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1721297

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Carers: Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing a financial allowance to kinship carers equal to that received by foster carers.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	48
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The department is committed to working in partnership with local government to support children in care, whether they are being looked after by their community of wider kinship care, foster carers and adoptive parents, or being cared for in children’s homes, if this is the best place for them to be. The department recognises many challenges kinship cares experience, including the financial challenges that many kinship carers face. The government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system so that it can deliver better support and outcomes for children and families. This will include considering how best to support kinship carers and children in kinship care.</p> answering member constituency Lewisham East answering member printed Janet Daby grouped question UIN 49 question first answered 22/07/2024 16:21:37 answering member 4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1721298

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Carers: Social Security Benefits
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the potential merits of trialling a kinship care allowance.
tabling member constituency	Easington
tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
uin	49
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The department is committed to working in partnership with local government to support children in care, whether they are being looked after by their community of wider kinship care, foster carers and adoptive parents, or being cared for in children’s homes, if this is the best place for them to be. The department recognises many challenges kinship cares experience, including the financial challenges that many kinship carers face. The government is considering how to most effectively transform the children’s social care system so that it can deliver better support and outcomes for children and families. This will include considering how best to support kinship carers and children in kinship care.</p> answering member constituency Lewisham East answering member printed Janet Daby grouped question UIN 48 question first answered 22/07/2024 16:21:37 answering member 4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby
tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1721329

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Parkfield School Christchurch
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to reject the application by Reach South Academy Trust to close Parkfield School.
tabling member constituency	Christchurch
tabling member printed	Sir Christopher Chope
uin	10
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, will not make it her policy to reject the application by Reach South Academy Trust to close Parkfield School.</p><p> </p><p>Upon reviewing officials’ advice around this school closing, the department agrees that closing the school is in the best interests of children and young people and their education in this case.</p><p> </p><p>Parkfield School will be closing by mutual agreement with the Academy trust.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 16:05:05 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	242 label Biography information for Sir Christopher Chope

1721368

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Multi-academy Trusts: Regulation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review the (a) governance and (b) accountability structures of multi academy trusts.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	93
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>This government has committed to remove barriers to opportunity and raise school standards to ensure the school system is enabling every child to thrive, no matter their background.</p><p> </p><p>The government is clear strong accountability is non-negotiable. That is why the government has committed to bring Multi-Academy Trusts into the inspection system, to make the system fairer and more transparent, and enable intervention when schools and trusts are not performing to the required standards.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 11:10:12 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1721369

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to establish a fair funding formula for (a) SEND and (b) education.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	94
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The department will take time to consider the various funding formulae that the department and local authorities use to allocate funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. It is important that there is a fair education funding system, that directs funding to where it is needed.</p><p> </p><p>Budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have not yet been set which means that decisions on the high needs and schools national funding formulae as well as the publication of allocations for that year will not be to the usual timescales.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 15:22:58 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1721504

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Non-teaching Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of trends in (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school support staff in (i) Birmingham and (ii) England in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham Northfield
tabling member printed	Laurence Turner
uin	219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The full-time equivalent (FTE) of support staff has increased each year since the 2019/20 academic year, to 510,400 in 2023/24, and has now passed the previous peak of 2015/16. This is an increase of 4,800 (0.9%) since last year. This increase is mainly due to the addition of 2,400 in other support staff.</p><p>Support staff are categorised into posts of teaching assistants, administrative staff, auxiliary staff, technicians and other supporting staff, plus two new posts of school business professional and leadership non-teacher reported for the first time in 2023/24.</p><p>School business professionals include roles such as bursar, business manager, finance officer, office manager, premises manager or ICT network manager.</p><p>Data relating to the FTE of all support staff can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b0a17e8-b3ff-403e-687f-08dca70c1109" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b0a17e8-b3ff-403e-687f-08dca70c1109</a>.</p><p>Equivalent data relating to Birmingham’s parliamentary constituencies can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0fb9acee-35f2-4607-fac3-08dca70cb6e4" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0fb9acee-35f2-4607-fac3-08dca70cb6e4</a>.</p><p>School support staff play a vital role in children’s education and development. The department values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce and will address recruitment and retention challenges by reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.</p><p>This body will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training and progression routes, ensuring that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver high quality, inclusive education.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 15:58:11 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5234

1721548

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Birmingham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children who were not in school there were in Birmingham who (a) held an Education, Health and Care Plan and (b) had previously been identified in the SEN Support category by their school in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham Northfield
tabling member printed	Laurence Turner
uin	263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The department publishes statistics on education, health and care (EHC) plans at local authority level. This data can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans</a>. This includes information on children elsewhere than at school, such as those awaiting provision, in elective home education, in other arrangements, permanently excluded, and having notice to cease of their plan, as well as those Not in Education, Employment of Training (NEET). The number of children with an EHC plan who were elsewhere than at school and who were NEET in Birmingham from 2020 to 2024 can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/fffc2c6e-ef02-4be1-689a-08dca70c1109" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/fffc2c6e-ef02-4be1-689a-08dca70c1109</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The data collection on children and young people with EHC plans does not include information on previous special educational needs (SEN) support identification.</p><p> </p><p>Wider data on SEN, including information on the total number of pupils with EHC plans and SEN support at local authority level is available on GOV.UK, and can be found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 15:51:05 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5234

1721563

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Surrey
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve special educational needs and disabilities provision in (a) Surrey Heath constituency and (b) Surrey.
tabling member constituency	Surrey Heath
tabling member printed	Dr Al Pinkerton
uin	278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and Care Quality Commission for Surrey was in September 2023. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the areas for improvement found by inspectors and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. Surrey County Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services.</p><p> </p><p>Surrey County Council also entered into a Safety Valve agreement with the department in March 2022. Safety Valve agreements aim to improve the effectiveness of local authority high needs systems and ensure their long-term financial sustainability.</p><p> </p><p>A new special school, Hopescourt School, will open in Walton-on-Thames in September 2024, delivered by Surrey County Council, with support from the department. The school will provide high quality specialist education for both autistic children and children who have communication and interaction needs. It will create up to 77 school places in its first year of opening, increasing to 200 at full capacity, as an 'all through-school'.</p><p> </p><p>All children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receiving the support to succeed is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 22/07/2024 11:37:44 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5288

1721582

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children's Centres: Birmingham
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres closed in Birmingham since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each centre.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham Northfield
tabling member printed	Laurence Turner
uin	297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>Data on children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal. This portal can be found here: <a href="https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Based on the information supplied by Birmingham local authority, the attached document provides details of the name and postcode of Sure Start children’s centres that closed in Birmingham since May 2010. This is based on information supplied by Birmingham local authority as of 18 July 2024. These figures may be different to previous answers and could change again in the future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewisham East answering member printed Janet Daby question first answered 22/07/2024 15:37:13 answering member 4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby attachment 1 file name List of Sure Start children's centres closures.xlsx title List of Sure Start Children's centres closures
tabling member	5234

1721659

registered interest
date	17/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Solar Power
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to reform the rules around the leasing of solar panels on school rooftops.
tabling member constituency	Stroud
tabling member printed	Dr Simon Opher
uin	374
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2024 answer text <p>Rules around schools entering into leases fall within the remit of the department. Schools may enter into leases for solar panels on school rooftops where the arrangements do not constitute borrowing, but as these often require granting an energy company rights over the roof space and school land, schools must involve the department. The process for gaining consent has recently been simplified, and the department receives around 20 to 30 applications per year.</p><p>Where a solar panel arrangement does constitute borrowing, this would require specific approval by exception. The department is aware of an increasing amount of interest in this area from schools and suppliers and is engaging with the sector to look at how it can further support schools in the move to solar.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 22/07/2024 15:10:01 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	5030