Topical Questions 2024-09-09
2024-09-09
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Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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As the new academic year begins, there are challenges inherited from previous government policies.
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities. The Secretary of State acknowledges challenges including low childcare funding, crumbling schools estate, attendance crisis, large attainment gaps, and falling apprenticeship starts and training opportunities.
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.
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Q2
Partial Answer
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Schools in Macclesfield face some of the lowest funding levels inherited from Conservative mismanagement over 14 years.
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.
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Q3
Partial Answer
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The Opposition criticises Labour for previous poor performance when in office.
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.
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Q4
Partial Answer
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Many students in the constituency have not yet secured a school place of their choice.
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?
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.
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Q5
Partial Answer
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Disadvantaged students aged 16-19 are likely to be behind their more affluent peers by up to four grades, and funding drops significantly at this age.
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.
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Q6
Partial Answer
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The early years sector faces challenges in delivering childcare promised by previous government policies.
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?
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.
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Q7
Partial Answer
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Children with special educational needs receive significantly less funding in some rural areas compared to urban ones.
As was alluded to by my right hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart), 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?
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.
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Q8
Partial Answer
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The Shrewsbury Colleges Group in Shrewsbury has achieved excellent results this summer, with A-level pass rates over 98% and vocational students achieving a triple distinction. The college is working to improve engagement and standards for vocational qualifications.
Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the Shrewsbury Colleges Group on its excellent results this summer? It is a superb institution that works to drive up engagement and standards for vocational qualifications, which are vital for our industrial strategy. Will she assure it has parity with academic schools and consider booking a visit?
Further education is front and centre of unlocking opportunity. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the Shrewsbury Colleges Group on its excellent results.
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Did not address the request for a visit or parity with academic schools
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Q9
Partial Answer
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Devon's school children are missing out on £23.5 million annually due to the national funding formula, affecting especially those in deprived areas.
Will the Minister meet me to discuss Devon's schools missing out on £23.5 million a year under the national funding formula? This affects particularly students in the most deprived areas.
I recognise the concerns raised. The Government intend to consider current funding formulas, aiming for a fair system that directs funds where needed most. I would be happy to meet her to discuss challenges in her area.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to meeting or addressing specific impacts of the shortfall
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Q10
Partial Answer
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The Steiner school in York faces challenges due to the VAT policy, impacting children with anxiety or those otherwise not accessing education.
Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss my report on the impact of the VAT policy on the Steiner school in York? The school enables many children who have anxiety or would otherwise be out of education to access school. How can we keep this school open and supporting these children?
We expect private schools to continue demonstrating public benefit. As a taxation matter, HM Treasury leads implementation. I encourage engagement with the process and would happily meet her to discuss her report.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to meeting or addressing VAT policy impact on Steiner school directly
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Q11
Partial Answer
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Local authorities are locked into safety valve agreements with unrealistic targets, impacting children with SEND.
Will the Secretary of State review those agreements to reflect current challenges? Will she meet me and local leaders to discuss South Gloucestershire's situation?
The hon. Lady raises a concern many have raised. Current agreements will continue as 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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not commit to reviewing safety valve agreements specifically
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Q12
Direct Answer
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Some parents face challenges in getting their children back to school, especially those with mental health or SEND issues.
Will the Secretary of State outline steps being taken to ensure that every child has a welcoming and safe environment at school? This includes better mental health support, breakfast clubs for primary schools, broader curriculum, and more support around SEND in mainstream settings.
Many parents are doing everything they can to support their children into school. This Government will do all we can to ensure welcoming, safe environments at school, including better mental health support, breakfast clubs in primary schools, a broader curriculum, and more SEND support.
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Q13
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There were reports that the Secretary of State took meetings with teaching unions about removing times tables from the national curriculum.
Can she give a 100% guarantee that multiplication times tables will not be removed from the national curriculum, given our success in PISA ratings?
I would caution about believing everything read in the press. Times tables are important part of the system. We will drive high and rising standards from Government, working in partnership with teachers to deliver better life chances for all children.
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Did not provide a 100% guarantee
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Q14
Direct Answer
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The last PISA results showed that standards in England's schools have declined under the Conservative Government, particularly in reading, maths, and science.
Does my right hon. Friend agree that declining standards are far from a record to be proud of? These changes impact the life chances of children in deprived areas.
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We see stark attainment gaps between poorer and more affluent children, blighting life chances in his constituency of Gateshead. We are determined to make progress.
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Q15
Partial Answer
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Children are being unenrolled after 20 days of absence even with valid reasons, leaving many without a school for months.
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.
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Commitment to review the rule was not provided, only willingness to meet for discussion
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Q16
Partial Answer
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The last Government promised to publish a register of children who were not in school, but this has not yet happened.
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide a specific timeline or next steps for publishing the register
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Q17
Partial Answer
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The Conservative Government announced funding for a new SEND school in Buckinghamshire, but there are concerns about the status of this funding.
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not confirm the status of the specific funding for the new SEND school
Changed Subject Entirely
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Q18
Partial Answer
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The curriculum review is expected to focus on evidence-based learning methods, including oracy and multisensory movement.
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not explicitly agree or disagree with focusing on learning through play, oracy, and multisensory movement
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