Live Education Questions House of Commons

Order. Order. I wish to make a short statement to

the House. A fortnight ago, The House of Commons Commission endorsed

a proposition upon which I confess I am myself very keen, having indeed

originally suggested it myself, that a wider range of less senior proceed

so alclerks should have an opportunity to sit at the table,

alongside more experienced colleagues to familiarise themselves

with chain before practise and procedure. At the same time, the

Commission endorsed a proposition from the clerk of the House,

reflecting the overwhelming view of his colleagues, that clerks should

no longer wear wigs at the table in the chamber. They will also cease to

wear court dress. But they will continue to wear gowns, so as to be

distinguishable as experts in Parliamentary procedure, not

lawyers, and certainly not members. Details are in a letter from the

clerk of the House to the chair of the procedure committee available on

the website and in the vote office. Colleagues will be pleased to learn

this change will in the longer term save money, it will, I believe, be

welcomed by those clerks who serve or who look forward to serving at

the table, and it will more over in my view, which I recognise may not

be universally shared, convey to the public a marginally less stuffy and

forbidding image of this chamber, at work. The new regime colleagues will

start soon after we return, from the short February recess. Order.

Questions to the Secretary of State for Education.

Not here, one person who is here, and I can see that very clearly to

migrate satisfaction is the right honourable gentleman the member for

mid sucks sex Sir Nicholas Soames. -- Sussex.

Thank you, replacing the historic pose code lottery with the proper

national funding formula that is fair, where by funding will be

allocated to schools base odd the needs of pupils and for West Sussex

compared to the altern thetive of of the current postcode lottery result,

it would mean a ?14.6 million annual increase in funding to local

schools. You caught me without my wig Mr

Speaker. Mr Speaker, almost all of the 286 schools in West Sussex find

their budgets under extreme strain, and therefore welcome the new

developments but as it is one of the lowest funded of the shire counties

will my right honourable friend look carefully at the budgets of small

rural schools who find themselves unfortunately and unfavourably

treated? Of course he will be wear we are in the second phase

consultation in relation to the national funding formulas

introduction, this is a once in a generation opportunity to reach a

settlement on fair funding that really work, I know he alongside

many other colleague also have their views on how they want to see the

formula work and he is is right to make them in questions.

I listened carefully to the Secretary of State who has not

blordenned the matter and the question appertains to West Sussex.

Sussex. -- broadens. The The Chester constituency is a considerable

distance from West Sussex but if his question focussed on West Sussex.

Exclusively. Get in there man. West Sussex

education funding has increased by 1.9% and I am pleased to hear that,

but other areas... Will receive, will have received cuts, of up to

is.3%. Why is West Sussex being treated so much more there was The

honourable gentleman is a fine man but I am not sure he would triumph

if he appeared on Just a Minute. Secretary of State. Thank you. I

recognise that the funding formula means that schools receive different

settlements in the feature to the ones they have had in the past and

what we are trying to do is make sure that every child, where ever

they are growing up in England gets the same amount of funding but a top

up in relation to additional needs, whether it is in relation to

deprivation, which has been based on out-of-date data or additional

funding for low prior attainment. The impact of the new formula in

West Sussex disproportionately disadvantage rural primary schools,

in the way that it has elsewhere? Or will elsewhere? The introduction of

the formula leads to different effects in deaf respect parts of the

country, obviously what we are putting in place is a fair funding

formula but it has to work for all schools. This is a second

consultation to try and make sure we get it right. We have particularly

focussed on helping small rural schools by having elements of the

formula relating to sparsity and -- another element that is a lump sum

element. I am interested to hear all colleagues views is on the

consultation. Thank you Mr Speaker, the Secretary

of State's answer so far will give no comfort to schools in West

Sussex, who have an 8% reduction by 2019 or anywhere elsewhere they are

facing real term funding cuts. Does she stand by her party's manifesto

pledge that every school in Britain, including every school in West

Sussex will receive an increase in real testimonies during this

Parliament? Well, as ever, the honourable lady is not clear about

whether or not she even supports the concept of fair funding. I would

have thought all MPs would want to see all children able to get fair

funding across the board, for schools funding, we have record

money going into our schools budget, we have protected the core schools

budget in real term, so there is record funding but it is important

through the fair funding formula we make sure it is distributed fairly.

