theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_615
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_615

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support construction companies to take on apprenticeships. \p Janet Daby: To address skills shortages within the construction industry, this government will invest £600 million over this Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers.

The department is introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people as part of our reformed growth and skills offer. Construction will be one of the key sectors to benefit from foundation apprenticeships, with the introduction of three new apprenticeship standards from August. This will provide employers with the opportunity to reach young people and support their transition into full-time employment within high-priority sectors, including construction, giving them the tools they need for a rewarding career. As part of the offer, employers will receive £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. This offer is backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26.

To support employers within the construction industry to recruit and retain apprentices, an industry investment of £140 million will establish 32 pioneering new homebuilding hubs. The purpose-built hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. This will create up to 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_616
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_616

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in (a) construction and (b) social care sectors; and what steps she is taking to ensure that these will be targeted at disadvantaged communities. \p Janet Daby: The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. To support this, the department is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.

From August 2025, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, gain high-quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.

To improve access to apprenticeships, the department provides £1,000 to employers and training providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan. Apprentices under 25 who have been in local authority care are also eligible for a £3,000 bursary to help them transition into employment. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice they hire and retain, to support them to transition into employment.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_617
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_617

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support colleges in Milton Keynes to utilise new technologies to (a) tackle workload and (b) improve outcomes. \p Janet Daby: The department has promised to take up a new era in technology, to back our teachers and deliver better life chances for students across the country.

We are investing millions of pounds in further evidence generation on the safe and effective use of EdTech in colleges. The Edtech Impact Testbed Pilot, announced at Education World Forum, aims to explore how technology can address significant challenges in the education sector. This pilot will test Edtech products and practices already in use in schools and colleges. The goal is to generate evidence of the impact on improving staff workload, pupil outcomes, and inclusivity. The expression of interest for this pilot will launch shortly on Citizen Space and colleges will be able to apply to get involved. The website where colleges can express their interest is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/.

In addition, we plan to publish support materials for teachers and leaders to help them with the safe and effective use of artificial intelligence (AI), so dedicated professionals working in education can spend more time doing what they do best and what they enjoy, face to face engagement with students.

The department also provides funding for Jisc, who operate the UK’s ultra-fast national research and education network ‘Janet’, one of the most secure and powerful data networks in the world. This central funding allows colleges to connect on Janet and benefit from a good level of connectivity and cyber security, ensuring that the foundations for technology infrastructure are in place for colleges to be able to harness the opportunities that technology presents.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_618
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_618

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the link between trends in the number of international students and the number of courses at universities. \p Janet Daby: This government’s position on international students is clear. We are committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students who make a positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on student enrolments across UK HE providers.

Counts of student enrolments in UK HE providers by permanent address are published in Table 1 of HESA’s Student Data and can be accessed here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-1.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_619
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_619

Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure continuity of transport support for disabled students aged 16 to 18. \p Janet Daby: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Local authorities are responsible for transport to education and training for 16-19 year olds. Post-16 transport guidance requires local authorities to make the necessary transport arrangements or provide financial support to ensure young people can participate in education or training. The needs of young people with SEND should be specifically considered and the arrangements put in place for each group must be documented in local authority transport policy statements.

In addition to their statutory responsibilities, many local authorities do offer some form of subsidised transport which, combined with the 16-19 bursary, has been intended to provide financial support to students from low-income households. These decisions are best made locally, in consideration of local needs, the resources available and other local circumstances.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_620
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_620

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many level 7 Chartered Town Planning Apprenticeships have been (a) started and (b) completed in each year for which data is available. \p Janet Daby: The number of starts and achievements on level 7 ‘Chartered Town Planner’ apprenticeship courses in England can be found in the ‘Apprenticeships’ accredited official statistics publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/588ac458-07a8-46d4-2dfe-08dd9f6d0ac9.

The link above includes data published in March 2025. The data set includes full-year figures from 2019/20 to 2023/24, and figures from August 2024 to January 2025 for the 2024/25 academic year.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_621
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_621

Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that reductions in the adult skills fund allocations does not disproportionately impact (a) people in receipt of benefits and (b) young people not in education, employment or training. \p Janet Daby: We are facing a challenging fiscal context. Fixing the foundations of the economy will take time, and tough decisions are needed across the public sector to get our finances under control to ensure we deliver on our priorities through our Plan for Change. It is against this backdrop that the decision was made to make a small reduction to the Adult Skills Fund (ASF).

We have launched a Youth Guarantee of support for all 18 to 21-year-olds to access training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work and prevent them from becoming excluded from education or work at a young age. £45 million has been allocated to eight Mayoral Strategic Authority Trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. We will work with local areas on future expansion.

Currently 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF to their learners and the department is responsible for the remaining ASF.

In non-devolved areas, learners claiming benefits or who earn less than £25,000, are eligible for full funding. This supports social mobility by enabling individuals to move into employment or progress further in their career.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_622
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_622

Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made contribution of the part-time student premium to the Government's opportunity mission. \p Janet Daby: The department is determined to break down barriers to opportunity by supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances. Part-time student premium funding allocated through the Strategic Priorities Grant, is an important part of delivering on this vision and our Opportunity Mission.

This funding is allocated to higher education providers in England which are on the Office for Students (OfS)’ Approved (fee cap) register, to support them to provide part-time courses for students. This recognises that the flexibility part-time courses offer is important, especially for older learners and those from underrepresented groups.

This is why my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s recent guidance to the OfS explicitly directs the OfS to retain the per-student funding rates for the student premiums, including the part-time student premium, where affordable. Funding allocations for individual higher education providers for the forthcoming academic year will be published by the OfS in due course.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_623
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_623

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a levy on higher education provider income from international students. \p Janet Daby: The immigration white paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.

This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic higher education and skills system. We will set out more details around the levy in due course.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_624
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_624

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what incentives are in place to encourage universities to expand or introduce dental training programmes in the South west. \p Janet Daby: ​​The department works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on a wide range of matters, to help ensure the NHS has the dentistry workforce that it needs, including funding for dental schools and the training of dental students.

Universities are autonomous bodies, independent from government and it is a decision for individual universities to decide whether they wish to establish a dental school.

​The government is preparing the 10 Year Health Plan which will set out a bold agenda to reform and repair the NHS. Ensuring that we have the right people, in the right places and with the right skills, will be central to this vision. The government will also publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service that we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

​The department continues to work closely with DHSC on the 10 Year Health Plan.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_625
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_625

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to support universities with funding challenges. \p Janet Daby: To support universities in stabilising their financial positions, the Office for Students (OfS) will continue dedicating significant resources to ensuring the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as the substantive Chair of the OfS, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment while also expanding opportunities in higher education (HE).

Additionally, we have made the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, aligning with inflation.

The department will outline its plans for HE reform in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, set to be published this summer.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_626
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_626

Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will protect apprenticeship funding for (a) SMEs and (b) young people when the Growth and Skills Levy is introduced. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49739.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_627
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_627

Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking support (a) schools and (b) parents with school transport in rural areas. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities are responsible for arranging free home-to-school travel for eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, a disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families.

In addition, the Bus Services Bill will put the power over local bus services in the hands of local leaders to ensure networks can meet the needs of communities who rely on them.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_628
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_628

Robbie Moore:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children receive ability-appropriate teaching in mixed ability classes. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards, which set clear expectations that teachers must adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils.

The ITT core content framework and the early career framework set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching. From September 2025, these will be superseded by the initial teacher training and early career framework, which contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching. This includes developing an understanding of different pupil needs and providing opportunities for success for all pupils.

The framework for the national curriculum in England states that teachers should set high expectations. They should plan stretching work for pupils whose attainment is significantly above the expected standard. Teachers should use appropriate assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious.

Additionally, the government has commissioned an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review to ensure all children are able to achieve excellence. The Review will report on final recommendations later this year.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_629
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_629

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure children are educated about online safety in PSHE lessons. \p Catherine McKinnell: As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data (including images) online, harmful content and contact, cyberbullying and the risks associated with over-reliance on social media. The full statutory guidance for primary schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary.

The full statutory guidance for secondary schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.

