Apprenticeships: Occupation Range
(Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con)
1. What steps her Department is taking to help increase the
number of occupations for which apprenticeships are
available.(901895)
(Waveney) (Con)
18. What steps her Department is taking to help increase the
number of occupations for which apprenticeships are
available.(901915)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
I join you in your comments, Mr Speaker. My thoughts are with the
family of .
Thanks to this Conservative Government, nearly 70% of all
occupations are accessible via an apprenticeship. That is a far
greater reach than countries admired for their technical
education such as Germany and Switzerland. I am sure that many
Members joined the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and more than
60 ministerial colleagues out and about during National
Apprenticeship Week. I was delighted to join Harry, Chloe and
other EDF Energy apprentices off the coast of Blyth, as well as
apprentices who are launching exciting careers at J.P. Morgan in
the City. Apprenticeships are the route to a successful career,
no matter where apprentices live or what they want to do.
I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. Last month, the
Prime Minister visited the Harrogate Bus Company to view the new
fleet of electric buses and to meet the company’s apprentices.
Could my right hon. Friend detail how the Government will ensure
that new apprenticeship routes are available in fast developing
sectors of the economy such as digitisation and artificial
intelligence, or the sectors that will deliver our
decarbonisation pledge, such as those new zero-emission buses in
Harrogate and Knaresborough?
I thank my hon. Friend for his support at the recent
parliamentary apprenticeship fair. Importantly, our
apprenticeship programme is future focused. It includes a new
battery manufacturing technician apprenticeship, which will
benefit electric buses, and others including charging point
installation and electric vehicle maintenance. Whether through
T-levels, higher technical qualifications or apprenticeships,
there are more training opportunities in industries of the future
than ever before, in everything from AI to net zero.
I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for those answers.
Progress is being made, though the feedback that I am receiving
is that the current maths and English functional skills
requirement is an obstacle to a wider range of employers taking
on apprentices. To remove that barrier, will my right hon. Friend
consider embedding English and maths elements into the
apprenticeships standards, so that they are relevant to the job
role and employers can be confident that apprentices are
acquiring the skills that they need to succeed?
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education works
closely with employers to ensure that all essential skills,
including English, maths and digital, are embedded into
apprenticeship standards, and it will continue to do so. We are
also increasing funding by 50% to help more apprentices achieve
up to a level 2 English or maths qualification alongside their
apprenticeship if they do not already hold one, to help them get
on in work and in life.
(Denton and Reddish)
(Lab)
As someone who started his working life with on-the-job training
at International Computers Limited—a company that is now part of
Fujitsu, but we will not mention that name in this House—I very
much support apprenticeships, particularly at the higher and
advanced level that is required for occupations in information
technology. What is the Secretary of State doing to address the
worrying fall in the number of apprenticeship starts,
particularly to get kids into higher and advanced level
apprenticeships?
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will be delighted to learn that
apprenticeship starts are up by 3% so far this year. That is
because they are backed by record investment of £2.7 billion.
Never before has a Government invested so much into high-quality
apprenticeships and achieved so much in spreading opportunity
across the country.
(Strangford) (DUP)
Like the questioner and the Secretary of State, I am very keen to
increase the number of occupations. Two categories have perhaps
not been considered. What discussions has she had with the
Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment back home to
ensure opportunities for new apprenticeships in farming and
fishing?
The hon. Gentleman puts his finger on a very important point. We
work with employers in farming and fishing, and we have a number
of apprenticeship standards across those industries. We are
always happy to work with any industry that sees an opportunity
for more apprentices to be trained in their industry.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
Order. Before I call the second question, Mr Speaker would like
me to convey to the House his apologies for his unavoidable
absence from questions this afternoon as he has to attend the
Commonwealth service in Westminster Abbey, which is about to
start at any minute now.
Maintained Schools Funding
(Luton North) (Lab)
2. What assessment her Department has made of the impact of
funding decisions on maintained schools since 2010.(901896)
The Minister for Schools ()
In 2010-11, school funding was £35 billion. Next year, it will be
£59.6 billion. That is the highest ever level in real terms per
pupil.
Recent figures show that the worst impacted schools in Luton
North have endured more than £2 million of real-terms cuts since
2010. There are school roofs with holes in, buckets scattered
across corridors collecting rainwater, and entire buildings held
up by scaffolding. Those are the defining images of 14 years of
Conservative Government, 14 years of budget cuts and teaching
staff expected to do more with less. We need change. Children in
Luton North deserve better. If the Minister agrees, why will he
not give children what they deserve?
On the condition of school buildings, the hon. Lady will know
that there is £1.8 billion-worth of capital for maintaining and
improving school buildings. On the broader questions about school
funding, she might have been alluding—I am looking for some
visual recognition—to figures put together by the National
Education Union. If so, I have to tell her that we believe those
figures to be flawed in multiple respects, including in
assumptions they make about the money and the number of children
in schools in previous years. I hope she will join me in
celebrating the record resourcing rightly going in to educating
children.
(Worcester) (Con)
I welcome the record real-terms funding flowing into our schools,
but will my right hon. Friend join me in looking very carefully
at the case for extending funding for tutoring? It has raised
attainment, in particular for the most disadvantaged, in many of
our schools, and been seen as a great success story. When it was
introduced, it was intended to be a long-term intervention. May I
urge the Minister to continue to look at that and ensure we find
money, in addition to the pupil premium, to support that noble
aim?
I absolutely agree that tutoring is important in multiple
contexts. In particular, in the years since the pandemic it has
played an essential part. I will add that tutoring by
undergraduates can help to introduce a wider range of people to
the potential of a career in teaching. I want tutoring to
continue. As my hon. Friend rightly mentions, part of the
function of the pupil premium is to make such interventions and
it can be spent on them.
(Somerton and Frome) (LD)
A teacher in Frome recently reached out and told me that too few
pupils are successful in their education, health and care plan
applications. Without a plan and the accompanying support for
children’s life chances, they are diminished. Can the Minister
reassure my constituents that the Government’s plans to reform
the EHCP will still ensure that children receive care that is
personalised to their needs and not a one-size-fits-all approach
to cut costs?
I absolutely and wholeheartedly agree with the hon. Lady on the
central importance of that support and how vital it is to have
it. There are, of course, many more EHCPs than there were
statements under the old system, with more children receiving
support. She will understand that I cannot comment on the
individual case she mentions, but I will mention the special
educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision
improvement plan that we have in place.
(Chipping Barnet)
(Con)
I welcome the substantial additional funding that has been given
to maintained nursery schools in my constituency, but does the
Minister agree that it is vital for us to continue to increase
funding for all Barnet’s schools?
As ever, my right hon. Friend is a great champion and advocate
for Barnet’s schools and, indeed, for maintained nursery schools,
which, as she says, play a unique role in our system in carrying
out those particular functions.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Newcastle upon Tyne
North) (Lab)
Last year the National Audit Office reported that 700,000
children were being taught in schools needing major rebuilding
works. On top of the problems caused by reinforced autoclaved
aerated concrete, construction issues are emerging daily with
block and beam flooring, high-alumina cement and asbestos—all
long past their shelf life—up in North Tyneside and down to Luton
and beyond. Fourteen years of Conservative Governments have left
children learning under props and in portacabins and sheds. Given
that this Government’s plan seems to be to leave it for the next
Labour Government to sort out those problems, can the Minister at
least inform us of the latest estimate of the total school
repairs bill?
Keeping our school estates in the right condition for optimally
educating children is of the foremost importance. Since 2015 we
have allocated £15 billion to keeping schools safe and
operational. I pay tribute to everyone who has been involved in
the most recent RAAC issue, including the schools and pupils who
dealt with it and my colleagues who helped to ensure that we
reached this point. All schools have been told what will happen
next: either they will receive a remediation grant, or they will
be part of the school rebuilding programme.
SEND: Support
(Cambridge) (Lab)
4. What steps she is taking to improve support for children with
special educational needs and disabilities.(901898)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
Our SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, published
last March, includes the development of new national standards to
improve provision in mainstream settings for children with
special educational needs. As for children requiring special
school places, last week we announced funding for an additional
wave of 15 special free schools, which comes on top of the 108
that we have opened since 2010 and the 77 whose opening has been
approved.
I visit schools in my constituency virtually every week, and I
see more and more of them struggling financially, and in terms of
staff, with the number of SEND pupils. Moreover, too many staff
members are having to go out and fetch children to bring them to
school in the mornings, and needing to have social workers based
in their schools. This is not about individual schools; it is a
systemic problem. What are the Government doing about it?
In Cambridgeshire, there has been a 27% increase in funding per
head for special educational needs since 2021-22 and a special
free school is in the pipeline, along with two local authority
special competition free schools. Cambridgeshire is also part of
our safety valve programme, which helps authorities to run a
sustainable special educational needs system.
(North Devon) (Con)
I wonder whether my hon. Friend might be able to help my
constituent Ella Wakley, who is disabled and travels to her
college on the bus, but her blue badge does not allow free
transport for her and her assistant until 9.30 am, which is a
little late for the start of the school day.
I do not know the specifics of the case that my hon. Friend
raises, but if she writes to me, I will happily look at it.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Dulwich and West Norwood)
(Lab)
High-quality early years education can be transformational for
children with special educational needs, helping to ensure that
they are identified and supported at the most important time for
their development, but last year fewer than one in five local
authorities in England reported having enough childcare places
for disabled children. That is a shameful failure. Is the
Minister confident that families with a disabled child will be
able to access the childcare to which they are entitled from
April?
We are doing two things in this regard. First, we are reviewing
the special educational needs inclusion fund as we roll out the
new entitlements to ensure that it is working appropriately.
Secondly, we have provided a contractor. Local authorities have a
statutory duty to provide places for all children, including
those with special educational needs, and the contractor will
work with local authorities to ensure that is done.
PSHE Curriculum: Economic Education
(Weston-super-Mare) (Con)
5. If she will issue statutory guidance on teaching economic
education in schools as part of the PSHE curriculum.(901899)
The Minister for Schools ()
It is essential that young people are equipped to make important
financial decisions later in life. My hon. Friend will recall our
curriculum reforms, and the national curriculum for mathematics
and secondary citizenship equips pupils with the essential
knowledge, understanding and practical skills needed to manage
their money.
The Minister is absolutely right to suggest that good financial
education helps people to avoid debts and poverty, and to build
up a savings cushion for a rainy day. Prevention is undoubtedly
better than cure, yet while statutory guidance ensures that
students learn about threats such as drugs or unplanned
pregnancy, money and finance are more optional. Should they not
be taken as seriously as everything else?
I agree with my hon. Friend. There is relevant content in
different parts of the curriculum, not only in mathematics, which
is statutory throughout key stages 1 to 4, but at secondary level
in citizenship. Further elements such as computing are
particularly relevant to online fraud. In relationships, sex and
health education, some aspects of fraud are covered, as is
gambling, but I absolutely agree that it is important to keep
these things under review.
Student Cost of Living Support: Devolved Administrations
(Glasgow South West)
(SNP)
6. What recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in
the devolved Administrations on the potential merits of providing
additional financial support to students in the context of
increases in the cost of living.(901900)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
The hon. Gentleman will know that higher education is a devolved
matter and that each Administration are responsible for
determining the student finance arrangements that apply to
students eligible for funding.
New data reveals that in most areas of England, state school
pupils who have received free school meals have less than a one
in four chance of entering higher education. One reason for that
is that poorer students decide not to pursue that path because of
the prospect of being saddled with huge debt, which takes decades
to clear. Do the Government believe that they should follow the
Scottish Government’s example and abolish tuition fees, so that
education can be made accessible to all?
This Government believe that we need to be fair not only to
students but to taxpayers. It is worth noting that, in England,
those from disadvantaged backgrounds are 74% more likely to go to
university than they were in 2010. We have put together a
substantial package to help students with the cost of living,
including a £286 million welfare support fund, which we give to
the Office for Students to ensure that students with difficulties
are helped.
Madam Deputy Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab)
Following last year’s 2.8% increase, the Government have
announced a paltry 2.5% increase in maintenance loans this
September. With a compound inflation rate of 15%, that amounts to
a massive real-terms cut. Meanwhile, the Welsh Government have
announced a 3.7% increase. Even in Scotland, there will be a
£2,500 special support loan for all students. Across the country,
students are being forced into working multiple jobs to try to
make ends meet. What have this Government got against
students?
I am proud that we have a record number of students going to
university. I have already mentioned the fact that the
disadvantaged are 74% more likely to go to university than they
were before. I will tell the hon. Gentleman what we are doing to
help students: we have a £286 million welfare fund that we give
to the OFS; we have increased loans by 2.8%; we have frozen
tuition fees; families across the country have been given, on
average, £3,700 to help with energy bills and other bills; we
have given hundreds of millions of pounds to the household
support fund to support all families; students know that they can
have their loans reassessed if their family income falls by 15%;
and finally, we have introduced degree apprenticeships so that
students do not need to take out a loan but can earn while they
learn and get a good, skilled job at the end.
Teachers and School Support Staff: Morale
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
7. Whether she is taking steps to help improve the morale of
teachers and school support staff.(901901)
The Minister for Schools ()
Supporting teacher wellbeing is crucial to our commitment to a
supportive culture in schools, and for encouraging teacher
retention. That is why we co-created the education staff
wellbeing charter with the education sector, and we have invested
over £1 million in school leader mental health and wellbeing
support.
Mr Sheerman
Is the truth not that retention is down, recruitment is down and
early retirements are up? What is the Minister going to do to
boost the morale of teachers? They say to me, “Wouldn’t it be
wonderful to have a Cabinet who had been through a state sector
education and sent their children to state schools?”
I think the hon. Gentleman needs to do some research before he
starts asking questions in Parliament. On recruitment and
retention, I join him in stressing the importance of retention,
which we are absolutely focused on, including through our
workload programme. We have a good set of scholarships and
bursaries for encouraging entry and a range of different routes
into teaching to get the full range of talent that can benefit
our children and young people.
(Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con)
Would my right hon. Friend agree that good and enthusiastic
teachers are vital to ensuring that we have good, successful
schools and pupils? What more can be done to assist schools with
discipline and truancy issues, because it would obviously help
teachers’ morale if they could have some more support?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right about the importance of
brilliant teachers—I think he might have some personal experience
of that. He is also right about the central importance of
behaviour. In relation to retention, we hear back in surveys that
we need to improve further on this. This is one of the reasons
that we have the network of behaviour hubs, so that schools can
learn one from another about what works best.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the Scottish National party spokesperson.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
Morale among teachers and support staff is affected by their pay
and working conditions, and now the teachers are being threatened
with minimum service levels, which would limit their fundamental
right to strike. Surely the Minister can recognise that this
course of action will lower morale further and ultimately impact
the recruitment and retention of teaching staff.
Nobody is talking about taking away the right to strike. All that
we are seeking to do is balance that right, which we absolutely
recognise and protect, with the right of a child to have an
education.
SEN Places: Essex
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
(Con)
8. What steps she is taking to increase the provision of special
educational needs places in Essex.(901902)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
I am pleased to inform the House that two new special schools
opened in Essex last year, with another in the pipeline. We have
also provided £26 million of capital funding to Essex over the
last two years to create more places for children with special
educational needs or who require alternative provision.
Mr Francois
Last July, standing here, I launched the campaign for a new
special needs school in south Essex. In February this year,
working closely with Essex County Council, which I commend for
its efforts, we were able to announce a consultation to build a
brand-new special needs school in Rayleigh for 100-plus pupils—a
through-school for years 3 to 18—to open in the 2025-26 academic
year. It has gone down very well locally, but the one concern is
that at the moment it is 100-plus pupils and, given the great
demand for places, a lot of people would prefer something nearer
200. Is there any way, perhaps with a little help from the
Department, that we might be able to achieve that too?
My right hon. Friend is running an excellent campaign and we are
impressed with the speed with which Essex has moved to
consultation. I cannot pre-empt the Department’s decision, but
what we have heard so far suggests that a very strong case will
be put to the Department. We are also about to allocate the
remaining £900 million of capital funding for special educational
needs schools, from which Essex will of course benefit.
Ofsted Ratings
Dame (Basingstoke) (Con)
9. What progress her Department has made on ensuring that more
schools achieve good and outstanding ratings by
Ofsted.(901903)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
Under the last Labour Government, only 68% of schools were rated
good or outstanding, letting down a generation of children.
Thanks to this Conservative Government, that number now stands at
nearly 90%. In the last year alone, 214,000 more children now
attend good or outstanding schools, and I am delighted that this
now includes the Lord Derby Academy in Knowsley, which I visited
last week. Our plan to give every child a world-class education
is working. Labour has no plan. Remember that it has twice stood
on a manifesto to abolish Ofsted. It is clear that every time
Labour gets into power, children’s education suffers.
Dame
Nine out of 10 of the schools in my constituency are good or
outstanding, reflecting this Government’s commitment to high
standards and the incredible hard work of the staff and the
school leadership, but special schools have struggled to achieve
the same in my constituency. How is my right hon. Friend helping
them to get to where we want them to be, where they can all be
good or outstanding?
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that Basingstoke’s
schools have been transformed over the past decade, up from just
52% rated good or outstanding under Labour. We have recently
brought in two of our strongest specialist multi-academy trusts
to drive improvement in special schools. Solent Academies Trust
is now responsible for Dove House School, and Chiltern Way
Academy Trust will shortly be taking over three local
underperforming special and alternative provision schools, two of
which will receive significant capital investment from the
Department to support the education of vulnerable children.
Apprenticeship Levy: Trends
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
10. What assessment she has made of trends in the number of level
2 and 3 apprenticeship starts since the apprenticeship levy was
introduced.(901904)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
Sixty-five per cent of all apprenticeship starts so far this year
have been at levels 2 and 3, with level 3 remaining the most
popular level, accounting for 43% of all starts. Over 360
apprenticeship standards are at levels 2 and 3, covering more
than half of all apprenticeships.
Mr Perkins
I can understand why the Minister does not refer to the trends,
because he knows that level 2 apprenticeships are way down. The
Government’s reforms have seen level 2 apprenticeship starts fall
by two thirds since 2012-13, and the number of people employed on
an apprenticeship with a small and medium-sized enterprise has
fallen by 49% since the levy’s introduction. The Minister talks
powerfully about apprenticeships, but why does he think that
young people are now half as likely to be on an SME
apprenticeship than they were when the levy was introduced?
I hugely respect the hon. Gentleman. I know he is a bruiser, but
I had been looking forward to his question. I thought he would
celebrate the 13,000 apprentices in Chesterfield since May 2010,
the 11,270 apprentices at levels 2 and 3, or the £19.5 million
investment in Chesterfield College. If I were him, I would be
urging his party to stop its plan to destroy the apprenticeship
levy, which would halve the number of apprenticeship starts
overall. It would be back to square one.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the shadow Minister.
(Feltham and Heston)
(Lab/Co-op)
It is not just that level 2 and 3 apprenticeship starts have
plummeted by over 50% since the levy was introduced, but that 16
to 18-year-old apprenticeship starts are down by 41%. Research by
the Sutton Trust and the London School of Economics further shows
that, by 2020, the proportion of apprenticeship starts by those
from poorer backgrounds had dropped significantly. Opportunities
for all our young people to earn and learn expanded every year
under Labour. Is it not now painfully clear that the biggest
barrier to opportunity is this Tory Government?
As always, Labour Front Benchers are obsessed with quantity over
quality. We have transformed the quality of apprenticeships.
Seventy per cent of occupations are covered by over 680
apprenticeship standards. There has been a 6% increase since this
time last year in the number of under-19 starts, and overall
starts are up by 3% over the same period. The crucial thing is
achievement, which is up by 22%. Female STEM starts are up by
7.5%, starts by people with disabilities are up by 6.3%, and
starts by people from ethnic minorities are up by 15.4%, compared
with 10.6% in 2010. Not only are we focusing on quality over
quantity; we are improving the number of starts and achievements
too.
Childcare Provision
(Ruislip, Northwood and
Pinner) (Con)
12. What steps she is taking to increase childcare
provision.(901906)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
We are removing one of the biggest barriers for working parents
by vastly increasing the amount of free childcare that working
families can access. By 2027-28, we expect to spend more than £8
billion every year on free hours in early education, double what
we are spending now, to help working families with their
childcare costs.
My constituent Diane Bennett, who runs a small group of very
popular local nurseries, tells me how appreciative she is of the
Government’s plan for childcare and early education, particularly
the £500 million of additional funding that has been secured.
Clearly, as she and other nursery providers look ahead, she is
concerned that, although the Government have a clear plan, there
is no clear plan coming from the Opposition. Can my hon. Friend
set her mind at rest?
My hon. Friend is right. Last week the Chancellor announced that
we will be increasing rates until the end of 2027 for early years
providers, which is something they have asked for. I cannot give
my hon. Friend any reassurance about Labour’s plan, because it
has no plan. The shadow Secretary of State says that childcare is
her top priority, yet she has no plan for it. What does that say?
Parents should be very worried about Labour getting into power,
both for the childcare on which they rely and for every other
area of education.
(Mid Bedfordshire)
(Lab)
Families right across my constituency are finding it increasingly
hard to access affordable childcare locally. From speaking to two
providers last week, it is clear to me that the current level and
structure of free hours funding, even with the Government’s
recent announcement, is not going to go far enough to allow these
providers to expand, given the capacity and staffing costs that
would entail. What reassurances can the Minister offer families
in my area that, finally, the Government are going to get on top
of the childcare crisis we are facing and make sure that families
in my constituency will not have to go without?
We set our rates based on a survey of more than 9,000 providers,
in order to get those right. Last year we saw a 13,000 increase
in the number of staff in the sector and a 15,000 increase in the
number of places. We work with every local authority to make sure
that they have sufficient places, and I am confident that the
hon. Gentleman’s area will have that too.
(Stroud) (Con)
Gloucestershire County Council cares about our childcare
businesses and listens to my calls to make sure that monthly
payments are going to childminders. As we have heard, the
Chancellor is putting in another slug of money—£500 million—but
local childminders are telling me that things such as the
proposed date of payment mean that they are still out of pocket
and still cannot pay their staff. Therefore, all the work is not
being felt on the ground. Will the Minister meet GCC and I to
iron out some of these mechanical issues at local authority
level, so that everybody can benefit from what the Government are
doing?
I thank my hon. Friend for continuing to champion this sector.
She is absolutely right about the importance of paying on a
monthly basis, which we encourage all local authorities to do. We
will be saying more about that in the coming weeks, and I will be
happy to meet her to discuss this further.
(Twickenham) (LD)
The Minister will be aware that private equity firms have been
causing great damage in other parts of the education sector, such
as children’s homes and special schools, but we are now starting
to see this in childcare. Oakley Capital has acquired Lilliput
nursery in Hersham and Elmbridge, and has hiked up prices by a
staggering 25%; that is an additional £365 per child per month,
which parents simply cannot afford. Does he agree that it is
quite wrong for private equity firms to be making these
eye-watering profits on the backs of hard-working parents? What
is he going to do to stop this happening?
The hon. Lady is right to raise the issue of profiteering that we
have seen in some areas of children’s care and social care. We
will be setting out some steps that we will be taking on that
shortly. I do not know the specifics of the case she has just
referenced, but, again, if she writes to me, I will be happy to
look at it.
Skelton Primary School: Cleveland
Sir (Middlesbrough South and East
Cleveland) (Con)
13. What progress her Department has made on rebuilding Skelton
Primary School in Cleveland.(901908)
The Minister for Schools ()
Skelton Primary School was announced in the second round of the
school rebuilding programme in July 2021. It is the second school
in a batch being delivered by the contractor Tilbury Douglas. We
therefore expect construction work on this complete new build to
begin in late summer and complete next year.
Sir
I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer, which is reassuring
news, because Skelton Primary is a very good school but it is in
need of a comprehensive rebuild. The headteacher, Mrs Walker,
worked through last summer in the expectation that the rebuild
could begin as soon as this Easter, but that has not happened,
because the builders came back saying that more money was
required. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that that date of
the end of the summer is now fixed? Will it be possible for me to
meet the civil service team in charge to discuss this with them
further?
I acknowledge all that my right hon. Friend says. I can reassure
him that the scope of works, including all funding committed, has
been confirmed on this new build. However, of course, if it would
be helpful to have a meeting, I would be happy to do this.
Degree-level Apprenticeships: Take-up
(Buckingham) (Con)
14. What steps her Department is taking to encourage take-up of
degree-level apprenticeships.(901910)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
I note that the Labour Front Benchers did not mention the 222,320
starts on degree apprenticeships since their introduction in
2014-15. There are now more than 170 employer-designed
degree-level apprenticeships available, including in occupations
such as doctor, space engineer and midwife. We are spending an
additional £40 million in the next two years to support providers
to promote degree apprenticeships.
Businesses in my constituency regularly tell me that they much
prefer apprentices and those who have taken degree-level
apprenticeships to traditional graduates. That came up time and
again in a recent engagement event I held with Buckinghamshire
Business First at Ercol in Princes Risborough. Will my right hon.
Friend tell me what more the Government are going to do to send a
clear signal to all pupils across the whole country that
degree-level apprenticeships are out there, they should sign up
for them and they will have fantastic careers ahead of them?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He is a champion of the
automotive and motorsport industry in his constituency. He will
be pleased to know that we now have UCAS for apprenticeships,
which will transform the apprenticeship scheme when students
apply for university or apprenticeships. The apprenticeship
skills and knowledge network goes to thousands of schools,
interacting with many hundreds of thousands of students. As I
mentioned, we are spending £40 million to promote degree
apprenticeships among providers. We have strengthened legislation
to ensure that schools do more to promote apprenticeships and
technical and vocational education.
Apprenticeship Opportunities: Schools
(South West Bedfordshire)
(Con)
15. What steps she is taking to ensure school pupils are informed
about apprenticeship opportunities.(901912)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
My hon. Friend is a champion of FE and skills—he has asked a lot
of questions about the subject over the past months. We want
apprenticeships to be part of the careers conversations in every
school. We have strengthened the law so that schools must offer
pupils at least six education and training provider encounters.
We have invested £3.2 million in the apprenticeship skills and
knowledge network, which reached over 2,300 schools and colleges
in 2022-23.
Vandyke Upper School in Leighton Buzzard, which I visited last
week, tells every student about apprenticeships and has an
excellent apprenticeships ambassador. As the Minister will know,
sadly not every school does this. Most teachers have been to
university and they may not know about apprenticeships, so what
can we do to ensure that every school tells every student about
apprenticeships, as Vandyke Upper School does, because they can
be life-transforming for the right students?
My hon. Friend speaks a lot of wisdom. I congratulate Vandyke
Upper School on its work. I have been to apprenticeship fairs and
careers days at the Oasis Academy in Brislington. Huge amounts of
work are going on with the careers enterprise company and the
apprenticeship ambassador network, to ensure that there is a
network member engaged at every secondary school and college. I
have mentioned some of the other things we are doing to promote
careers and apprenticeships in all our schools.
SEND Pupils: Post-college Opportunities
(Loughborough) (Con)
16. What steps she is taking to promote post-college
opportunities to pupils with SEND.(901913)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
We know that with the right preparation and support the
overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of
sustained and paid employment. The National Careers Service
offers young people with SEND aged 19 to 24 tailored support from
careers advisers. We are investing £80 million until 2025 to
build capacity and support an internship programme. We have also
launched a mentoring pilot for disabled apprentices.
Homefield College, based in Mountsorrel and Sileby in my
constituency, is a community-based independent specialist college
that offers education, training and independent living skills for
people with learning disabilities and communication difficulties.
What steps are being taken by the Department to promote and
support such excellent FE colleges, and to help create
opportunities for work experience, life skills and development
for students, so that they may go on to live happy and fulfilling
lives as an integral part of their local community?
I was pleased to visit Loughborough not so long ago with my hon.
Friend. She is passionate about FE and skills. I know Homefield
College well; it is a brilliant college and I am glad it was
recently allocated £95,000 for capital spend. We have the £80
million supported internship scheme for those with special
educational needs; an FE bursary scheme for special needs
teachers; specialist National Careers Service advice for young
people; and the SEND code of practice to prepare young people for
adulthood. We are doing everything possible to support FE for
those with special educational needs, to ensure that they get on
the ladder of opportunity.
Teaching and Learning in Schools
(Uxbridge and South
Ruislip) (Con)
17. What steps her Department is taking to help improve teaching
and learning in schools.(901914)
The Minister for Schools ()
Great teaching is truly transformational in children’s lives.
Thanks to our brilliant teachers, and the focus on high standards
in the curriculum, attendance and behaviour, nine and
10-year-olds in England are now the fourth best in the world for
reading.
We have seen how children in English schools are the best readers
in the western world thanks to this Government. In Uxbridge and
South Ruislip, we see how that work is being translated into
outstanding or good Ofsted ratings. Will my right hon. Friend
join me in congratulating the team at Ruislip High School and the
children’s services team at Hillingdon Council on their recent
outstanding ratings, and will he pledge to work with me to ensure
that children across Uxbridge and South Ruislip have the best
possible education?
I join my hon. Friend in congratulating Ruislip High School and
Hillingdon Council’s children’s services team. Nearly 90% of
schools in Uxbridge and South Ruislip are now rated good or
outstanding by Ofsted, up from under 70% in 2010, following the
great work of teachers and our relentless focus on improving
school standards.
SEND: High-quality Childcare
(Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)
19. What steps she is taking to help ensure the availability of
high-quality childcare for children with special educational
needs and disabilities.(901917)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
To ensure high-quality childcare for children with special
educational needs, we are investing hundreds of millions of
pounds to increase hourly funding rates and the amount of
dedicated additional SEND funding, such as the disability access
fund, for all eligible children, and funding the training of
early years special educational needs co-ordinators.
To the surprise of no one who looked at what the Government were
proposing, my inbox, like those of many other MPs, is full of
emails from parents who cannot get the 15 free hours in April
without paying for a massive hike in their fees. One group in
particular that is struggling is parents of children with special
educational needs or a disability. That was entirely predictable,
because the Government’s own impact assessment said explicitly
that changing the ratios could have a “negative impact” on the
provision of places for children with special educational
needs.
The Minister stood at the Dispatch Box on 22 January and pledged
to me that every parent who wanted the 15 free hours for their
eligible two-year-old would be able to get a place. Can he
restate that pledge today explicitly for parents of children who
have special educational needs, and pledge that they will not
have to pay a higher fee—yes or no?
I appreciate that it must be very frustrating for the hon. Lady,
who genuinely cares about childcare, to be in a party that cannot
be bothered to come up with a plan for it and has had to ask
someone else to write it one because it cannot think of one. On
her specific issue, as I said, we are working with every local
authority to ensure that they have the places that they need for
all children.
Autism: Initial Teacher Training
(North Norfolk) (Con)
20. Whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that initial
teacher training courses include early identification of
autism.(901919)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
The Department for Education recently reviewed the mandatory
initial teacher training core content framework, alongside the
early career framework. Particular attention was given to the
needs of trainees and early-career teachers when supporting
pupils with special educational needs.
That was a very useful response, for which I am very grateful. I
recently brought my ten-minute rule Bill to the House, which was
specifically about mandating autism training in the initial
teacher training framework, because we all know that early
identification is vital. If education staff all had autism
training right from the start, we could put in place a system so
that autistic children receive support very early on in their
school career. Will the Minister assure me of the steps that he
has taken to include autism training specifically in initial
teacher training, and meet me again to discuss supporting my
ten-minute rule Bill?
My hon. Friend is running a strong campaign. From September 2025,
initial teacher training and the early career framework will
contain significantly more content on supporting pupils with
special educational needs, including autistic pupils. We have
committed £12 million to the universal SEND services programme,
which has so far given training to more than 135,000
professionals regarding autism awareness, but I am happy to meet
my hon. Friend again.
Topical Questions
(Broxtowe) (Con)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(901920)
The Secretary of State for Education ()
We are delivering the largest ever expansion of childcare in
England’s history, which begins rolling out in just three weeks’
time, from 1 April. We did it before when we more than doubled
the entitlements there had been under the previous Labour
Government, and I am delighted to update the House that our
latest projections show that more than 150,000 new funded places
will be secured by early April. We expect that number to grow in
the months ahead, saving parents more than £550 million in
childcare costs.
April is just the first phase. From September, parents with
children from the age of nine months until they start school will
be able to benefit from that support. Only the Conservatives have
a plan that hard-working parents can rely on as they grow their
families. Labour has no plan, so why does it not support ours to
give families the certainty they deserve?
I recently visited Fairfield Spencer Academy in my Broxtowe
constituency, where I met Craig Jones, who is doing good work
with the Junior Adventures Group, a leading provider of
school-age childcare. During my visit, I observed staff providing
crucial support to children beyond regular school hours. However,
it is evident that that level of support is not consistent around
the country, and that funding for the school-age childcare sector
needs reform. I welcome the £289 million for the wraparound care
sector, but will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State
commit to introducing a universal funding model linked to parent
earnings, similar to that for the early years, to ensure
providers remain affordable and sustainable?
We are making wraparound childcare available for all parents who
need it, and we are supporting hard-working parents to balance
having a family and a successful career. Our £289 million
investment will help schools develop exciting programmes before
and after school, which will provide more flexibility for working
parents. I am sure the Minister for Children, Families and
Wellbeing, my hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (), will be happy to meet my
hon. Friend to keep him updated on progress.
(Houghton and Sunderland
South) (Lab)
Neither the Secretary of State nor any Treasury Minister met
representatives of the early years sector in the months before
last year’s Budget announcement on childcare. Now, with just
three weeks to go, parents, providers and even the Government’s
own civil servants are sounding the alarm. More than seven in 10
providers say they will not offer additional places and a quarter
say they are likely to close within a year. Will the Secretary of
State now guarantee that all parents will be able to access the
childcare places that she promised?
Absolutely; I set that out in my topical statement. We are
working with every local authority to ensure the places are
available. I am glad the hon. Lady mentioned childcare, because
it is yet another policy area that the Labour party has no plan
for. We are delivering the largest expansion of childcare in
history so that working parents of children from the age of nine
months to the start of school will get 30 hours of childcare a
week. The real question is: what is Labour’s plan? Nobody knows,
because it does not have one. It is clear that the Conservatives
are the only party with a plan for working parents.
There is one way we can find out what the public think: call a
general election.
Last week, we heard another promise from the Chancellor for a new
funding mechanism for early years providers. There was talk of
hundreds of millions of pounds more for the sector, but strangely
no news about where the promised £500 million will actually come
from—there was nothing at all in the Budget documents. Will the
Secretary of State tell us today where the money is coming from,
or is this yet another reckless, unfunded pledge without a plan
from the Conservatives?
There would be no childcare on the table if the Labour party were
in charge, so I urge all working parents to support the
Conservative party, which has a plan for them. Like everything we
do, the £500 million will be fully funded. It secures the rates
in the future so that businesses up and down the country have the
confidence to invest. The Labour party has absolutely no plan for
childcare and for supporting working parents in this country.
(Worcester) (Con)
T4. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has rightly
championed childcare and early education. I congratulate her on
the £500 million in this year’s Budget, on top of the billions
committed last year to the sector—(901923)
indicated dissent.
Mr Walker
It is in the Red Book. I am happy to meet the hon. Lady to show
her where it is.
I urge the Secretary of State to keep pressing on some of the
Education Committee’s other recommendations, including on
extending family hubs, removing rates and VAT from childcare
providers, and reforming tax-free childcare to drive take-up.
This Conservative Government are backing this country’s brilliant
childcare providers as we roll out our historic childcare offer.
As my hon. Friend has pointed out, that is on top of the roll-out
of universal services in family hubs. To give certainty to the
early years sector, we have confirmed that average funding rates
will increase over the next two financial years—as he stated, the
details are in the Red Book—giving them the confidence to invest
and expand. Only the Conservatives have a plan for hard-working
parents.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I call the SNP spokesman.
(Glasgow North West)
(SNP)
Academic independence is central to a functioning democracy, so
in light of the false accusations levelled at an academic on the
board of UK Research and Innovation by the Secretary of State’s
colleague, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and
Technology, and her subsequent apology, what action is the
Secretary of State taking to assure academics that they remain
free to make legitimate comments on issues of concern?
Of course, academic independence and the ability to speak freely
are very important—they are things that we hold dear, and that we
must protect at all costs within our universities and academic
institutions. That is why we passed the Higher Education (Freedom
of Speech) Act 2023, and it is why there is a free speech
director in the Office for Students, who has taken up that post
and will work to ensure we do whatever we can to protect those
things in our country.
(Dartford) (Con)
T5. I have four grammar schools in my constituency, which provide
an important and very popular element of a diverse education
system. Therefore, will the Minister please commit today to
continue her support of grammar schools, both now and in the
future?(901924)
The Minister for Schools ()
I support all great schools in our diverse school system,
including strong grammar schools. I continue to encourage grammar
schools to increase access for disadvantaged pupils, which can
help so much with social mobility.
(Easington) (Lab)
T3. Acre Rigg Infant School in Peterlee was given a 25-year life
expectancy when it was built in 1950. It has asbestos in every
wall and a metal structure made from recycled world war two
aircraft. Seaham Trinity Primary School has lifting floors,
rising damp, black mould caused by a faulty roof, leaking pipes
and poor screeding. It is a £5.3 million school that was built in
2008 by Surgo. Can the Schools Minister explain to parents how
their children are supposed to flourish and prosper in such an
inadequate educational environment?(901922)
In the 2021 spending review, we committed £19 billion for school
capital over the three years. I do not know offhand the specifics
of the schools that the hon. Gentleman has mentioned, but I would
of course be very happy to meet him to hear further details.
(Dewsbury) (Con)
T6. I recently held my third annual skills and apprenticeships
fair at the iconic Pioneer House Kirklees College building in
Dewsbury. Will my right hon. Friend visit the college and meet
some of the apprentices, employers and college staff who helped
make that event a great success?(901925)
The Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
()
I would be absolutely delighted to visit Kirklees College, and I
congratulate my hon. Friend on his apprenticeship fair. I note
that the college has a great record on apprenticeship
achievements, and that 970 apprentices have started their future.
Overall at Kirklees since 2010, there have been something like
12,300 apprenticeship starts in my hon. Friend’s
constituency.
(Stockton North) (Lab)
T8. An estimated 6,000 children in England are attending illegal
or unregistered schools that provide limited or no appropriate
education, often in an unsafe environment. Does the Minister
agree that while efforts to introduce a home education register
to keep track of children who are outside a school setting are
welcome, more legislation is needed to close the loopholes
exploited by proprietors of illegal schools and ensure that
children are kept safe and educated appropriately?(901927)
The hon. Gentleman will, of course, know of our plans and our
support for the private Member’s Bill on that subject. He and I
used to serve together on the Education Committee back in the
day; these are issues that have been long standing, including
under previous Governments. From the schools White Paper, he will
also know of the other things we have committed to do when
legislative time allows.
Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con)
T9. I recently had the pleasure of visiting Berrynarbor primary
school, where I discussed the challenges that rurality imposes on
that school and how hard its staff have worked to overcome those
challenges. What steps is the Department taking to support rural
primary schools, which often have a vast catchment area and
difficult buildings?(901929)
I recognise what my hon. Friend says about rurality. Of course,
the lump sum element in the funding formula is important for
small schools. We have more than doubled the national funding
formula sparsity funding in three years, with £6.5 million for
Devon in 2024-25. We are also investing to improve the condition
of school buildings, and Devon County Council received an annual
capital allocation of £3.5 million this year.
(North Tyneside) (Lab)
Ministers will be aware that four schools in North Tyneside
closed just over a month ago because of a structural problem not
related to RAAC. The 1,700 pupils have been relocated, thanks to
the council and to the schools working together. Can the Minister
assure me that funding will be made available either to rebuild
or to restructure the schools as soon as it is needed?
Yes, and I am aware that the hon. Lady has met my noble Friend
. Inspections by structural
engineers are ongoing, as I think the hon. Lady will know, but
the early indications are that this was a historical and isolated
issue about the way the school was built. We continue to work
with the local authority and with the school, and I would of
course be happy—if appropriate, and if it would help—to meet her
in due course.
(East Worthing and Shoreham) (Con)
About 10 years ago, following the Government’s reforms, the
number of adoptions in England doubled, but 10 years on, they
have halved. Why?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education ()
My hon. Friend raises a very important point. We are taking a
number of actions to increase the number of people who adopt and
foster, and to support kinship care as well, but I would be happy
to discuss this matter with him further.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
Many of the children with special educational needs, mental
health challenges and childhood trauma who are not in school in
York are not able to access their education because of
insufficient estate and placements, and because of the
environment and specialist personnel. What are the Government
doing to ensure that every area has a workforce plan and an
estates plan, and the funding to match?
Through our special educational needs and disabilities and
alternative provision improvement plan we are taking a whole
range of actions. That has included increasing the number of
special school places by more than 60,000 since this Government
came to power, as well as training a lot more special educational
needs co-ordinators.
(Vale of Clwyd) (Con)
Headteachers in Denbighshire, Flintshire and Conwy have recently
written to all parents about the dire financial situation facing
their schools. My understanding is that schools in England are
receiving the highest funding ever per pupil in real terms. Will
my right hon. Friend confirm that and outline what discussions he
has had with the Welsh Government to ensure schools in Wales also
see the benefit of that funding?
I regret that, as education is a devolved matter, the Labour
party is in charge of education in Wales. It really saddens me to
hear of children in my hon. Friend’s constituency suffering from
its mismanagement of that system, despite the great work of
brilliant and inspiring teachers in Wales. He is absolutely right
that in England, under this Government, funding is at a record
level. Meanwhile, in Wales, I am sad to say that education
standards are not only the lowest in the UK, but lower than the
OECD average. I am afraid it is clear that every time Labour gets
into power, children’s education suffers.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
The Secretary of State loves plans. What is her plan to
reinvigorate and change the course of Ofsted?
I was delighted to attend the Association of School and College
Leaders conference alongside Sir Martyn Oliver, who announced the
Big Listen, which is part of making sure that we get the cultural
reforms required. I am concerned by reports that some teachers
and headteachers feel that they are not listened to or are
treated in a dismissive or rude manner. I hope everybody will
engage fully with the Big Listen, because I think we need to make
sure that Ofsted is respectful, and treats our service, and our
teachers and headteachers, with respect.
Sir (Northampton North) (Con)
At Cambridge University, a barbaric vandal wearing a £1,000
Mulberry backpack was so full of hate for Jews that she felt Lord
Balfour’s letter of 1917 gave her the moral superiority to
destroy a valuable and historic painting of him. This shines a
light on the pernicious atmosphere faced by Jewish students at
universities across the country, with calls for “Zionists off our
campus” now shamefully normalised, and “Zionists” really meaning
Jews. What steps does my right hon. Friend propose to take to
convey to university heads that they have a legal and a moral
obligation to stamp out antisemitism?
I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his question. Arthur
Balfour was a great man and identified the need for a homeland
for British Jews. That is why antisemites do not like him and are
slashing his picture. I and the Secretary of State are spending a
lot of time with Jewish student groups. I have been to Leeds
University to spend time with Jewish students, because the
chaplain there was attacked, and we are working with Universities
UK. We have announced a £7 million package to give to Jewish
student groups, including the University Jewish Chaplaincy, to
try to stop antisemitism on campus. We are also developing a
quality seal that we will ask universities to adopt, so that they
deal properly with antisemitic incidents. Last week, I and the
Secretary of State had a meeting with the Office for Students, to
make clear to the regulator that antisemitism across our
universities is not acceptable.