Supplementary question four, question four.

I beg his pardon. We received 6,000 responses to the first stage of the

consultation on the national funding formula which sets out the

principles and factors to be used in a national funding formula. We

continue to receive representation on the second stage which closes on

the 22nd March, proposals for funding reform will mean that

schools will for the first time, receive a consistent and fair share

of the schools budget, addressing the historic and accuse news tick

unfair funding system that has been in place since 2005.

Can I tell the minister Exeter schools suffer a double whammy, they

are inside one of the lowest funded counties in England. They have to

subsidise the high cost of providing school transport, and keeping open

small rural schools. Yet, the new funding formula he proposes makes

Exeter schools worse off. How can he explain that to my constituents and

the schools themselves? Well, Mr Speaker, in Devon, just as a result

of the new national funding formula and and on the basis of this year's

figures, school funding would rise from 377.2 million, to 378.7

million, an increase of 0.4%. In his own constituency of Exeter there

will be no overall change in the level of funding though there are

will be changes between schools. Whenever you introduce a new

national formula and you illustrate that new formula on the basis of

this year's figures, 2016/17, inevitably some schools will gain,

others will lose. Over all 54% of schools will gain under the new

formula. Thank you. In the historically

underfunded constituency of East Devon, we are go, if these proposals

are adopted we are going to have 15 primary schools gaining, 20 losing

out and all the secondary schools in Easter don losingous. It this is not

fair or acceptable. Would the Secretary of State agree to meet me

and other Devon MPs, to make our point yet again.

I am happy to meet them and I think the Secretary of State already has

met Devon MPs but I am sure he will meet them again. I understand my

right honourable friends concerned. There is a small full in funding in

his constituency. Although 40% of schools would see a rise in income

on the basis of the new formula. The new formula attaches a higher value

to deprivation than Devon's local formula so schools in Devon, with a

low proportion of pupils from disadvantaged background do less

well under the national formula. But I am sure that my right honourable

friend will make representations through the consultation which

closes on 2 March. The right honourable gentleman did extend the

question beyond Devon, allowing other would be contributors.

Thank you Mr Speaker. The head of one of my local academy trusts tells

me his school will lose more than 2.5% of their overall budget, from

this national funding formula aloneful which is higher than the

1.5 cap, 1.5% cap the Government promised. Does the minister share

the trust's view these cutses will have the biggest impact on deprived

and vulnerable children, and in so, what are they doing? The honourable

lady is wrong. We aggregated all the local funding formulas across the

150 local authority, and we looked at the level of deprivation, and we

are allocating 9.5% of the national funding formula, to deprivation,

which is broadly in line with the existing position. We also increased

the amount of the funding formula, to children who start school behind,

so the scheme is deliberately designed to help children from

disadvantaged backgrounds, who are falling behind, and I would...

Representing the constituency that she does, would support a fairer

funding system that helps these particular kinds of children.

Further to my honourable friend, there is no doubt in Devon the small

rural schools are long distances for pupils to travel and we do need some

more funding and while I welcome the fairer funding, we started a long

way behind. I accept his comments. He knows in his constituency schools

overall will gain ?300,000 worth of funding equal to zero points 6%

increase and 70.6% of schools in his constituency on the basis of

illustrative figures will gain funding compared to 29% which will

lose small amount. By 2020 there will be a loss due to the National

funding formula for every primary pupil and ?447 for every secondary

pupil. In my constituency, this is even higher with primary schools

?558 worse off per pupil and ?717 worse off her secondary school

pupil. How can the minister justify this when child poverty levels are

36% in my constituency? Well, her constituency will remain with the

highest funding dashed funded areas. She is right as a result of the new

funding formula the per-pupil funding rate in Lewisham, Lewisham

and Deptford, wilful to ?5,550 but that is one of the highest in the

country. London is a whole has increased in prosperity over the

last ten years with free school meal proportions falling but it still has

some of the highest levels of deprivation which is why under the

new funding formula funding remained 30% higher than national average. I

welcome the principle of the new national funding formula but under

the indicative figures in North Devon, a third of schools are going

to lose funding, will the minister continue to listen to our

representations carefully and caddy confirmed the indicative figures we

have seen are just that and could be subject to revision? Dashed can he

confirm? This consultation is a genuine consultation being extended

by two weeks until the 22nd of March so we will hear all representations

from all members of the house and public. Thank you. Can the minister

confirm the report that the Secretary of State handed back to

the Treasury ?384 million in March the school improvements and does he

agree with the London School to estimate it will take 300 35mm to

ensure no school loses out and the new funding formula? She should know

how negotiations with the Treasury work. We negotiated a very good

agreement with the Treasury, we have protected core school funding in

real terms we are spending ?40 billion more on school funding, a

record high figure and it will rise over the next two years as pupil

numbers rise to ?42 billion by 2019 and the figure she refers to is

about the cost of funding and the cost of turning into academies. The

proposal continues but they're not targeting the same timetable as was

agreed in the last White Paper. Thank you. The minister will be

aware tour bait schools benefit from the proposals yet the grammar

schools do not. I thank him for his courtesy in meeting the heads of

those schools and when will we receive a response? I'm grateful to

him, the meeting which I enjoy very much, schools in his constituency

will gain under the new national funding formula one 2p of extra

funding across Torbay. That amounts to two point for that, 78% of

schools in his constituency will increase funding and I listened

carefully to the representations he has made and headteachers have made

and I will respond shortly. In an earlier response, the minister said

it will be schools with a few pupils and better prior attainment that

will lose out. In my constituency it is simply wrong. The nine schools

that would have funding cut are in the most deprived parts of the city

where children start school 20 months behind where they should be

in terms of development. Something has gone badly wrong with his plans,

will he look again and explain to me and my teacher is why the kids who

need the help the most are going to lose out? She will have looked at

the consultation document and will see the high proportion of the

national funding formula allocated on the basis of disadvantaged based

on pupils with low prior attainment are based on English as an

additional language. The differences we are basing the national funding

formula on today s data and not the data in 2005. As she says, we have a

once in a generation opportunity to put in place something the party

opposite neglected to do, a fair, national funding formula based on a

clear set of priorities and factors and principles and based on

up-to-date data. In East Sussex funding per pupil is ?193 lower.

What more can be done for my schools which are small and rural? We have

an assured sparsity is an important factor in the national funding

formula and we have increased funding for that element from ?15

million to ?27 million across the system, East Sussex sees an increase

in its funding overall and she should welcome what is a much fairer

system, Ferriter schools across the country. Dashed fairer to schools.

In November, the Secretary of State told me when I asked about ?30

million being projected from cuts to school budgets by 2020, she denied

that. The figures have been crunched and it is a ?13.2 million reduction

in budgets by 2020, can the minister explain to me what should I say to

the heads in the schools in my constituency? What I suggest she

tells schools in Hull is because of the new formula and the way it

addresses historic anachronisms and the focus of deprivation, Hull s

school funding rises from ?157 million to ?161 million, a rise of

3%. In her constituency in Hull North funding rises by ?1.4 million

with 83% of high school is seeing an increase in funding on the basis of

2016 figures. Number five. As we heard, this site once a fairer

approach, it is clear the party opposite support the status quo of

an unfair, and transparent historic postcode lottery approach to how

funding is distributed but Hampshire the fairer alternative means extra

money, ?9 million extra money every year for high needs children in

local Hampshire schools and overall a further ?4.5 million on top of

that extra and my honourable friend s local schools will gain

over ?100 million a year. I thank the Secretary of State for the

figures but living costs are high in Hampshire, especially in North East

Hampshire so will the Secretary of State consider tweaking the formula

so there was a cost neutral cost of living allowance given the average

house price is ?375,000 but house prices over the border are ?50,000

cheaper. I'm sure he will want to make those points as part of the

consultation under way but as he is aware, the way we have looked at the

formula is to look at area cost adjustment taking into account

variations in the general labour market but specifically teaching

labour markets and that is designed to compensate schools that face

higher wage costs. We think it is the best way of doing that but it is

a consultation and he can put his point into it. A long way over the

border to Liverpool. We seem to be dealing with alternative facts.

According to the details I have, Liverpool will lose three points ?6

million from its schools and I was at primary school in my

constituency, a deprived ward who will lose 10% of their budget for

some of the most deprived children in the country, can the government

explain what is going on here and way they are presenting something

different to what our schools are contending with? It is because we

are using data that is accurate. And I think we end up in a very

straightforward place which is do we believe our children should be

funded fairly during their school lives wherever they grow up in the

country and we believe data that drives funding the deprivation

should be based on up-to-date data and the money, sorry, and the money

should be based on up-to-date data. If the party opposite once an

approach that is unfair based on out of date data, I will be happy to see

those submissions into the consultation. Number six. The

proposals for funding reform mean schools and local authority areas

receive a consistent and fair share of the school budgets they can give

every child the opportunity to reach their full potential. The

consultation on the second stage runs until 22nd of March and

Gloucestershire funding would rise to ?334 million because of the

National funding formula on the basis of the 2016 and 2017 figures.

He is well aware that Gloucestershire has suffered for

years because of the current system where there was a 61% disparity

between the top funded primary schools and the bottom. Will he look

carefully at the unfurl proposals he has brought forward in the funding

formula because deprivation, low attainment and English as first

language and is not fair on rural schools. I listened carefully to the

representations he makes but the government proposals for funding

reform do seek to balance carefully the differing needs of rural and

urban schools, schools in the lowest funded areas would gain about three

points 6% and the national funding formula, 676 small and remote

schools would also benefit from sparsity funding for the first time

and small rural schools as a group game 1.3% on average and primary

schools in sparse areas 5.3% and in his Cotswolds constituency, 64% of

his schools would gain funding under the proposals based on applying the

formula. And the new funding proposals, the Academy in my

constituency sees a reduction in the budget and yet the Times reported

that they are seeking to hire a PR agency for ?900,000 for reputation

management. Does she think parents will think this is a good use of

additional funding from government or that the money should be spent on

the school? Academies face greater financial scrutiny than local

authority schools, they have to produce annual audited accounts

which is not the case for local authority schools and the funding

agency scrutinises closely on a quarterly basis the funding and

expenditure of academies. Whilst appreciating the challenge he faces

in finding the fairer funding formula and appreciation that this

is a consultation period, does he realise that if these changes go

ahead as they are suggested, every school in Southend loses out and

that is something I cannot support. Well, the new formula is designed to

ensure funding is properly matched to need using up-to-date data. So

children who face entrenched barriers to education receive the

teaching and support they need. I recognise he will be disappointed by

the impact of these proposals on the basis of illustrative figures for

schools in Southend. We are conducting a full consultation on

the details of the formula and I know he will continue to make his

views known. Funding formula. In funding formula.

Going back to whey my right honourable friend said before on

speaking of academies and funding. What will the minister do to help

schools like Whitehaven academy, in Cumbria with a crumbling building

after his Government axed their capital funding and teachers who are

prevented from photo copying to save money. Will they help those pupils

and parents who need that support? Its nice to hear from the honourable

lady for the third time. We are spending record amounts on capital.

We created 600,000 more school places in the last Parliament, and

we are committed to created another 600,000 school places in this

Parliament. We are spending 40 billion a year on revenue funding

for schools funding, a record amount. That will rise as pupil

numbers rise over the next two year, to 42. None of this would be

possible if we relied on the party opposite to oversee an economy, we

have a strong economy, we are rescuing the economy from the fiasco

of the last Labour Government. Ifrments would like to link this

with question 11. We want the see an education system that works for

everyone that drives social mobility. We are delivering more

good school place, strengthening the teaching profession, investing in

improving careers education, opening up access to universities and

focussing effort on areas of the country with the greatest challenge

and the fewer opportunities through opportunity areas.

Thank you for current pupil premium is a limited measure. Children who

are young carers are not recognised. It stops at age 16, despite

education in a form being compulsory until 18. Will the minister

therefore consider a review of pupil premium to achieve true social

mobility. The pupil premium is worth 2.5 billion this year and it is

helping to level the playing field for two million disadvantaged

children including many young carers, but we are also looking at

the children commissioners recent report, and indeed our own research

round the lives of young carers in England, as part of the cross

Government carers strategy that is being reviewed and develop. On the

point regarding age, the national funding formula for 16-19-year-olds

does provide extra funding for disadvantaged student, round ?540

million this year. I welcome the Government's schools

that work for everyone green paper as much as she enjoyed reading my

lengthy response to it. It ensures that all pupils have the best chance

of accessing a good education, can she tell me when the draft will be

published. I very much appreciated his submission, we had a several

thousand in, and we are going through those, and will respond in

the spring. I notice that the Secretary of State

didn't mention gram what schools in her answer to the previous question,

this question about social mobility. Is that perhaps because in just

seven out of ten grammar school, all the free school meals children could

fit in one classroom and in one grammar school, Sir William boar

lace which I understand is set to be the first to open a new school,

there are just three children on free school meals. Did she thinks

this reflects true social mobility. Are the numbers acceptable and what

is she doing about it? We have been clear we want to see existing

grammars take more free school meal and disadvantaged children. The

right way to go about it is to have no consultation and no policy

development which apparently is the party opposite's position.

Thank you Mr Speaker. If the education department is as committed

to social mobility through education as they claim, could the minister

explain why through cuts to the early years funding formula, and to

Local Authorities, actually weaken outstanding early years education?

Which is the down fashion for social mobility. There is record levels of

funding going into early year, we are extending the 15 hours of free

childcare to become 30 hours of free childcare and it simply wrong to

characterise this Government as doing anything other than pumping

record amounts of money into early years and the school system.

With permission, I would like to answer this question, together with

question number 16. Under the proposed formula, small rural

schools would gain an average of 1.3% in funding on the basis of the

illustrative figures for we have confirmed that the national funding

formula will include a sparsity factor which will particularly

target funding to small and remote schools which we now play an

important role in local communities and on average small schools serving

such communities would gain 3.3% and small primary schools would gain

5.3%. I would like to thank the minister

for their answer, I Kerr these proposals some schools will benefit,

others will lose, but overall as a County, we still see the

extraordinary situation where on average, Shropshire pupils can get

as little as half what children in inner city areas get. How can he

justify parts of the UK continuing to get almost double what we get in

Shropshire? Well, in Shropshire as a whole, school funding rises from

?151.7 million, to ?153.2 million. As a result of the national funding

formula, based on the illustrative figure, that is a rise of 0.9%. In

my right honourable friend's constituency schools group will see

an additional ?100,000 of extra funding.

Schools are set to lose funding under the funding formula, would the

minister review that the need for these maintained schools to play the

apprenticeship levies which adds to the cost given than less than half

of stand alone academies pay that Levy. The apprenticeship Levy is an

important policy as my right honourable friend will know. It is

design to ensure we have the skills that are needed for our economy. The

Levy can be used to fund training and professional development in

schools and we will be providing schools with details information on

how the Levy will work for them and how they can make the most of

available apprenticeships. Isn't the help in funding for rural schools

helping the opposite of the need that I raised in our recent debate

and which I was disappointed that the minister in summing up the

debate didn't even mention, which is those areas who have a high influx

of additional pupils, during the school year, I estimate that next

year, something like 600 school placeses in Slough will get zero

funding, because despite him talking about up-to-date deprivation number,

he is not working his funding formula on up-to-date pupil numbers.

The formula does contain an element for growth, we also responded to the

representations made by her colleague, the honourable member for

Eastham, so where pupils join a school part way through the year

there will be a factor for that. I thought she would have welcomed both

those changes to the funding formula. The member had to delete a

tweet that showed that national debt exploded on this Government's watch.

Therefore, the sparsity formula, which was to save rural schools

everywhere has become the paucity formula, isn't the minister the key

issue is the minister to get up and tell the House that the key issue

facing schools, up to 2020 are the 3 cuts coming down the line to every

school in the country. Funding is increasing, to ?42 billion by the

end of this Spending Review period. We are increasing the amount of

moneyel Kated for sparsity, from 15 million under the current formula to

?27 million for, he talks about debt. The problem we have faced from

2010 is we have had to tackle the historic budget deficit inherited

from the last Labour Government because of their poor stewardship of

the public finance, and it is in tackling that debt and that deficit

that has enabled to us have a strong economy with growing employment and

greater opportunities for young people when they leave school.

Number nine please Mr Speaker. My right honourable friend will be

pleased to know that in 2015/16, 131,000 under 19 pen is hits climbed

up the ladder of opportunity to get the skills and Jo jobs they need for

the future. We are investing millions in supporting providers and

employers to employ apprentices, we is get in go far company 4 campaign

that is working well and we are investing 90 million in careers

guidance, including in the careers and enterprise company. I thank my

right honourable friend for that statement of progress, does he agree

with me that a UCAS system for apprenticeship could make it easier

for businesses and students to connect each other and end the

classroom divide between those applies for university and those

applies for technical education. I thank him for the work he has done

on that issue, he is right, we are looking very hard at this, we

announced it in our industrial strategy, we want to make sure that

we give technical education students and apprentices clear information

with a platform similar to UCAS, we are looking to see how we make sure

it works to help address the skills deficit. How it helps the socially

disadvantaged as well. Isn't it time to place a duty on schools to allow

colleges and other providers of education, post 16, including

apprenticeships access to pupils so they have fully wear of the options

available to them? Well, as so often, my right honourable friend,

honourable gentleman is right. I recently visited Gateshead college,

I was visiting degree apprentice, they were refused by their own

school, refused by by their own school to talk about

apprenticeships, skills and technical education, we are doing a

lot of work to make sure that careers guidance is reflected in

skills. We have introduced legislation, we are looking at doing

more to ensure that students are offered skills and apprenticeships.

Would my right honourable friend join me in congratulating Havering

college of further and higher education, on its excellent

five-week railway skills course from which 85% of students are moving on

to apprenticeships in an area where there is a great skills shortage,

and would he agree with me that five-week course is an ideal way of

encouraging students who are less academic to remain in education? I

would be, first delighted to see my right honourable friend in her

place, and huge congratulations for Havering college. Not only do I want

to collate them but I would be pleased to visit the college with

the honourable lady. Mr Speaker, the minister quoted the

statistics for 2015/16 but the proportion of apprenticeships from

under 19-year-olds compared to those more older ones was stagnant. Only

one in four of all apprenticeships and the latest stats for the first

quarter, show the numbers for 16-18-year-olds getting worse.

58,000 compared to 63,000 the previous year, an 8% drop. With the

head of engineering training provider saying they could cut their

apprenticeships by two thirds, and thousands of youngsters blocked from

getting apprenticeships by being on the treadmill of GCSE maths and

English resits where is the Government's beef for 16-18 instead

of motherhood and apple pie? I have to say to the honourable gentleman,

I amazed as his question, he often doesn't see the apprentice wood for

the apprentice trees. We have the highest number of apprenticeships.