The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum. We are looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the evidence and talking to key stakeholders before issuing revised guidance.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_630
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_630

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to reduce child poverty. \p Catherine McKinnell: Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and prosper.

The Child Poverty Taskforce, which is co-chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is exploring all available levers to drive forward action across government to reduce child poverty. More detail on the approach and priorities for the strategy is set out in the publication ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Strategy’, which was published on 23 October and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy.

The department is already taking steps to reduce the cost of living through action on the high cost of branded school uniforms and commitment to roll out free breakfast clubs for primary school-aged children from the start of this summer term. The government has also extended the Household Support Fund.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_631
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_631

Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department is providing for special educational needs provision in rural schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department recognises the essential role that small, rural schools play in their communities. The national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges, including those of providing for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factors. The NFF lump sum for the 2025/26 financial year is set at £145,100 and provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. In addition, eligible (small, rural) primary schools attract up to £57,400, and eligible secondary or all-through schools attract up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in 2025/26 through the NFF.

Where the additional support for a pupil with SEN exceeds £6,000 per annum, the local authority provides the school with extra funding from its high needs budget. The department is providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26, bringing total high needs funding to over £12 billion, to help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting their pupils with complex needs. Of that total, West Northamptonshire Council is being allocated over £79 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £5.5 million on the 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs NFF.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_632
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_632

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people have Education, Health, and Care Plans in (a) Fylde constituency, (b) Lancashire and (c) England. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans. These are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2023-24. The latest published data is from the January 2024 school spring census.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_633
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_633

Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including bikeability training in the National Curriculum. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools are best placed and have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs, this includes cycling training programmes such as Bikeability. Physical education (PE) is a foundation subject in the national curriculum and compulsory at all four key stages.

The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people, for example through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.

In July 2024, the department launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. The Review will seek to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive, and innovative. The Review’s interim report was published in March 2025.  We are now working on the next phase of the review which will consider subject issues, working closely with the sector.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_634
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_634

Afzal Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make a comparative assessment of the level of wages for a (a) school teacher and (b) college teacher. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government’s role in relation to pay and conditions across schools and colleges differs.

The statutory requirements for teachers' pay and conditions within maintained schools in England are set out in the school teachers’ pay and conditions document. This is updated each year, based on recommendations from the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).

This year, the department announced a 4% pay award to school teachers and leaders, accepting in full the STRB’s pay recommendation. Combined with last year’s 5.5% award, this above-inflation pay award means school teachers will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.

In 2023/24, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) average salary for teaching staff on permanent or fixed term contracts in secondary schools was £48,773.

The further education (FE) sector does not have a pay review body and government does not set or recommend pay and this remains the sole responsibility of providers themselves.

Alongside the 2025/26 school teacher pay award, we have announced an investment of £160 million in the 2025/26 financial year, to support colleges and other 16-19 providers with key priorities, including recruitment and retention.

Additional funding of over £30 million will also be provided for 16-19 provision in schools. This funding comes from within the overall funding envelope of £615 million for 2025/26 announced alongside the 2025/26 school teachers’ pay award.

In 2023/24, the median FTE average salary for teaching staff on permanent or fixed term contracts in general FE colleges was £36,300 and £47,100 in sixth form colleges.

The school and FE pay figures are sourced from different datasets and recorded differently which may make it difficult to make direct comparisons.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_635
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_635

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's planned timetable is for issuing guidance on gender-questioning children to schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Broxbourne to the answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 31690.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_636
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_636

Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to encourage youth democracy in schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire. \p Catherine McKinnell: Democracy forms a central part of the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2, following the non-statutory framework for citizenship.

Schools have considerable flexibility to organise the content and delivery of their curriculum and enrichment programme, including to suit their local context. This can include providing opportunities for pupil participation in democratic processes, subject to schools meeting their obligations to ensure political balance.

UK Parliament run educational tours for pupils, youth and community groups to see how Parliament works in action. UK Parliament also produce resources which can be downloaded or ordered for free, tailored to different age groups.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) to support young people to engage in the democratic process. Every two years, the UKYP runs ‘Make Your Mark’, a youth vote open to all 11 to 18 year-olds in the UK, for them to be able to vote on what are the most important issues for young people.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_637
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_637

Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools in response to recent changes to the Ofsted Inspection Framework. \p Catherine McKinnell: The consultation on Ofsted’s new framework closed on 28 April, and the responses are currently being analysed. Ofsted’s new school report cards, which will be introduced from November, will provide more detailed and granular information about each school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They will provide a more complete picture of performance, which is needed to help support school improvement.

The department is also strengthening our tools for faster and more effective school improvement by launching new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams to break down the barriers to opportunity and end the link between background and success. Supported by over £20 million in the 2025/26 financial year, RISE teams will provide both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve, and a universal service which will act as a catalyst for collaboration and improvement across all schools.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_638
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_638

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children and young people with autism have access to (a) tailored support and (b) empowering learning environments. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to achieve and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.

In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations. The group will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings, including those with autism.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children. In the 2024/25 financial year, PINS delivered to over 1650 mainstream primary schools. In the 2025/26 financial year, PINS will be extended to a further cohort of around 1,200 mainstream primary schools.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_639
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_639

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure state schools have adequate levels of funding. \p Catherine McKinnell: The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning that it will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25. This is a 6% overall increase, which against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal picture, demonstrates the government’s commitment to enabling every child to achieve and thrive through delivery of the Opportunity Mission.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_640
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_640

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to support schools to improve neurodiversity inclusion in areas not selected for the current expansion of the PINS programme. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. We are working at pace to develop plans for reform to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and will set these out in due course.

In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations.

The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.

From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_641
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_641

Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to support the recruitment and retention of teachers in rural secondary schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s educational outcome. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s opportunity mission and boosting the life chances for every child. This is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new teachers across secondary and special schools and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

We have announced a 4% pay award to school teachers and leaders, accepting in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s pay recommendation and two months ahead of last year.

This comes on top of the 5.5% pay award that we announced last July. We are seeing early improvements in recruitment and retention with over 2,000 more people training to become secondary school teachers this year. Recruitment is also on track to improve further for 2025/26, with 1,070 more acceptances to postgraduate and teacher degree apprenticeship initial teacher training courses in secondary subjects by the end of April 2025, compared to the same time last year. Additionally, over 2,500 more teachers are expected to stay in the profession over the next three years.

We are doing more to continue to improve recruitment and retention, including in rural secondary schools. We have increased funding for training bursaries to £233 million in 2025/26, worth up to £29,000 tax-free. We are also offering scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax free. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools, including rural and coastal areas.

As part of our recruitment and retention strategy, it is vital that we improve the day-to-day experience of teachers and ensure that teaching is once again a respected and attractive profession that teachers remain and thrive in. We are supporting teachers to reduce their workload and improve their wellbeing and enabling greater opportunities for greater flexible working.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_642
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_642

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to provide training to teachers to support their understanding (a) of and (b) the risks of (i) the use of emojis and (ii) other digital communication symbols by pupils. \p Catherine McKinnell: In 2023, the department updated the guidance on ‘Teaching online safety in schools’. This advice brings together all aspects of internet safety information for schools so that they can confidently deliver online safety content within their curriculum and embed it within their wider whole-school approach. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_643
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_643

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the four per cent pay award for teachers in 2025/26 on retention rates in (a) Milton Keynes and (b) Buckinghamshire. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s educational outcome. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new teachers across secondary and special schools and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

The department cannot currently provide a breakdown of this progress by constituency, however, over 2,000 more people are training to become secondary school teachers this year. Recruitment is on track to improve further for 2025/26, with 1,070 more acceptances to postgraduate and teacher degree apprenticeship initial teacher training courses in secondary subjects by the end of April 2025, compared to the same time last year. Additionally, over 2,500 more teachers are expected to stay in the profession over the next three years.

This is, in part, due to the 5.5% pay rise announced last year, which, combined with this year’s above-inflation pay award of 4%, will mean school teachers in maintained schools will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years. This will apply across all teachers in all constituencies across England and is already having a significant impact on teacher retention. Alongside this, the department is offering targeted retention payments to teachers of key subjects working in disadvantaged areas in the first five years of their careers. Teachers in four schools are eligible for these payments, up to £4,000 tax free, in the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency, 12 in Milton Keynes, and 24 in Buckinghamshire County.

To further improve retention, the department is actively promoting flexible working in schools, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home. We are also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working, whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time. Upton Court Grammar School of Pioneer Educational Trust is the flexible working ambassador school for the South East, providing local, tailored peer support for Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_644
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_644

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to consider Surrey County Council's request to extend the deadline for balancing the Dedicated Schools Grant by 2026-27. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is continuing to work with Surrey County Council to deliver their safety valve plan, including ongoing support from both financial and special educational needs and disabilities advisers. We regularly review the implementation of all safety valve agreements through our monitoring process which takes place three times a year. Where local authorities are struggling to meet the terms of their agreement, we provide additional support to develop alternative plans and mitigations to deliver the aims of their plan.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_645
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_645

Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the number of physics teachers on post-16 physics uptake in schools in disadvantaged areas. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child or young person’s outcome in school and college. This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, especially in physics. In 2023/24, we recruited 31% of our postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) target for physics trainees. This is why the government’s Plan for Change has committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers in secondary and special schools, and in our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

Our Plan for Change is starting to deliver, with the 2024 school workforce census showing that secondary and special school teacher numbers increased by 2,346 compared to the 2023 census. This is in addition to 2,000 more prospective teachers undertaking initial teacher training this year compared to last as this government is getting on and delivering the teachers our children need.

To deliver on the pledge, the department has so far invested around £700 million across schools and further education (FE), including £233 million for initial teacher training financial incentives, which provides a £29,000 tax-free bursary and £31,000 scholarship to physics trainees, increased targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 per year for early career physics teachers and developed resources to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing.

In addition, the department announced a 4% pay award for teachers in maintained schools from September 2025. This builds on the 5.5% pay award for 2024/25, resulting in a nearly 10% pay award since this government came to power, and ensure teaching is once again a valued and attractive profession.

The department also provides significant support to trainees and teachers without the relevant qualifications to become physics teachers. This includes funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses and the Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching (SKPT) programme to support non-specialist teachers of physics to enhance their subject knowledge.

We know high-quality physics teaching is important to support post-16 physics study. In addition to the targeted retention payment received by sixth-form physics teachers in schools, nearly 100 more physics teachers across FE colleges and 16-19-only schools have received a payment of up to £6,000 this year to keep more physics teachers in post-16 education.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_646
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_646

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the merits of the PINS programme from the 1,600 schools participating in that programme. \p Catherine McKinnell: The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.

Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_647
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_647

Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the cost to academies of implementing the Equality and Human Rights Commission's revised code of practice for services, public functions and associations. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government has set out its expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) interim update provides a perspective on how the judgment and Equality Act are practically applied in some areas, but it is neither official guidance nor comprehensive.

The EHRC is updating their Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations and seeking views from affected stakeholders through their consultation which closes on 30 June. We would encourage people to ensure their views are heard by submitting a response to the consultation. We will then consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it.

We are currently reviewing the draft statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance and the draft non-statutory guidance on gender questioning children, ensuring that children’s wellbeing is at the heart of both. We are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the evidence, including the Cass Review, before deciding next steps.
wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_648
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-09)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-09 conversation_648

Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that social workers are trained to deal with (a) domestic violence and (b) the alienation of family members. \p Janet Daby: The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England (SWE), sets the professional standards which all social workers must meet throughout their careers. Standard 6 refers to ‘Promote ethical practice and report concerns’ with paragraph 6.1 specifically relating to identifying and reporting abusive behaviour. Standard 1, ‘Promote the rights, strengths and wellbeing of people, families and communities’ paragraph 1.4, relates to recognising the importance of family members.

The providers that deliver Social Work initial education have their courses assured and approved by the regulator against the education and training standards. Course providers must update and design their courses to incorporate new and emerging results from developments in research, legislation, government policy and best practice. Once a social worker is degree qualified, they are expected, as part of the registration renewal process, to evidence ongoing continuous professional development. Provision of continuous professional development for employed social workers is a matter for their employer.