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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

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

423778

	registered interest
	date	26/10/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Further Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether new (a) free schools, (b) academies, (c) school sixth forms and (d) university technical colleges will be permitted to open while an area-based review of education and training institutions is underway.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	13259
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2015 answer text <p>All applications to open a free school, academy, school sixth form or university technical college are assessed on a case by case basis against the published criteria, taking account of local needs and circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Grantham and Stamford answering member printed Nick Boles question first answered 03/11/2015 12:05:23 answering member 3995 label Biography information for Nick Boles
	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

919323

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2018
	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, what criteria his Department uses to monitor compliance with section 5 of the Childcare Act 2006 by local authorities.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	151158
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2018 answer text <p>The department does not monitor local authority compliance with Section 5 of the Childcare Act 2006. The department has published statutory guidance that clarifies what local authorities must do to meet the legal requirements set out in Section 5 of the Childcare Act 2006 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centres" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centres</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 15/06/2018 12:51:24 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

349238

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on improving outcomes for looked after children by improving (a) the collection of data and (b) quality of care.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	1535
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>The educational attainment of looked after children has improved over recent years at key stages 2 and 4, absence and exclusion rates have fallen, and offending and substance misuse rates have also fallen. Latest statistics are published in the statistical first release 'Outcomes for children looked after by local authorities': <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/outcomes-for-children-looked-after-by-local-authorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/outcomes-for-children-looked-after-by-local-authorities</a>. It is not possible to attribute these improvements to single factors such as data collection improvements.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The department, working with its key users and interested parties, is regularly making improvements to the annual looked after children data collection from local authorities. Through our work to provide timely and relevant transparency information, the department is striving to help drive local and national improvement in the outcomes for looked after children. For example, in 2014, for the first time, information was collected on the activity and accommodation of care leavers aged 19, 20 and 21 (previously it was just 19-year-olds), which enables a fuller understanding of the numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training when they leave care. In 2016, in order to help understand the causes of placement instability, the department will begin to collect data on the reason for placement moves.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Significant progress has been made in recent years to improve the quality of care. The department has taken steps to streamline and strengthen the assessment and approval for foster carers and improve their recruitment and retention. The department has also taken steps to encourage social workers to give foster carers a more active role in day-to-day decisions. New qualifications requirements have been introduced to improve the level of skills for care workers and children’s homes. In April 2015, new quality standards regulations were introduced in order to improve the experience of children in residential care. These new quality standards can be found online here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/355577/Guide_to_the_children_s_homes_regulations.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/355577/Guide_to_the_children_s_homes_regulations.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The department has invested £36 million over the last four years in developing, testing and embedding evidence based interventions for looked-after children and those on the edge of care or custody. Long-term foster care as a distinct placement type was introduced in April 2015 to ensure that long-term arrangements are planned, stable and made in the best interests of the child. The department is also funding a two-year programme, until March 2016, to develop more effective ways of supporting vulnerable children through the Innovation Programme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are committed to improving transitions from care. To that end we published a cross-departmental care leaver strategy in 2013 and a ‘one year on’ report in 2014 setting out the ways in which the strategy improved services for this group of young people.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 17/06/2015 15:24:52 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

427600

	registered interest
	date	10/11/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Physical Education
	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 increase the breadth of physical activity opportunities beyond sport available to children (a) in and (b) out of school.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2015 answer text <p>We want all children to lead healthy and active lives. The government will publish a new sports strategy by the end of 2015. The strategy will set out how the government intends to support young people to participate in, and engage with sport and physical activity.</p><br /><p>Schools can offer a variety of opportunities for children to be physically active. Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four Key Stages in the national curriculum for maintained schools. The curriculum sets out the expectation that pupils should be physically active for sustained periods of time. Teachers have the flexibility to organise and deliver a range of activities.</p><br /><p>Through the Primary PE and Sport Premium, the government has committed over £450m of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve the quality of their PE and sport provision.</p><br /><p>Other programmes focused on increasing physical activity include Change4Life Sports Clubs and the Young Ambassador Peer Leaders programme. Change4Life Sports Clubs aim to increase the physical activity, health and wellbeing of the least active children through healthy lifestyle activities. In May 2015, an independent evaluation on Change4Life Primary Clubs found that around 270,000 children participated in Change4Life Primary Clubs over the lifetime of the programme (2011/12 – 2014/15). Young Ambassadors are primary and secondary pupils who promote physical activity across their school and lead activities with their less active peers.</p><br /><p>Outside of school, more than 385,000 families signed up to the Change4Life 10 Minute Shake Up summer campaign and over 700,000 children participated. The campaign encouraged children to team up with some of their favourite Disney characters and enjoy 10 Minute Shake Up activities to keep them healthy and physically active.</p><br /><p>The government is also keen to encourage more pupils to walk to school. Statutory guidance for local authorities on travel and transport to school was published in July 2014. Local authorities have a duty to promote the use of sustainable travel and transport and to develop a strategy for sustainable local travel.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 17/11/2015 16:21:52 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

349270

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to improve support and training for foster carers and key workers in children's homes on (a) helping children overcome past experiences and (b) building positive relationships with children.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	1611
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>New mandatory qualifications for those working in and managing children’s homes were introduced in January 2015. These assess the key workers’ ability to build positive attachments and relationships with children and provide support for children who have experienced harm or abuse. On 6<sup>th</sup> April, the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 came into force. The regulations introduced new quality standards, ambitious in the outcomes they set out for children in residential care. Staff are being trained and supported to meet the quality standards through a one year implementation programme, funded by the Department for Education.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government has invested significantly in supporting local authorities to embed evidence based interventions, offering training and support to foster carers, kinship carers, birth parents, residential workers and adopters. These interventions include ‘Keeping foster and kinship carers safe and supported’ (KEEP) and ‘Multidimensional treatment foster care’ (MTFC) which enable foster carers to support children and young people to build on their strengths, address the difficulties in every area of their lives and promote placement stability by building the skills and confidence of carers. Through the Innovation Programme, the Department is also supporting the introduction of the ‘Mockingbird project’, focusing on support for kinship and foster carers looking after adolescents.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Edward Timpson question first answered 16/06/2015 14:57:21 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

62260

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Academies: Land
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the question of who retains ownership of the land in cases where freehold interest in local authority land is granted to an academy trust.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	201051
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p>When community schools convert to academies, the freehold is retained by the local authority and a lease is granted to the academy trust. In some circumstances, where the school governors or supporting foundation already hold the freehold, my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, may allow publicly-funded school land to be transferred to an academy trust, which will have satisfied the Secretary of State as to its ability to operate a state-funded school.</p><p> </p><p>There are strict rules protecting publicly funded land used by academies, regardless of who holds the freehold. This is set out in published guidance, which is available online:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice</a></p><p> </p><p>A copy of the guidance has been placed in the House Library.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not hold information about the average value of land used for academies on a freehold or leasehold basis. Information about the number of academies that occupy land on a leasehold and freehold basis is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Crewe and Nantwich answering member printed Mr Edward Timpson grouped question UIN 201052 201053 201072 question first answered 23/06/2014 16:01:26 answering member 1605 label Biography information for Edward Timpson
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham