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1714513

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare and 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 is taking to count the number of staff working in the early years and childcare sector.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	24020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>The department collects information on the overall size of the workforce through its regular Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers, which can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The latest data from this survey was published in December 2023 and showed the number of paid staff working in the early years sector had increased by 13,000 in 2023 alone.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 10/05/2024 16:35:22 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1714044

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to deliver the additional childcare places needed.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23850
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>In 2010 there was only 12.5 hours of childcare support for some families with 3 and 4-year-olds. This government has already significantly expanded that support, to 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds.</p><p>The department is now going further, making the largest investment in childcare in England’s history.</p><p>The rates for the new entitlements have been independently confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to be well above market rates. The department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates and has allocated £100 million in capital funding for more early years (EY) and wrapround places and spaces.</p><p>The department has also launched a range of new workforce initiatives to boost EY staff numbers. The department’s recruitment campaign <strong>‘</strong>Do something BIG. Work with small children’ is backed by £6.5 million and is raising the status of EY to boost the recruitment of talented staff.</p><p>On top of this, in order to further boost the workforce, the department has invited 20 local authorities to take part in a £4.9 million pilot to test whether financial incentives in EY would help boost recruitment in the same way it has for teachers. Up to 3,000 eligible joiners and returners to the workforce will receive a £1,000 tax-free cash payment, shortly after they take up the post. This is as well as an investment of £7.2 million to deliver Skills Bootcamps for Early Years which enables learners to progress on an accelerated Level 3 Early Years Apprenticeship. This builds on previous growth in the market. The total number of paid childcare staff increased by 12,900 (or 4%) from 334,400 in 2022 to 347,300 in 2023, and the overall number of places increased by 15,100 (or 1%) over the same period.</p><p>It is important to note that Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about the sufficiency of childcare in their area including their work to support the EY workforce recruitment and retention. No local authorities have reported to the department that they do not have sufficient childcare places.</p><p>The department continues to monitor the recruitment of EY staff alongside the sufficiency of childcare provision and are committed to continuing to work with the sector understand how it can further support EY workforce recruitment and retention.</p><p>The department already has significant support in place for disadvantaged families.</p><p>In addition to the expanded entitlements, the government has also taken action to support parents on Universal Credit with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears. The department has increased support for these parents by increasing the childcare cost maximum amounts to £950 for one child and £1629 for two children.</p><p>The department already funds 15 hours of free early education a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and children with an education, health and care plan or a Statement of Special Educational Needs.</p><p>Over 1.2 million disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefitted from 15 hours early education and care entitlement since the entitlement began in September 2013. 74%, or 124,200, of eligible children were taking up the 2-year-old entitlement for the most disadvantaged children, which is an increase in the take up rates from 72%, or 135,400, in January 2022.</p><p>The department also supports the most disadvantaged by investing in high quality early education, family hubs and local services, and by helping parents to support their child’s early language development at home.</p><p>It is important that local authorities reflect deprivation within their local funding approach. To support this, we have introduced a requirement for local authorities to ensure that the final funding rate they pay to providers for the disadvantaged 2-year-old entitlement is at least equivalent to the final rate for the 2-year-old working parent entitlement.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23851 23852 question first answered 07/05/2024 16:51:13 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1714045

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
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, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to increase the number of childcare places in areas of deprivation.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23851
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>In 2010 there was only 12.5 hours of childcare support for some families with 3 and 4-year-olds. This government has already significantly expanded that support, to 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds.</p><p>The department is now going further, making the largest investment in childcare in England’s history.</p><p>The rates for the new entitlements have been independently confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to be well above market rates. The department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates and has allocated £100 million in capital funding for more early years (EY) and wrapround places and spaces.</p><p>The department has also launched a range of new workforce initiatives to boost EY staff numbers. The department’s recruitment campaign <strong>‘</strong>Do something BIG. Work with small children’ is backed by £6.5 million and is raising the status of EY to boost the recruitment of talented staff.</p><p>On top of this, in order to further boost the workforce, the department has invited 20 local authorities to take part in a £4.9 million pilot to test whether financial incentives in EY would help boost recruitment in the same way it has for teachers. Up to 3,000 eligible joiners and returners to the workforce will receive a £1,000 tax-free cash payment, shortly after they take up the post. This is as well as an investment of £7.2 million to deliver Skills Bootcamps for Early Years which enables learners to progress on an accelerated Level 3 Early Years Apprenticeship. This builds on previous growth in the market. The total number of paid childcare staff increased by 12,900 (or 4%) from 334,400 in 2022 to 347,300 in 2023, and the overall number of places increased by 15,100 (or 1%) over the same period.</p><p>It is important to note that Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about the sufficiency of childcare in their area including their work to support the EY workforce recruitment and retention. No local authorities have reported to the department that they do not have sufficient childcare places.</p><p>The department continues to monitor the recruitment of EY staff alongside the sufficiency of childcare provision and are committed to continuing to work with the sector understand how it can further support EY workforce recruitment and retention.</p><p>The department already has significant support in place for disadvantaged families.</p><p>In addition to the expanded entitlements, the government has also taken action to support parents on Universal Credit with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears. The department has increased support for these parents by increasing the childcare cost maximum amounts to £950 for one child and £1629 for two children.</p><p>The department already funds 15 hours of free early education a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and children with an education, health and care plan or a Statement of Special Educational Needs.</p><p>Over 1.2 million disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefitted from 15 hours early education and care entitlement since the entitlement began in September 2013. 74%, or 124,200, of eligible children were taking up the 2-year-old entitlement for the most disadvantaged children, which is an increase in the take up rates from 72%, or 135,400, in January 2022.</p><p>The department also supports the most disadvantaged by investing in high quality early education, family hubs and local services, and by helping parents to support their child’s early language development at home.</p><p>It is important that local authorities reflect deprivation within their local funding approach. To support this, we have introduced a requirement for local authorities to ensure that the final funding rate they pay to providers for the disadvantaged 2-year-old entitlement is at least equivalent to the final rate for the 2-year-old working parent entitlement.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23850 23852 question first answered 07/05/2024 16:51:13 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1714046

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
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, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to increase the number of childcare providers operating in areas of deprivation.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>In 2010 there was only 12.5 hours of childcare support for some families with 3 and 4-year-olds. This government has already significantly expanded that support, to 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds.</p><p>The department is now going further, making the largest investment in childcare in England’s history.</p><p>The rates for the new entitlements have been independently confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to be well above market rates. The department is investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates and has allocated £100 million in capital funding for more early years (EY) and wrapround places and spaces.</p><p>The department has also launched a range of new workforce initiatives to boost EY staff numbers. The department’s recruitment campaign <strong>‘</strong>Do something BIG. Work with small children’ is backed by £6.5 million and is raising the status of EY to boost the recruitment of talented staff.</p><p>On top of this, in order to further boost the workforce, the department has invited 20 local authorities to take part in a £4.9 million pilot to test whether financial incentives in EY would help boost recruitment in the same way it has for teachers. Up to 3,000 eligible joiners and returners to the workforce will receive a £1,000 tax-free cash payment, shortly after they take up the post. This is as well as an investment of £7.2 million to deliver Skills Bootcamps for Early Years which enables learners to progress on an accelerated Level 3 Early Years Apprenticeship. This builds on previous growth in the market. The total number of paid childcare staff increased by 12,900 (or 4%) from 334,400 in 2022 to 347,300 in 2023, and the overall number of places increased by 15,100 (or 1%) over the same period.</p><p>It is important to note that Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about the sufficiency of childcare in their area including their work to support the EY workforce recruitment and retention. No local authorities have reported to the department that they do not have sufficient childcare places.</p><p>The department continues to monitor the recruitment of EY staff alongside the sufficiency of childcare provision and are committed to continuing to work with the sector understand how it can further support EY workforce recruitment and retention.</p><p>The department already has significant support in place for disadvantaged families.</p><p>In addition to the expanded entitlements, the government has also taken action to support parents on Universal Credit with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears. The department has increased support for these parents by increasing the childcare cost maximum amounts to £950 for one child and £1629 for two children.</p><p>The department already funds 15 hours of free early education a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and children with an education, health and care plan or a Statement of Special Educational Needs.</p><p>Over 1.2 million disadvantaged 2-year-olds have benefitted from 15 hours early education and care entitlement since the entitlement began in September 2013. 74%, or 124,200, of eligible children were taking up the 2-year-old entitlement for the most disadvantaged children, which is an increase in the take up rates from 72%, or 135,400, in January 2022.</p><p>The department also supports the most disadvantaged by investing in high quality early education, family hubs and local services, and by helping parents to support their child’s early language development at home.</p><p>It is important that local authorities reflect deprivation within their local funding approach. To support this, we have introduced a requirement for local authorities to ensure that the final funding rate they pay to providers for the disadvantaged 2-year-old entitlement is at least equivalent to the final rate for the 2-year-old working parent entitlement.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23850 23851 question first answered 07/05/2024 16:51:13 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713398

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, what metric was used to calculate the hourly rate childcare providers are paid to deliver free hours childcare for children aged nine months to four years.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23460
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Spring Budget 2024 announcement confirms how the department will uplift costs in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. The department will use average earnings growth and National Living Wage (NLW) to forecast how staff costs are changing for providers and Consumer Price Index (a general measure of inflation) to forecast how non-staff costs will change. This is the same metric that was used at Spring Budget 2023 and as such, levels of inflation and the NLW were taken into account when calculating the funding rates paid by the department to local authorities for all of the entitlements in the financial year 2024/25.</p><p>The department’s methodology and the uplift to the rates are informed by data it receives from providers and parents to ensure it meets the pressures faced by the sector. The department regularly surveys a nationally representative sample of over 9,000 providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges they face. The department also regularly surveys over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23461 question first answered 07/05/2024 15:30:36 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713399

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.8 of the Spring Budget 2024, HC 560, whether trends in the level of (a) wage growth, (b) inflation and (c) National Living Wage rises were used to calculate the hourly rate paid to childcare providers to deliver free hours childcare for children aged nine months to four years.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Spring Budget 2024 announcement confirms how the department will uplift costs in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. The department will use average earnings growth and National Living Wage (NLW) to forecast how staff costs are changing for providers and Consumer Price Index (a general measure of inflation) to forecast how non-staff costs will change. This is the same metric that was used at Spring Budget 2023 and as such, levels of inflation and the NLW were taken into account when calculating the funding rates paid by the department to local authorities for all of the entitlements in the financial year 2024/25.</p><p>The department’s methodology and the uplift to the rates are informed by data it receives from providers and parents to ensure it meets the pressures faced by the sector. The department regularly surveys a nationally representative sample of over 9,000 providers to gain insights into how they run their provision and the challenges they face. The department also regularly surveys over 6,000 parents to understand their usage of childcare.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 23460 question first answered 07/05/2024 15:30:36 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713580

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship starts there have been among young people aged (a) under 19 and (b) 19 to 24, by level, for each academic year since 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23462
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The following link sets out the apprenticeship starts by under 19s, including those aged between 19 to 24: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/04dbd954-342d-4fa1-2d37-08dc5ed9bc49" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/04dbd954-342d-4fa1-2d37-08dc5ed9bc49</a></p><p> </p><p>Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the apprenticeships publication, available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships</a>.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 01/05/2024 14:47:00 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713590

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's value for money report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England on the expansion of government funded childcare, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to track the number of childcare staff required in each region for the expansion in 30-hours funded childcare, in addition to her Department’s national level projection.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.</p><p> </p><p>The department has regular contact with each local authority in England to discuss the rollout of the expanded entitlements and the sufficiency of childcare. This includes understanding whether early years workforce recruitment and retention in each local authority is sufficient to meet the demand for new places.</p><p> </p><p>Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed provide support to the local authority with any specific requirements through the department’s childcare sufficiency support contract.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, the department collects information on the childcare workforce through the Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers and regular pulse surveys. The Childcare and Early Years Providers survey is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023</a>, and the pulse survey is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-childcare-reforms-on-childcare-and-early-years-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-impact-of-childcare-reforms-on-childcare-and-early-years-providers</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:58:19 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713591

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's value for money report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England on the expansion of government funded childcare, published on 24 April 2024, which local authorities she estimates will need to increase their childcare hours by 20% or more by September 2025.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23464
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>As the National Audit Office (NAO) recently reported, the department has developed a model to estimate supply and demand nationally and locally. This allows the department to estimate the required increases in early years hours to meet demand for key delivery milestones.</p><p> </p><p>The regional differences are illustrated in Figure 11 of the NAO report. Further detail of this analysis has not been published. It has been shared directly with local authorities to use alongside their local intelligence and support local sufficiency assessments.</p><p> </p><p>The supply and demand model is updated regularly with the latest data, including as more parents apply for eligibility codes and the department has an improved understanding of local demand.</p><p> </p><p>The indicative output of this supply and demand modelling is only one factor the department takes into account when judging the scale of the challenge a local authority faces. The department also accounts for the local authorities own assessment of supply and demand and their responses to the departments readiness assessments.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:55:20 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1713592

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to para 3.11 of the National Audit Office's value for money report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England on the expansion of government funded childcare, published on 24 April 2024, what indicators she plans to use to track progress of the childcare roll-out; and what criteria would need to be met for her Department to change its assessment of the likelihood of meeting the September (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 phases of the roll-out.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	23465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>Key Performance Indicators will be used to measure delivery performance against a range of objectives including:</p><ul><li>More families accessing government funded childcare and an increase in the numbers of staff and places in the sector.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In the lead up to the April 2024 delivery milestone the department saw these indicators improve, with over 200,000 children finding places and no reports of insufficiency from local authorities. The department would expect to see a similar results in the lead up to September 2024 and September 2025.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 02/05/2024 16:57:49 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson