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926958

registered interest
date	19/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department monitors compliance by English local authorities with requirements prescribed in section 1 of the Childcare Act 2006.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	155281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2018 answer text <p>The department does not monitor local authority compliance with section 1 of the Childcare Act 2006. We do continue to work closely with local authorities to improve outcomes for children, such as through the Partners in Practice programme, the special educational needs and disabilities reform programme, and our work to close the word gap announced in ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential: a plan to improve social mobility through education’.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 25/06/2018 14:51:37 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

872256

registered interest
date	26/03/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Home Education: Public Consultation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Government's consultation on the guidance on home education for parents and local authorities is planned to begin; how long that consultation is planned to last; and what the timetable is for the Government to respond to that consultation.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	134170
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text <p>We aim to start the consultation process within the next few weeks, once the necessary documentation has been prepared. The consultation period will be proportionate, as required by the consultation principles document published by the Cabinet Office. That document also sets out that a response to consultation will normally be made within 12 weeks; but in any event, it is planned that the final version of revised guidance will be issued as soon as responses received during the consultation period have been considered fully.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 29/03/2018 14:18:58 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

771340

registered interest
date	16/10/2017
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, what assessment she has made of the effect of the 30 hours free childcare entitlement on childcare providers' ability to (a) employ and (b) support (i) qualified early years teachers and (ii) other staff with suitable qualifications.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	107754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2017 answer text <p>In March 2017 we published the Early Years Workforce Strategy which sets out the actions we will take to support the early years’ sector to attract, retain and develop the early years’ workforce. There has been no assessment of the effect of 30 hours’ free childcare on providers’ ability to employ and support qualified teachers and other staff.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 19/10/2017 16:17:02 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

771474

registered interest
date	16/10/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to achieve the objectives on broadening the early years workforce set out in the Early Years Workforce Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	107814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2017 answer text <p>The Early Years Workforce Strategy published in March 2017, sets out the actions we will take to support the early years’ sector to attract, retain and develop the early years workforce. We have now broadened the English and mathematics requirement for level 3 Early Years Educators, including for apprenticeships, to level 2 qualifications including Functional Skills (rather than a specific requirement for a GCSE qualification), to support recruitment and retention of staff. This was implemented in April 2017.</p><p>We will provide further updates on the Early Years Workforce Strategy in due course.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 19/10/2017 16:28:33 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

760076

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Finance
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 ensure that schools have additional financial resources to aid them in better supporting summer born children.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	10391
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/10/2017 answer text <p>The additional £1.3 billion we are investing in schools will ensure the new national funding formula provides a cash increase of at least 1% per pupil by 2019-20 for every school, with up to 3% gains per pupil, per year, for underfunded schools, to enable all schools to provide the right support to their pupils.</p><p> </p><p>Funding is not allocated directly by reference to when in the year children are born. Within the national funding formula, additional funding is directed by reference to the number of children who have low prior attainment, and have fallen behind their peers.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 09/10/2017 11:24:21 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

758131

registered interest
date	06/09/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Stockton North
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an estimate of how many families in Stockton North constituency would be entitled to free school meals under the pre-universal free school meals system; and if she will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	9099
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2017 answer text <p>The proportion of pupils eligible for, and claiming, free school meals under the pre-universal free school meals system is published at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017</a></p><p>Data is not summarised by parliamentary constituency. Data for each school is, however, available via the link to underlying tables (quoted above). then entering the file named ‘Schools_Pupils_UD’.</p><p>The relevant figures can be filtered by school phase, school type and parliamentary constituency.</p> answering member constituency Scarborough and Whitby answering member printed Mr Robert Goodwill question first answered 11/09/2017 16:31:15 answering member 1562 label Biography information for Sir Robert Goodwill
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

720394

registered interest
date	13/04/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the total cost to all schools of the apprenticeship levy since the introduction of that policy.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	70653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2017 answer text <p>The amount that will be charged to community and voluntary controlled maintained schools’ budgets in respect of the apprenticeship levy will depend on the extent to which local authorities pass the cost through to schools where they employ the staff. The cost of this to schools will depend on the extent to which they make use of their contributions for training apprentices.</p><p> </p><p>The apprenticeship levy will support schools to train up and develop new and existing staff as apprentices, an integral part of this government’s wider plans to improve productivity and provide opportunities for people of all backgrounds and all ages to enter the workplace. Existing members of staff can be designated as apprentices: they do not have to be newly employed.</p><p> </p><p>We will be working to create new apprenticeship opportunities for schools, so that they can make optimal use of the levy. We are also working with local authorities (LAs) to ensure schools, where the LA is the employer, get easy access to the LA’s levy pot.</p><p>We have published a guide for schools on how the levy will apply to them, and how schools can make use of it. This is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598603/Schools__guide_to_apprenticeship_reforms.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598603/Schools__guide_to_apprenticeship_reforms.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 27/04/2017 15:19:38 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

711756

registered interest
date	16/03/2017
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the requirement on schools to pay the apprenticeship levy.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	68297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2017 answer text <p>The levy is being introduced to fund a step change in apprenticeship numbers and quality. Levying all employers with annual pay bills over £3 million is the simplest, fairest and most objective way of implementing the levy which is charged at 0.5% of an employer’s annual pay bill. We have been clear that there can be no exemptions to this.</p><p> </p><p>We expect local authorities to work closely with the schools in their areas to ensure schools contributing to the levy can access the funding for apprenticeship training and assessment in order to get the valuable skills they need.</p><p> </p><p>There are already apprenticeships that schools can access, including for Teaching Assistants, business administration and early years. Employer-led groups are also currently developing high-quality apprenticeship standards specifically for schools, including a teaching apprenticeship and school business manager apprenticeships.</p><p> </p><p>We recently published guidance for schools on apprenticeships, and how the apprenticeship levy and public sector apprenticeship target apply to schools in England on gov.uk available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598603/Schools__guide_to_apprenticeship_reforms.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/598603/Schools__guide_to_apprenticeship_reforms.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2017 16:33:30 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

418411

registered interest
date	11/09/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education
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 ensure that children develop good early language skills before they reach primary school.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	9973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2015 answer text <p>The government recognises a key part of raising the standard of education for all children is to ensure they receive a good level of development in literacy and numeracy before they start school. The government has taken the following steps to ensure children are developing good early language skills before they reach primary school:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Early Years Foundation Stage sets the prime areas of learning which early years providers must follow. This includes a focus on communication and language. The Early Years Foundation Stage requires providers to understand the needs of every child and support them as necessary to make progress. The Early Years Foundation stage is available online at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/335504/EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014__with_clarification_note.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The numeracy and literacy skills of staff working with our youngest children are key to supporting children’s progression. We have improved early years qualifications and encouraged high-quality entrants with good numeracy and literacy skills into the profession through setting clear criteria for level 3 training courses and introducing early years initial teacher training.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government has invested over £50 million funding through the Early Years Pupil premium, an additional £5.3 million to sector organisations under the VCS grants and a one off grant of £5 million to teaching schools and their childcare provider partners to support staff development. Many of the projects funded through departmental grants are supporting staff to develop strong pedagogical approaches to language development and early literacy.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 16/09/2015 14:12:34 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

418412

registered interest
date	11/09/2015
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Disadvantaged
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 ensure that disadvantaged children have access to good quality childcare.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	9974
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2015 answer text <p>All local authorities in England have a legal duty to ensure all three- and four-year-olds and the most disadvantaged two-year-olds are able to take up a funded early education place free of charge. Each eligible child is entitled to 570 hours of free early learning a year, equivalent to 15 hours a week of early education for 38 weeks per year. Settings delivering the funded early education entitlement are subject to inspection by Ofsted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The early years pupil premium, which was introduced in April this year, provides nurseries and schools delivering the early education entitlement for three- and four-year-old children with an extra 53p an hour for each eligible child to help them raise the quality of their setting and so close the gap in school readiness between disadvantaged children and their peers. The Government has made £50 million available for the early years pupil premium in 2015-16.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 16/09/2015 14:15:00 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham