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1722960

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Absenteeism
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 estimate of the number and proportion of (a) children and (b) young people not in school; and if she will commission a review into the reasons behind such absences.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	1289
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>The government is committed to taking steps to better understand how many children of compulsory school age in England are not in school. Beginning October 2022, aggregate data on children in elective home education (EHE) and children missing education (CME) was collected from local authorities for the first time.</p><p> </p><p>Recent data shows on census day in autumn 2023, local authorities reported an estimated 33,000 CME that are not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education. This is an increase of approximately 4,900 children from the summer 2023 census day. In the autumn 2023 term, where known by the local authority, primary reasons given for CME included the child having moved out of the country, the child having moved out of the local authority and the child is awaiting a school application outcome.</p><p> </p><p>As at the census date in autumn 2023, an estimated 92,000 children were in EHE. This includes adjustments made for non-response and is based on a figure of 87,700 reported by 95% of local authorities. This is an increase from an estimated 80,900 in the previous autumn term. The leading reasons provided for deciding to home educate were philosophical, mental health, lifestyle and school dissatisfaction.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to making it a statutory duty for local authorities to maintain children not in school registers and submit data returns to the department when requested to do so. Additionally, from autumn this year, the department is mandating the collection of aggregate data on EHE and CME from local authorities in the 2023/24 academic year. This will increase the amount and detail of information available to local authorities and government on local and national levels, allowing the department to identify outlying local data and improve understanding of the drivers.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside better data, the government will help to tackle drivers of children not being in school including via a requirement for school to cooperate with their local authority on school admissions, special educational needs and disabilities inclusion and place planning.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 26/07/2024 10:19:05 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1723025

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Aylesbury
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents, families and carers in the Aylesbury constituency.
tabling member constituency	Aylesbury
tabling member printed	Laura Kyrke-Smith
uin	1409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.</p><p> </p><p>The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness. A written statement of action to address these areas of weakness was accepted by Ofsted and CQC. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas of weakness and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, including regular review meetings. Buckinghamshire Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services.</p><p> </p><p>Buckinghamshire is taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme. The DBV in SEND Programme, established under the previous government, aims to help local authorities provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people at an early stage and with the right level of support.</p><p> </p><p>Buckinghamshire is part of the most recent national competition to find multi-academy trusts to run 18 additional special schools. The competition was launched before the election and the window for application has just closed.</p><p> </p><p>This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools as well as to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 26/07/2024 12:52:35 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5341

1723040

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Central Bedfordshire Council and North Hertfordshire District Council
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to support (a) Central Bedfordshire Council (b) North Hertfordshire Council with SEND provision.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	1424
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as to ensure special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.</p><p> </p><p>Ofsted inspected local arrangements for children with SEND in Central Bedfordshire in November 2019 and found six areas of significant weakness. The local area was required to produce a written statement of action, which was approved by Ofsted in September 2020. A follow up revisit in July 2022 found the local area had made sufficient progress in three of the six areas of significant weakness. The department monitors progress against Central Bedfordshire’s improvement plan and provides support and challenge, including from a SEND expert advisor.</p><p> </p><p>Ofsted inspected local arrangements for children with SEND in Hertfordshire in July 2023. Its report, published in November 2023, concluded that there are widespread and/or systemic failings, leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently. Hertfordshire local area partnership has established a SEND improvement board which is independently chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan to oversee progress and provide appropriate challenge. The department monitors progress against Hertfordshire’s improvement plan and priority action plan and provides support and challenge, including from a SEND expert advisor.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 26/07/2024 13:03:29 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1723042

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Hitchin
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the availability of childcare in Hitchin constituency.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	1426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>Delivering high quality affordable childcare is a priority for this government. As an initial step, the department is progressing work to deliver new places in 3,000 nurseries through upgrading space in primary schools. This will help increase the number of places available to parents, whilst also driving high and rising standards and better opportunities for every child.</p><p> </p><p>The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing, including supporting them through the childcare delivery support contract where appropriate.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 26/07/2024 10:22:55 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1723043

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Mental Health Support Teams there were in (a) Hitchin constituency, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) North Hertfordshire in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	1427
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) have three core functions. Firstly, to deliver evidence-based early interventions for emerging and actual mental health issues, 1 to 1 and in groups. Secondly, to support a school or college’s mental health lead to embed an effective approach to promote and support mental health and wellbeing. Thirdly, to advise school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services, to help pupils and learners to get the right timely support and stay in education.</p><p>Data specifically on how many MHSTs there are in Bedfordshire, Hitchin constituency and North Hertfordshire is not currently available.​</p><p> </p><p>However, data published by NHS England shows that since 2018/19, when the first wave of MHSTs were commissioned, 11 MHSTs have been established across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. For the first 9 MHSTs established up to 2022/23, this equates to MHST coverage of 43% of pupils and learners and 40% of schools and colleges in these areas</p><p> </p><p>A link to the data can be found here: <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/#_Mental_Health_Support" target="_blank">https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/#_Mental_Health_Support</a> and <a href="https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F6642052bf34f9b5a56adc5dd%2FTransforming_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_implementation_programme_2024_data-tables.xlsx&amp;wdOrigin=BROWSELINK" target="_blank">https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F6642052bf34f9b5a56adc5dd%2FTransforming_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_implementation_programme_2024_data-tables.xlsx&amp;wdOrigin=BROWSELINK</a>.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 26/07/2024 10:11:33 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1723044

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Teachers: East of England
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 the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of teachers in (i) Hitchin constituency and (ii) East of England.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	1428
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education.</p><p> </p><p>There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the department must do more to recruit additional teachers, especially in shortage subjects in secondary. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.</p><p> </p><p>Numbers of teachers in Hitchin and East of England have increased slightly in the last year with 1,102 teachers in Hitchin and Harpenden in 2023/24 (up from 1,087 in 2022/23), and 52,995 teachers in East of England (up from 52,308 in 2022/23). The department is doing more to attract teachers in these areas. Financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, and the department is continuing to support teacher trainees with bursaries in shortage subjects, and with retention payments for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers, who chose to work in disadvantaged schools. In 2023/24, 286 schools in the East of England were eligible for these payments.</p><p> </p><p>To further help retention to ensure teachers stay and thrive in the profession, the department is also addressing teacher workload and wellbeing, and supporting schools to introduce flexible working practices. For example, Thomas Gainsborough School of Unity Schools Partnership, as one of the Flexible Working Ambassador Schools, is helping schools across the East of England to introduce flexible working practices.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, Chiltern Teaching School Hub in Hitchin, and the 10 Teaching School Hubs across the East of England, are centres of excellence, supporting teacher training and development.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 26/07/2024 13:48:28 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1723058

registered interest
date	23/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: North East Hertfordshire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents, families and carers in North East Hertfordshire constituency.
tabling member constituency	North East Hertfordshire
tabling member printed	Chris Hinchliff
uin	1442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2024 answer text <p>This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Ofsted inspected local arrangements for children with SEND in Hertfordshire in July 2023. Their report, published on 10 November 2023, concluded that there are widespread and/or systemic failings, leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND, which the local area partnership must address urgently.</p><p> </p><p>The department provides support and challenge to the Hertfordshire local area partnership by monitoring progress against its priority action plan and improvement plan, and by providing advice and guidance via a SEND expert advisor. The partnership has also established a SEND Improvement Board, independently chaired by Dame Christine Lenehan to oversee progress and provide appropriate challenge.</p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 26/07/2024 13:02:17 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5244

1722415

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Hastings and Rye
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with the University of Brighton Academies Trust on the proportion of the public funding it receives that is passed on to schools in Hastings and Rye constituency.
tabling member constituency	Hastings and Rye
tabling member printed	Helena Dollimore
uin	1060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2024 answer text <p>Academy trusts are the responsible, accountable body for all the money allocated to their individual academies, and the 2023 Academy Trust Handbook permits academy trusts to amalgamate academies’ General Annual Grant (GAG) to form one central fund. This allows academy trusts to direct funds in line with improvement priorities and needs across their schools.</p><p> </p><p>The handbook also sets out that, where a trust decides to pool GAG, it must consider the funding needs and allocations of each constituent academy. The academy trust must also have an appeals mechanism in place. If an appeal is not resolved, an appeal can be escalated to Education and Skills Funding Agency.</p><p> </p><p>The government is clear that 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 to 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 grouped question UIN 1162 question first answered 25/07/2024 14:50:39 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	5192

1722431

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Skilled Workers: Training
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 adequacy of the (a) inspection process for Skills Bootcamp providers and (b) education inspection framework for skills providers.
tabling member constituency	Chesham and Amersham
tabling member printed	Sarah Green
uin	1062
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2024 answer text <p>Ofsted inspections independently assess the quality of adult learning providers and Skills Bootcamps have been part of this remit since April 2023. Ofsted inspection reports help support providers to improve the quality of their provision. The department can, at its discretion, take appropriate contractual action where performance is below the standard expected of providers.</p><p> </p><p>The government is committed to reforming Ofsted and improving the inspection system and has set out a series of commitments to reforming accountability, such as moving away from the single headline grade to a richer system through a report card. The government will want to engage with Ofsted, including looking closely at the results of its ‘Big Listen’ and will work in partnership with those from the range of sectors that Ofsted works in, including skills, to look at opportunities to improve the current arrangements.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Newcastle upon Tyne North answering member printed Catherine McKinnell question first answered 25/07/2024 14:54:24 answering member 4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell
tabling member	4918 label Biography information for Sarah Green

1722534

registered interest
date	22/07/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Holiday Activities and Food Programme
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 extend the Holiday Activities Fund.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	972
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2024 answer text <p>The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life.</p><p>The department will be providing over 3 million holiday clubs places this summer and these places will support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to access free healthy meals and enriching activities.</p><p>The department will also be providing over 500,000 holiday places over Christmas to ensure children get access to food through the school holidays and to the activities benefiting their heath, wellbeing and learning that we know make such a difference.</p><p>Funding beyond the end of March 2025 is subject to the forthcoming Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth South answering member printed Stephen Morgan question first answered 25/07/2024 10:28:11 answering member 4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell