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1367477

registered interest
date	09/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Suffolk
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the funding of academy chain branches in Ipswich receiving comparatively less than the equivalent branch in London Tower Hamlets, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of regional disparities in funding for the provision of education for SEND students on the resource availability for those students in Suffolk.
tabling member constituency	Ipswich
tabling member printed	Tom Hunt
uin	72601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2021 answer text <p>There are three key reasons why per pupil school funding rates are different in Tower Hamlets and Suffolk.</p><p>The first reason is historical. The national funding formula (NFF) replaced a system which was unfair, untransparent, and out of date, where similar schools and local areas received very different levels of funding with little or no justification. The NFF is improving fairness, so that funding is more closely matched to current needs, rather than historic differences. However, in this move to greater fairness it is also important to maintain stability for schools. The NFF ensures that all schools receive a minimum per-pupil increase in their pupil-led funding, while providing the greatest gains for areas which have been relatively lower funded historically. We believe this strikes the right balance between fairness and stability.</p><p>Secondly, it is right that schools with high numbers of pupils with additional needs – such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language – receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, for example, is higher in Tower Hamlets than in Suffolk, and the funding system reflects this. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, such as London, attract higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face.</p><p>Thirdly, the current funding system allows for local variation in how funding allocations are determined for individual schools. Local authorities are responsible for designing a local funding formula, within certain parameters, to determine final budgets for schools in their area. This means that there continues to be significant differences in the way in which some local authorities allocate funding. The government has recently put forward its proposals to complete its reforms to the school’s, which will determine schools’ budgets directly rather than through local formulae set independently by each local authority. This will level up the school funding system so that all schools across the country are funded on a fair, consistent basis.</p><p>We are also aware that some local authorities have found it difficult to meet the increasing costs of provision for children and young people with education, health and care plans. The right response to tackling this is a multi-faceted approach which looks to the heart of the issues: significant increases in high needs funding nationally; targeted intervention for the local authorities which have struggled the most; and reform from the cross government special education needs and disabilities (SEND) review.</p><p>We announced in summer 2021 that high needs funding will increase by £780 million, or 9.6%, in 2022-23 compared to 2021-22; this follows the increase of more than £1.5 billion over the previous two years. This will bring the total high needs budget to £8.9 billion, an increase of over a third since 2019-20. Suffolk County Council’s provisional high needs allocation for 2022-23 is £92.5 million, an increase of 8.1% per head of population aged 2-18 years, compared to 2021-22.</p><p>In addition, the autumn 2021 Spending Review will deliver an additional £4.7 billion for the core schools’ budget by 2024-25, compared to previous plans. That includes an additional £1.6 billion for schools and high needs in 2022-23, on top of the funding we previously announced. We will confirm in due course how this additional funding for 2022-23, and for the two subsequent years, will be allocated for schools and high needs.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 15/11/2021 16:28:40 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4771 label Biography information for Tom Hunt

1366381

registered interest
date	05/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Covid-19 Education Catch-up Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department plans to monitor and evaluate the sufficiency of the additional £1.8 billion allocated to school catch-up in the Autumn Budget 2021.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	70259
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2021 answer text <p>The department is undertaking a range of monitoring and evaluation activities to assess COVID-19 catch-up activity, including for the additional £1.8 billion allocated in the autumn Budget 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The department has commissioned Renaissance Learning, and their subcontractor, the Education Policy Institute, to collect data from a sample of schools. This will provide a baseline assessment of lost education and catch-up needs for pupils in schools in England, and to monitor progress over the course of the academic year 2020/21 and Autumn term 2021. We are seeking commercial agreements for further academic years which will help the department understand the impact of the additional £1.8 billion.</p><p> </p><p>The department has a contract with Ipsos MORI, in consortium with Sheffield Hallam University and the Centre for Education and Youth to undertake a mixed-methods study design (including surveys of school leaders, interviews, and case studies) to examine how schools are tackling the issue of lost education. Results from the study will be used to understand how the catch-up premium funds have been spent and how best to support schools to tackle lost education.</p><p> </p><p>The department is also undertaking evaluations of specific education recovery programmes to understand their effectiveness.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 15/11/2021 16:16:45 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1366208

registered interest
date	04/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions officials in his Department have held with representatives of teachers of religious education regarding the value offered in terms of skills for young people by that subject; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
uin	69704
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2021 answer text <p>The government firmly believes that religious education (RE) is important. Good quality RE is essential in developing children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, and those of other countries. RE is a vital part of fostering understanding among different faiths and beliefs, which is why it is a compulsory subject for all state-funded schools up to the age of 18.</p><p>Department officials engage regularly with key RE stakeholders, including the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education as the main subject association for RE in England.</p><p>When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, and in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication in a variety of media.</p><p>In school life, RE can develop and nuance the skills required for other parts of the school curriculum such as history, citizenship, and personal, social, health and economic education.</p><p>RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour. RE can also contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. It is an important contributor to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, which schools are required to facilitate as per the Education Act 2002.</p><p>Studying RE can also serve to improve community cohesion, providing a key context to develop young people’s understanding and appreciation of diversity, to promote shared values and to challenge racism and discrimination.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 69705 69706 question first answered 09/11/2021 16:48:29 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1366210

registered interest
date	04/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the value offered in terms of skills for young people by the subject matter of religious education; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
uin	69705
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2021 answer text <p>The government firmly believes that religious education (RE) is important. Good quality RE is essential in developing children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, and those of other countries. RE is a vital part of fostering understanding among different faiths and beliefs, which is why it is a compulsory subject for all state-funded schools up to the age of 18.</p><p>Department officials engage regularly with key RE stakeholders, including the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education as the main subject association for RE in England.</p><p>When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, and in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication in a variety of media.</p><p>In school life, RE can develop and nuance the skills required for other parts of the school curriculum such as history, citizenship, and personal, social, health and economic education.</p><p>RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour. RE can also contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. It is an important contributor to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, which schools are required to facilitate as per the Education Act 2002.</p><p>Studying RE can also serve to improve community cohesion, providing a key context to develop young people’s understanding and appreciation of diversity, to promote shared values and to challenge racism and discrimination.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 69704 69706 question first answered 09/11/2021 16:48:29 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1366211

registered interest
date	04/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the societal value for young people of religious education; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
uin	69706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2021 answer text <p>The government firmly believes that religious education (RE) is important. Good quality RE is essential in developing children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, and those of other countries. RE is a vital part of fostering understanding among different faiths and beliefs, which is why it is a compulsory subject for all state-funded schools up to the age of 18.</p><p>Department officials engage regularly with key RE stakeholders, including the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education as the main subject association for RE in England.</p><p>When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, and in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication in a variety of media.</p><p>In school life, RE can develop and nuance the skills required for other parts of the school curriculum such as history, citizenship, and personal, social, health and economic education.</p><p>RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour. RE can also contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. It is an important contributor to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, which schools are required to facilitate as per the Education Act 2002.</p><p>Studying RE can also serve to improve community cohesion, providing a key context to develop young people’s understanding and appreciation of diversity, to promote shared values and to challenge racism and discrimination.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 69704 69705 question first answered 09/11/2021 16:48:29 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1366213

registered interest
date	04/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Religion: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has on the introduction of initial teacher training financial incentives in the form of bursaries for religious education; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Batley and Spen
tabling member printed	Kim Leadbeater
uin	69707
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2021 answer text <p>The bursaries the department offers for initial teacher training (ITT) are intended to incentivise applications to ITT courses. The department reviews the bursaries on offer each year to take account of factors including historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. This provides flexibility to respond to the need to attract new teachers, and means we are spending money where it is needed most.</p><p>In academic year 2020/21 the department exceeded the postgraduate ITT target in religious education (128% of target). As a result, the department decided to focus the bursaries we offered for academic year 2021/22 on subjects where it is hardest to attract sufficient applicants. We have taken a similar approach for academic year 2022/23 and will review the need for financial incentives across all subjects again before announcing the bursaries for academic year 2023/24.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/11/2021 16:36:31 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4923 label Biography information for Kim Leadbeater

1365961

registered interest
date	03/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Coronavirus Catch-up Premium
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the data collected (a) by Renaissance Learning on catch up needs for pupils in England and (b) by Ipsos MORI on catch up premium funds.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	69203
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The department commissioned Renaissance Learning, and their subcontractor the Education Policy Institute, to collect data from a sample of schools to provide a baseline assessment of education lost and catch-up needs for pupils in schools in England, and to monitor progress over the course of the 2020/21 academic year and the autumn term 2021.</p><p>The latest findings from this research, published 29 October, includes data from the 2020/21 summer term and a summary of all previous findings. Complete findings from the 2020/21 academic year can be found on gov.uk: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-progress-in-the-2020-to-2021-academic-year-interim-report" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupils-progress-in-the-2020-to-2021-academic-year-interim-report</a>.</p><p>The department has a contract with Ipsos MORI, in consortium with Sheffield Hallam University and the Centre for Education and Youth, to undertake a mixed-methods research study, which includes gathering data through surveys of school leaders, interviews and case studies, to examine how they have responded to the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, including how they are tackling the issue of lost education.</p><p>Interim results from the study will be published before the end of the year and will be used to understand school recovery approaches, including use of the catch-up premium, and how best to support schools going forwards. The research is set to continue in the 2021/22 academic year, with a final report at the end of 2022.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 08/11/2021 16:23:49 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1365999

registered interest
date	03/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with secondary school leaders on the school readiness of the 2021-22 year 7 cohort.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	69087
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>The department regularly engages with secondary school leaders and organisations, representing them on a wide range of issues around pupil progress, including on the transition to secondary school.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 08/11/2021 16:24:04 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1365357

registered interest
date	02/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Carbon Emissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allocating funding for the building of new schools to replace those with high carbon emissions.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	68358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2021 answer text <p>In June 2020, the government announced the new School Rebuilding Programme. The department has confirmed the first 100 schools as part of a commitment to 500 rebuilding and refurbishment projects over the next decade. The programme will replace poor condition and ageing school buildings with modern, energy efficient designs, delivering new buildings that will be net zero carbon in operation, and more resilient to future climate change.</p><p>The department’s consultation on the approach to prioritising schools for future places in the programme closed on 8 October 2021 and we plan to set out further details in early 2022.</p><p>The department also allocates capital funding each year to those responsible for school buildings to improve and maintain the condition of the school estate. Condition funding can be used to invest in improving energy efficiency.</p><p>The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy set up the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in 2020 to provide grants for eligible public sector bodies, including schools, to fund energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation measures.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 09/11/2021 11:23:28 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1365432

registered interest
date	02/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the funding schools require in addition to their learning budgets to manage ongoing costs relating to covid-19 in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.
tabling member constituency	Coventry North East
tabling member printed	Colleen Fletcher
uin	68302
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2021 answer text <p>Teachers, school leaders, and pupils have made a huge contribution to the nation’s efforts to respond to the challenges arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, and the department is very grateful for their continued hard work. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, the department has ensured that all schools continued to receive their core funding as normal, regardless of any periods of reduced attendance.</p><p>The department recognises that some schools may be facing pressures this winter. However, this should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools. At the recent spending review, we announced we are continuing to deliver year on year, real terms per pupil increases to school funding, investing a further £4.7 billion in the core school budget by the 2024-25 financial year compared to previous plans.</p><p>This settlement includes a further £1.6 billion in the 2022-23 financial year, on top of the £2.4 billion increase over 2021-22 levels, already announced as part of the 2019 spending round, which will help the school sector respond to the pressures we know they are facing.</p><p>School leaders have the flexibility to make their own decisions on how to prioritise their spending to invest in a range of resources and activities that will best support their staff and pupils.</p><p>In addition to the increase in core funding for schools, schools will receive a £1 billion recovery premium over the next two years to help those pupils most in need of support to catch up. This will help to deliver evidence-based approaches to support the most disadvantaged pupils and means every school in England will have more money to support young people’s recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p>This £1 billion comes on top of recovery interventions announced previously, including £1.5 billion investment in tutoring in schools and colleges, £400 million investment in expanding training opportunities in early years and schools settings, £950 million in flexible funding for schools, £200 million for summer schools, £17 million for early language support, and the opportunity for year 13 students to repeat their final year in the 2021-22 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 08/11/2021 16:25:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	4378 label Biography information for Colleen Fletcher