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1131317

registered interest
date	11/06/2019
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 his Department is taking to provide financial support to schools that are in deficit.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	263127
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The department is working with the sector to continue building capacity and expertise in financial management, particularly the prevention of a deficit. This includes supporting effective school resource management in trusts with three-year financial forecasting and developing buying hubs and recommended deals for all schools. We are also continuing to work with local authorities, as appropriate, to help them identify potential financial health issues and support schools. We have worked with them to understand how they work with maintained schools, share good practice and use the financial data available to them.</p><p> </p><p>In particular, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) have introduced Schools Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs) to provide help and support to trusts and maintained schools. SRMAs are sector experts who will work with schools and trusts to provide tailored advice on how to make best use of their revenue and capital resources, and reduce non-staff spend, to deliver educational outcomes and contribute to whole-school improvement, prioritising those schools which will benefit the most.</p><p> </p><p>In the case of academy trusts, an academy trust having an in-year deficit is not in and of itself a negative thing. Schools can draw on their reserves for a range of planned and sensible reasons, for example, to spend on capital projects or whole-school improvements. This is prudent financial planning and not at the expense of educational delivery. The academies sector is stable with fewer than 2% of trusts subject to a Financial Notice to Improve.</p><p> </p><p>Where an academy trust does require additional support to manage a deficit, the ESFA will work with them to help them reach a stronger position. Where there is a risk to public funds, the ESFA will intervene in a way that is proportionate to the risk and preserves education provision. This can include issuing an Financial Notice to Improve, or in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 19/06/2019 15:32:33 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1110713

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to increase funding for special educational needs.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	242787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>The funding of children with special educational needs (SEN) is a devolved issue.</p><p>In December 2018, the government announced that it would allocate an additional £250 million in revenue funding for pupils with complex SEN across England, across the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20. The allocation to each local authority can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2019-to-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-funding-arrangements-2019-to-2020</a>.</p><p>We will also, of course, be making a strong case in the next spending review to ensure that the high needs budget provides the funds for schools to make the right provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/04/2019 13:01:24 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1104932

registered interest
date	25/03/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Defibrillators
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to allocate funding from the public purse to the procurement of defibrillators by schools.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	236459
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2019 answer text <p>Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are currently available for schools and other education providers in the UK to purchase through the NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges, further education institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school providers).</p><p>There is no legal requirement for schools to purchase an AED, but the government encourages them to do so as part of their first aid equipment.</p><p>The government has produced guidance for schools on buying, installing and using an AED, which can be viewed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 02/04/2019 15:09:12 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1047649

registered interest
date	24/01/2019
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, how many children were taken into care due to parental drug and alcohol related issues in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	212341
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2019 answer text <p>The department does not collect this level of detail on the reason why a child becomes looked-after.</p><p>The available information on the primary need of children starting to be looked-after is published annually in table C1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. The category ‘Parental disability or illness’ includes children whose main category of need was due to the capacity of their parents to care for them being impaired by the parents’ disability, physical or mental illness or addictions.</p><p>We know that parental drug and alcohol related issues can be a common factor in families with children in need of help and protection. We are working to ensure that families receive the right help at the right time to promote the welfare and outcomes of children and enable them to stay together where it is safe to do so.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 01/02/2019 10:59:06 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1047654

registered interest
date	24/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: English Language
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support children who are learning English as a second language.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	212344
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2019 answer text <p>​Every child, regardless of their background or family circumstances, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond. Schools are responsible for ensuring that each of their pupils is engaged, challenged and has opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. The government’s ongoing education reforms have given headteachers considerable flexibility over their use of the funding allocated to their schools, as they are best placed to support and address the specific needs of their pupils – including those who are classed as having English as an additional language (EAL).</p><p>​We recognise that having a large intake of EAL pupils can present challenges for a school. Through the national funding formula (NFF) for schools, introduced in April 2018, state-funded schools attract funding for pupils with EAL who have been in the school system in England for up to 3 years. This funding equates to an additional £515 per primary school pupil and an additional £1,385 per secondary school pupil by the time the formula is fully implemented. Schools in which more than 10% of pupils joined mid-way through the school year also attract funding through the mobility factor in the NFF if their local authority uses this factor in their local formula. Furthermore, schools are also able to use their pupil premium funding to support pupils with EAL who are classed as disadvantaged, through having been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years, or through being looked after or previously in local authority care.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 01/02/2019 11:11:40 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1041462

registered interest
date	14/01/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help provide classes for students with special needs in the schools of their choice.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	208281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2019 answer text <p>In England, the Children and Families Act 2014, the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Regulations 2014 and SEND Code of Practice make clear that all schools should use their best endeavours to meet the needs of all children with a special educational need.</p><p> </p><p>The Children and Families Act requires local authorities to keep the provision for children with SEND under review, including its sufficiency, and to publish a local offer, outlining the services available in their local area for children and young people with SEND.</p><p>We have announced that local authorities will receive an additional £250 million over the next two years on top of the £6 billion already provided for the high needs budget this year, to provide much needed support for children and young people with complex SEND. Families will also benefit from more choice for their child’s education through an extra £100 million for facilities and places; taking our total capital investment from 2018 to 2021 to £365 million. This funding will improve facilities and create more specialist places in mainstream schools, colleges and special schools, giving more children and young people access to a good school or college place that meets their individual needs.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/01/2019 16:40:30 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1027605

registered interest
date	18/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Adoption
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were adopted in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	203262
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2018 answer text <p>The number of adopted children who were formerly looked-after by the local authority in each of the last three years was published in Table E1 in the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. The department does not estimate the number of adopted children who were not previously looked-after.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/12/2018 10:22:32 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1027606

registered interest
date	18/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of foster and kinship carers that undertook training for those roles in 2017.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	203263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2018 answer text <p>The information requested on the number of foster carers and kinship carers that undertook training in 2017 is not held centrally.</p><p>The statutory framework, Fostering Services Regulations 2011, clearly sets out that all foster parents, including kinship foster carers, must receive the training and development they need to carry out their role effectively. All foster parents are required to complete the Training, Support and Development Standards within 12 months of approval as a foster parent and maintain a training and development portfolio. Over and above this, it is up to local fostering service providers to determine what training their foster parents undertake in order to meet local need.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/12/2018 10:15:59 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1027607

registered interest
date	18/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are currently in foster care.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	203264
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/12/2018 answer text <p>At 31 March 2018, there were 55,200 looked-after children in England in foster placements. Further information on the number of looked-after children by their placement is published in table A2 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/12/2018 09:32:45 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

1022975

registered interest
date	10/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Closures
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school closures there were in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	200626
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2018 answer text <p>The attached table shows the number of school closures for all reasons in England in each of the last three calendar years. <br> In the majority of instances, a closure is a procedural event marking the ending of one legal entity immediately followed by the opening of a successor establishment under a new legal entity, for example where a school ceases to be maintained by its local authority and becomes an academy.</p><p>The actual number of schools that are recorded as closing without being replaced by a successor establishment are set out in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Number of schools that are recorded as closing without being replaced by a successor establishment</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Type of establishment</strong></p></td><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Calendar year</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>2018 (to 11 December)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Academies</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>LA maintained schools</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Free schools*</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Independent schools</p></td><td><p>83</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>55</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>* including University Technical Colleges and Studio Schools.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 18/12/2018 17:19:02 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson