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1085847

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent progress his Department has made on helping families to access childcare.
	tabling member constituency	Sittingbourne and Sheppey
	tabling member printed	Gordon Henderson
	uin	909697
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2019 answer text <p>By 2020 this government will be spending £6 billion on supporting families with childcare. All 3 and 4 year olds, and the most disadvantaged 2 year olds, can access 15 hours a week of early education. From September 2017, this government doubled the childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds to 30 hours a week.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise that parents’ working patterns vary significantly and want to ensure that the free entitlements deliver childcare to meet their needs, as well as being high quality early education to support the development needs of children. We are also encouraging partnerships between providers to support flexible provision.</p><p> </p><p>In particular, we want 30 hours to continue to build on the flexible provision that we were already seeing across the country with the universal 15 hours. All the free entitlements can be “stretched” by taking fewer hours per week over up to 52 weeks of the year to cover term-time and the school holidays, for example 23 hours for 48 weeks of the year, and free places can be delivered at weekends.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 11/03/2019 17:01:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4050 label Biography information for Gordon Henderson

1054723

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Mental Health: Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the pilots of new mental health assessments for looked-after children, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that those new models will be able to assess the mental health needs of unaccompanied young people.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	216194
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>We have appointed a consortium of partners, led by the Anna Freud Centre, to support delivery of the pilots. The consortium brings together significant expertise on the mental health of looked-after children, including Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC), and will work closely with selected sites to use their own learning and expertise to inform the project. The assessment framework will be tailored to the specific groups of looked-after children that each pilot site chooses to focus on which, for some sites, will be UASC.</p><p> </p><p>The pilots will also draw on the recommendations made by the Expert Working Group, which was commissioned by Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care. The Expert Working Group found that the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) should be supported by a broader set of measures. The pilots will therefore use the SDQ alongside other assessment tools.</p><p> </p><p>We will be conducting a full evaluation of the pilots. This will include evidence of effectiveness for specific groups of looked-after children as well as the cohort as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 216197 question first answered 07/02/2019 16:49:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

1060748

	registered interest
	date	13/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, of 12 February 2019, Official Report, column 311WH, when he plans to launch his call for evidence on special educational needs.
	tabling member constituency	Sheffield, Heeley
	tabling member printed	Louise Haigh
	uin	220965
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>In order to better understand the financial incentives that influence how schools, colleges and councils support children and young people with special educational needs, the Department for Education will be issuing a call for evidence shortly. This will include looking at the first £6,000 schools pay for special educational provision before accessing additional funding from local high needs budgets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 19/02/2019 16:58:39 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4473 label Biography information for Louise Haigh

1037923

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Teachers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter of 18 July 2018 from the Minister of State for Children and Families to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on that Committee’s Life Chances inquiry, if he will place in the Library a copy of his analysis of the written consultation undertaken with those relevant stakeholders his Department regularly consults under the relevant section of the Education Act 2002 on amending regulations to enable people with Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status to lead nursery classes in maintained settings.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	206299
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>The analysis of the consultation feedback is contained within policy advice to ministers. The majority of the feedback did not support the proposed regulation change on the basis that it would not lead to parity in the pay and conditions for between those holding Early Years Professional Status/Early Years Teachers Status and teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/01/2019 11:52:03 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1037921

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Teachers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter of 18 July 2018 from the Minister of State for Children and Families to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on that Committee’s Life Chances inquiry, for what reasons he did not undertake a full public consultation on amending regulations to enable people with Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status to lead nursery classes in maintained settings; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	206298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>There was no requirement to undertake a public consultation.</p><p>To consider making an amendment to the regulations (under section 122 of the Education Act 2002), the Secretary of State must consult with those as appear to [him/her] to be appropriate to consult having regard to the content of the order.</p><p> </p><p>To meet the requirement and the commitment set out in the early years workforce strategy we consulted with the relevant stakeholders the department regularly consults under this section of the Education Act 2002 – Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, unions and bodies representing the interests of governing bodies of schools, school and college leaders and teachers.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/01/2019 11:55:23 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1077683

