and special educational needs. Will she outline
what steps she is taking to ensure that school really is the best
place for every child?(900352)
I recognise the important point that my hon. Friend raises. Many
parents are doing everything they can, often in very challenging
circumstances, to support their children into school. For my
part, I can assure her that this Government will do everything we
can to make sure children find welcoming, safe environments at
school, with better mental health support, breakfast clubs in our
primary schools, a broader, richer curriculum, and more support
around SEND in mainstream settings.
(Central Suffolk and North
Ipswich) (Con)
There were reports in the press a couple of weeks ago that the
Secretary of State took meetings with teaching unions who made
the argument that multiplication times tables should be taken off
the national curriculum. Given our stratospheric success in
PISA—programme for international student assessment—numeracy
ratings, thanks to changes introduced by the Conservative
Government, can she give us a 100% cast-iron guarantee that she
will not dumb down the curriculum in this country and will not
take times tables off the national curriculum?
I would caution the hon. Gentleman about believing everything he
reads in the press. Times tables are an important part of our
system. We will drive high and rising standards from Government.
Rather than picking pointless fights and avoidable industrial
action, what he will see from this Government is a different
relationship, as we work in partnership with teachers, school
leaders and support staff to deliver better life chances for all
of our children.
(Gateshead Central and
Whickham) (Lab)
T10. The last set of PISA results under the Conservative
Government showed standards in England's schools going backwards:
backwards in reading—[Interruption]—maybe Conservative Members
should listen—backwards in maths and backwards in science. Does
my right hon. Friend agree that that is far from a record to be
proud of?(900354)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Conservative Members do not
like it, but it is absolutely true. I would add that, when it
comes to the concerns my hon. Friend raises, we see stark
attainment gaps in the difference between what our poorest and
more affluent children are able to achieve. That blights the life
chances of children in his constituency of Gateshead. We are
determined to make progress on that, unlike the previous
Government.
(Dewsbury and Batley)
(Ind)
I congratulate the Secretary of State and her team, and welcome
them to their places.
In my constituency, children are being unenrolled after 20 days
of absence, even when there is a valid and compassionate reason
for their leave. Will the Secretary of State commit herself to
reviewing this harmful and punitive rule, which is leaving
children in my constituency without a school for many months, and
will she take steps to make the necessary changes to protect
those children and their right to an education?
I am happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss the points that he
has raised. Attendance and off-rolling are issues that the
Government take very seriously, and we will set out more policies
on them in due course.
(Camborne and Redruth)
(Lab)
The last Government promised to publish a register of children
who were not in school. I welcome the measures taken by this
Government, but can the Minister update me on the next steps
towards publication of the register?
This Government have no time to waste if we are to fix the
foundations of our country after 14 years of decline. We will
legislate for the register through the children's wellbeing Bill,
which will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows,
and which will support the Government's work to ensure that every
child has the best start in life.
Greg (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)
Can the Minister confirm that the funding announced on 9 May by
the Conservative Government for a brand-new SEND school in the
county of Buckinghamshire is in no way, shape or form “under
review”, and that we will get that new school?
Ensuring that schools and colleges have the resources and
buildings that they need is a key part of our mission to break
down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best
start in life. We are committed to improving the condition of the
estate through the Department's annual funding, continuing the
school rebuilding programme and fixing the problems caused by
reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
(St Helens North) (Lab)
At the start of the new school year, may I wish all teachers,
school staff and children in my constituency the very best for
the year ahead?
Does my hon. Friend agree that, as part of the curriculum review,
which I warmly welcome and look forward to, we need an education
system and curriculum—particularly in primary schools—with much
more focus on learning through play, on oracy, and on
multisensory movement and the recording of learning? That would
benefit not just children with SEND, but all pupils.
The curriculum assessment review, led by experts, will focus on
the evidence—what we know from here and abroad about how we can
best help children of all ages and abilities to learn, and that
includes children with special educational needs. I am sure that
those conducting the review will want to investigate different
approaches to the primary curriculum, including those mentioned
by my hon. Friend, but I would not want to pre-empt the review's
conclusions and recommendations.
