Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Pupil Attainment: Cost of Living

Monday 27 February 2023 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government routinely assesses the impact of the cost of living on pupil attainment.
  • Government plans to increase the schools budget by 3.5 billion in 2023-24.
  • Government announced 26 billion of support for 2023-24 to help vulnerable households.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Virendra Sharma Lab
Education
Context

The MP noted concerns about the impact of rising costs on student performance and cited specific challenges faced by children in his constituency, including food insecurity and inadequate heating. He referenced a letter from Dormers Wells Junior School highlighting these issues.

Question

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of living on pupil attainment?

Answer from Nick Gibb

Raising academic standards is at the heart of the Government's education agenda. We routinely assess the impact on student attainment of a range of factors, including the cost of living. The schools budget will increase by £3.5 billion in 2023-24, combined with a £4 billion increase for this year. The pupil premium is rising to about £2.9 million in the next financial year, supporting disadvantaged students.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked specifically about new breakfast clubs and bursaries, but no concrete commitments were made on these points.

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Q2 Virendra Sharma Lab
Education Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP mentioned a letter from Dormers Wells Junior School about the challenges students face due to the cost of living crisis, including worries about meals and housing conditions. He called for concrete actions like new breakfast clubs and bursaries.

Question

To combat this pressing situation, will the Government commit to starting new breakfast clubs in primary schools and to creating bursaries for the families most affected by the cost of living crisis?

Answer from Nick Gibb

I share the hon. Gentleman's concern about these issues. The Government are committed to supporting vulnerable households with £26 billion of support announced for 2023-24, in addition to £37 billion this year. Support for school breakfasts is ongoing; a national programme extension was made last November, providing up to £30 million to support around 2,500 schools.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked specifically about new breakfast clubs and bursaries, but the answer did not include concrete commitments for these specific measures.

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Q3 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
NHS Education
Context

The MP highlighted the issue of prolonged absences from school due to cancer treatment, leading to worse educational outcomes. She asked if there has been any thought given to automatic entitlement to EHCPs for all children diagnosed with cancer.

Question

What thought has been given to automatic entitlement to EHCPs for all children with a cancer diagnosis?

Answer from Nick Gibb

I will of course meet the excellent former Minister to discuss this important issue. The special educational needs and alternative provision improvement plan will be published shortly, but I share her concern. Remote learning options have improved access for children who cannot attend school due to health reasons.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked specifically about automatic entitlement to EHCPs and a commitment to discuss the issue, but no concrete commitments were made regarding these specific points.

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Q4 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Education Economy
Context

The MP cited energy bill increases that have forced schools to make difficult decisions such as increasing class sizes and cutting resources. He asked if the Minister acknowledges that the cost of living crisis is affecting educational quality.

Question

Does the Minister accept that the cost of living crisis made in Downing Street is having a direct impact on the quality of education that children across the country are receiving?

Answer from Nick Gibb

The hon. Member may have missed the autumn statement, but we added £2 billion to next year's school funding, meaning it will rise by £3.5 billion next year. By 2024-25, we will be spending record amounts in real terms and per pupil on our schools. We take education extremely seriously and are seeing standards rise.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked about the direct impact of rising costs on educational quality, but the response focused more on funding increases without acknowledging the specific issues raised.

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Q5 Carol Monaghan SNP
Education
Context

The MP paid tribute to Betty Boothroyd and asked about the use of an unexpected £5.4 billion surplus by the Chancellor to provide free school meals for all children in England.

Question

What discussions has the Minister had with Treasury colleagues, and indeed the Chancellor, on using a tiny part of that surplus to provide free school meals for all children in England?

Answer from Nick Gibb

Of course, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has frequent meetings with the Chancellor. In her first few weeks in office she achieved an extra £2 billion of funding for our schools, bringing the increase next year to £3.5 billion. We remain committed to ensuring that disadvantaged children continue to be supported.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The MP asked about specific discussions on using surplus funds for free school meals, but the response did not provide details of these discussions or commitments.

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