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Day Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the article entitled UK free childcare funding woes forcing some providers out of business, published by the Financial Times on 28 April 2018, what assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of reports that the 30 hours’ free childcare for working parents of three and four year olds is underfunded; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of Government funding provided for that childcare on the fees charged by providers to parents of younger children.
	tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
	tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
	uin	226097
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2019 answer text <p>We will be spending around £6 billion on childcare support in 2019-20 - a record amount. That will include funding for our early education entitlements, on which we plan to spend around £3.5 billion this year alone.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities receive funding from central government for delivering the free early years entitlements to 3 and 4 year olds through the dedicated schools grant. Our provisional allocations to local authorities for 2018-19 can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2018-to-2019</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities are responsible for setting the funding rates for their early years providers in consultation with their schools forum. Data from local authority planned expenditure for 2018-19 is publicly available. The data, as reported by local authorities, is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure-2018-to-2019-financial-year" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/planned-la-and-school-expenditure-2018-to-2019-financial-year</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The government recognises the need to keep the evidence base on costs and charges up to date. The mean hourly fee charged by providers in England in Spring 2018 was estimated to be £5.02 for children under age 2, £5.01 for children aged 2 and £4.92 for 3 and 4 year old preschool children. Details can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2018</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to monitor the provider market closely through a range of regular and one-off research projects which provide insight into various aspects of the provider market.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 226095 question first answered 04/03/2019 13:31:18 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1059755

	registered interest
	date	12/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Education: North of England
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s report, Educating the North, published May 2018, what steps his Department is taking to improve the quality of education in (a) the North and (b) the Sheffield City Region.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	220222
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State welcomed the Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s report, ‘Educating the North’. In response to it, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State wrote to my right hon. Friend, the Member for Harlow and Chair of the Education Committee, on 13 June 2018, detailing the government’s clear plan for improving education and skills in the North. A copy of that letter is available here: <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/education-in-the-north-inquiry-17-19/publications/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/education-in-the-north-inquiry-17-19/publications/</a>.</p><p>I refer the hon. Member for Barnsley Central to the answer I gave on 11 June 2018 to Questions <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-05-02/140737/" target="_blank">140737, 140738, 140739</a> and to the answer I gave on 18 July 2018 to Questions <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-07-10/162577/" target="_blank">162577, 162578</a>. These responses set out further details of the initiatives referred to in that letter.</p><p>We have launched a school improvement support offer which means schools eligible for support have access to up to 3 days free advice from a national leader of education (NLE). A subset of these schools, judged as 'requires improvement' in their last 2 Ofsted inspections, will have access of up to £16,000 of funded support to address the needs identified by the NLE. In the Sheffield City Region and across the North, a first cohort of schools is currently being offered school improvement support with further eligible schools to be identified later in 2019. In addition, there are 10 projects funded through the Strategic School Improvement Fund (SSIF) where the lead applicant is based in the Sheffield City Region. In total these projects have been awarded over £3 million. These are among the 57 SSIF projects where the lead applicant is based in the Northern Powerhouse area. In total, these projects have been awarded just over £20 million. The complete list of successful applicants is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-school-improvement-fund-successful-applicants/strategic-school-improvement-fund-ssif-successful-applicants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-school-improvement-fund-successful-applicants/strategic-school-improvement-fund-ssif-successful-applicants</a>.</p><p>A further cohort of schools in the Sheffield City Region and across the North, identified as facing significant challenges with teacher recruitment and retention, is receiving funded support to address those issues.</p><p>The department is working closely with the social mobility partnership South Yorkshire Futures, on our shared aims of improving educational outcomes across the Sheffield City Region and has seconded 3 members of staff to support their programme. A link to the programme can be found here: <a href="https://southyorkshirefutures.co.uk/syf/?doing_wp_cron=1550062482.9984350204467773437500" target="_blank">https://southyorkshirefutures.co.uk/syf/?doing_wp_cron=1550062482.9984350204467773437500</a>.</p><p>5 of the 12 Department for Education-funded Opportunity Areas are in areas of low social mobility across the North, with the aim of improving educational outcomes and life chances for children and young people. Doncaster Opportunity Area is one of those areas and is working closely with South Yorkshire Futures on a number of their interventions. This includes work to improve teacher recruitment and retention in the county through funding newly qualified teacher mentoring and collaborating with the Sheffield City Region on our newly-launched Careers Hub, which aims to improve the quality of careers information, advice and guidance given to young people in the borough.</p><p>‘Educating the North’ recommended that the Opportunity Areas programme be extended to the North East. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced Opportunity North East in October 2018. The programme brings together North East leaders from education, local government and business to work together to improve outcomes for young people in the region. Through Opportunity North East the department will make a substantial investment in the region, including £12 million for the early roll-out of national reforms to improve support for new teachers, and a further £12 million to tackle the 5 key educational challenges identified for the area. Details of this announcement can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-secretary-launches-24-million-programme-for-north-east" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/education-secretary-launches-24-million-programme-for-north-east</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 19/02/2019 16:38:32 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 102242 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1054611

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the NAO report entitled Pressures on children’s social care, published on 23 January 2019, whether his Department has identified what level of local variation it regards as acceptable in the thresholds for action within children’s social care.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	216267
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>The department publishes information on the average weekly spend per residential care place for a child, by local authority, in the local authority interactive tool (LAIT). This can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait</a>.</p><p> </p><p>This shows a number of unit cost calculations relating to the children in need population, including total outturn spend on residential care divided by total number of residential care days provided per week by local authority.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of factors that will lead to variation in the amount of money spent per child, including the needs and circumstances of the children supported and accommodated. These factors will influence the services provided to children and the cost of their accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>The ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ guidance (2018) can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2</a>.</p><p>This guidance is clear that local safeguarding partners should publish a threshold document, which sets out the local criteria for action in a way that is transparent, accessible and easily understood. This should include criteria, including the level of need, for statutory social care services. There are a range of factors that will lead to variation, including the needs and circumstances of children and families in a local authority area. Whether thresholds are set appropriately and well understood, is inspected by Ofsted and factored into their independent judgements on the quality of services locally.</p><p> </p><p>Demand for children’s services is associated with a number of factors including deprivation. The most deprived local authorities have more looked after children (per 10,000 0-17 year olds), and these rates have grown faster, than the least deprived local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>In preparation for the Spending Review, to help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a sharper and more granular picture of demand for children’s services.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities &amp; Local Government as part of the government’s review of relative needs and resources, where new, up-to-date formulas are being developed to ensure funding distribution to councils is based on the best available evidence.</p><p> </p><p>We welcome the contributions from the sector in this area including 'Newton Europe’s Making Sense' (2018) report and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services continuing research reports, 'Safeguarding Pressures' (2018).</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 216266 216268 question first answered 07/02/2019 17:38:58 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1054610

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Social Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the NAO report entitled Pressures on children’s social care, published on 23 January 2019, what level of local variation his Department regards as acceptable in the amount of money spent per child in residential care.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	216266
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2019 answer text <p>The department publishes information on the average weekly spend per residential care place for a child, by local authority, in the local authority interactive tool (LAIT). This can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait</a>.</p><p> </p><p>This shows a number of unit cost calculations relating to the children in need population, including total outturn spend on residential care divided by total number of residential care days provided per week by local authority.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of factors that will lead to variation in the amount of money spent per child, including the needs and circumstances of the children supported and accommodated. These factors will influence the services provided to children and the cost of their accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>The ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ guidance (2018) can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2</a>.</p><p>This guidance is clear that local safeguarding partners should publish a threshold document, which sets out the local criteria for action in a way that is transparent, accessible and easily understood. This should include criteria, including the level of need, for statutory social care services. There are a range of factors that will lead to variation, including the needs and circumstances of children and families in a local authority area. Whether thresholds are set appropriately and well understood, is inspected by Ofsted and factored into their independent judgements on the quality of services locally.</p><p> </p><p>Demand for children’s services is associated with a number of factors including deprivation. The most deprived local authorities have more looked after children (per 10,000 0-17 year olds), and these rates have grown faster, than the least deprived local authorities.</p><p> </p><p>In preparation for the Spending Review, to help ensure decisions are based on the best available evidence, the government is working with the sector to develop a sharper and more granular picture of demand for children’s services.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities &amp; Local Government as part of the government’s review of relative needs and resources, where new, up-to-date formulas are being developed to ensure funding distribution to councils is based on the best available evidence.</p><p> </p><p>We welcome the contributions from the sector in this area including 'Newton Europe’s Making Sense' (2018) report and the Association of Directors of Children’s Services continuing research reports, 'Safeguarding Pressures' (2018).</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 216267 216268 question first answered 07/02/2019 17:38:58 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1064709

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Local Government Association report entitled Have we reached a ‘tipping point’?: Trends in spending for children and young people with SEND in England, what estimate he has made of the level of the national deficit on high needs block funding by the end of (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, and (c) 2020-21.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	224318
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2019 answer text <p>​We have listened to local authorities’ and schools’ concerns about the rising costs of special educational needs and disabilities provision and the pressure this causes on their budgets. That is why in December we announced an additional £250 million of funding for high needs over this financial year and the next. Overall funding for high needs will therefore rise to £6.3 billion in 2019-20.</p><p> </p><p>The department has done work to understand the drivers of these increasing costs including the shift in the proportion of children with high needs being educated in the specialist and independent sectors, rather than mainstream schools. To build on this work, we will be launching a call for evidence looking into the financial incentives in the system. We want to gather evidence on any perverse incentives in the system and on the use of resources mainstream schools have to spend on special educational needs to inform future policy development.</p><p> </p><p>Data reported to us by local authorities show an overall planned dedicated schools’ grant deficit of £96 million in 2018-19. We do not have comparable figures for years beyond this as data from local authorities have not been collected by the department yet. Funding for 2020-21 and beyond will be determined in the next Spending Review.</p><p> </p><p>​The figures quoted in the Local Government Association report are based on the local authorities surveyed and may reflect varying in-year budgeting practises.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 01/03/2019 11:03:38 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas