Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Sixth-form Education: Reform

Monday 9 December 2024 · 3 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Lincoln Jopp inquired about government plans to reform sixth-form education provision in Spelthorne.
  • Lincoln Jopp raised concerns over students in his constituency having to travel long distances to access A-level education.
  • Anneliese Midgley questioned the disparity in pay increases for staff in non-academised versus academised sixth-form colleges.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lincoln Jopp Con Spelthorne
Education
Context

Sixth-form provision in Spelthorne is limited, with only two of six secondary schools offering A-levels. Previous plans to increase sixth-form provision have stalled for two years.

Question

What plans does the government have to reform the provision of sixth-form education? In Spelthorne we have six secondary schools, only two of which provide A-levels; the rest are middle schools taking pupils only up to GCSE level. There have been plans in the past to increase sixth-form provision in Spelthorne, but they have been in abeyance for two years. Will the Minister please agree to meet me, so that we can work out what is causing this blockage and unlock the opportunity to which she has just referred?

Answer from Janet Daby

Obviously many things needed attention because of the last Government, and many things were not accomplished, but I am sure that my noble Friend Baroness Smith of Malvern will be willing to meet the hon. Member to discuss his concerns.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The exact meeting request was acknowledged but not confirmed with specifics or timelines.

How: Shadow Minister Has Taken No Responsibility For The Many Circumstances

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Q2 Lincoln Jopp Con Spelthorne
Education
Context

In Knowsley, there is no A-level provision. Students have to travel for hours to access these educational opportunities.

Question

In my constituency there is no A-level provision. Some students have told me that they have to travel for hours just to study, and others consider this a barrier to continuing at school at all. Will my hon. Friend work with me to bring A-levels back to Knowsley?

Answer from Janet Daby

I thank my hon. Friend for her thoughtful question. The Government are committed to ensuring that young people have access to appropriate education and career opportunities, but the focus must be on delivering provision that offers them the best learning experience and opportunities possible. In Knowsley, A-level provision has not been deemed viable owing to a lack of demand, but students there have access to high quality post-16 academic provision in surrounding boroughs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific request to bring back A-levels was not directly addressed; instead the answer focused on overall commitment without specifics for Knowsley.

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Q3 Anneliese Midgley Lab Knowsley
Education Employment
Context

Staff in non-academised sixth-form colleges are not being offered the same pay increase as staff in academised colleges. There is uncertainty about whether available funds will be sufficient to offset national insurance increases.

Question

Staff in non-academised sixth-form colleges are not being offered the same pay increase as staff in academised colleges. It is understood that a sum of money is available for post-16 education, but colleges have been left completely unclear about whether that sum will be enough to offset the national insurance increase or whether they will find, as universities have, that it is entirely eaten up by that increase. Will the Minister agree to publish the cost of the national insurance increase to sixth-form colleges, and if she will not publish it, why on earth not?

Answer from Janet Daby

I find it shocking that the shadow Minister has taken no responsibility for the many circumstances in which we have found ourselves having to make decisions that are in the best interests of students and colleges. We are conducting various reviews to try to ensure that we put right the mess that we inherited.

Not addressed: The specific request about publishing national insurance costs was not addressed, instead shifting focus to criticism of previous government decisions.

How: Shocking That The Shadow Minister Has Taken No Responsibility

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