We have 780,000 apprentices since made 2015. We are investing millions

in ensuring that employers and provide ires, higher apprenticeship,

we have a record we can be proud of. Number Ten Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, DFE officials meet regularly with their counterparts

from the Home Office to discuss a range of issues including

immigration policy let me be clear the Government values the

contribution international students make to the hiring education sector,

and that is why we have no plans to limit the number of genuine

international students who can come here to study.

If the Government really values international students, I would

suggest they should reappraise the need for a post study work visa.

That would allow students to come here, integrate into communities and

bring value to campuses and communities so when we will revisit

that The UK has an excellent post study work area, students can switch

into a number of other routes to take up work, round 6,000 switch to

a tyre two work visa and there is no cap on the number who can make that

switch. Higher education is one of the greatest exports and the

Government is promoting it brilliantly. The us the Government

think as we move forward post-Brexit we should look to take student

numbers outside the immigration figures? Mr Speaker, the key thing

is whether north they are in those figure there's is no limit on the

number of international students who can come here to study, the UK is

the best place in the world to get a higher education, we are delighted

that for the last six years we have had over 170,000 international

students coming to study in the UK. Recent UCAS figures show the number

of EU students applying to Scottish universities has fallen by 5%.

University has a new global reach strategy aiming to grow a number

international students. Can the minister explain that they should do

to achieve the goal, despite the Brexit barriers the Government is

putting in their way? Mr Speaker, the UK is successful at attracting

international student, web are second in the world, in terms of our

market share, behind only the United States, we continue to extend a warm

welcome and wish more would come. 0.6% Scottish universities were not

included in the host study work pilot, the Scottish Parliament

Europe committee published a report calling for Scotland to have a

different immigration system, the third parliamentary report calling

for this. Will the minister urge the Home Secretary to listen and include

Scottish institutions in the work scheme? Scottish institutions are

successful in attracting international students and in seeing

the students switched to post a study work. The number switching

into work after study is increasing, 6000 in the last year up from 5000 a

year before and 4000 before that. Being considered an international

student post Brexit will affect whether EU students choose to come

to the UK and that has major impacts on university funding. What

discussion has the minister had with the Home Secretary on the

immigration status of EU students post Brexit? Well, these are

questions to be considered in the context of the broader discussions

relating to the withdrawal from the European Union. We are concerned the

quality of education into many Northamptonshire schools is not good

enough, especially for disadvantaged pupils. We are tackling inadequate

schools, to move them into Academy trusts and working with local

authorities to ensure schools are receiving appropriate support to

help them improve. Educational attainment in Northamptonshire is

still below the national average, what is the single most important

thing the local education authority should do to raise standards? I

thank him for his work in raising standards, we met together with

friends representing Northamptonshire constituencies in

October with a director of children's services at the council

to discuss academic standards in Northamptonshire schools including

discussions about standards in phonics which is the single most

important issue in key stage two sets and we discussed GCSE results

and the EBacc. I have taken a close interest in schools there and we are

meeting in April to assess progress. Unfortunately the Secretary of State

is right, a school in my constituency is outstanding but we

have two inadequate schools in Rushton and I note the minister is

meeting is shortly to meet with the chief Executive of the Hatton

Academy trust, does he agree local Academy trusts also have an

important way in solving the problem in the education system? Yes, I

agree and collaboration between schools in local multi-card me

trusts is one of the most effective ways of ensuring we spread best

practice and ensure schools help one another to raise aspirations and the

standard of academic education. As the Secretary of State told the

house in December, increasing educational opportunity for

disadvantaged pupils underpins the commitment to make sure the country

works of everyone and through the pupil premium we're narrowing the

gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers and over ?8.8 million of

funding is allocated to schools in Swindon. It is a great pleasure to

welcome the schools minister to Swindon, a deprived catchment area

and surplus places. The decision to introduce a grammar school with

Marlborough College has given every student an opportunity to opt into

an academic curriculum, will the minister share this best practice?

The minister of State has reminded me of how impressed he was on a

visit and the steps of school is taking to provide pupils with an

academic and rigorous curriculum and by trusting school leaders like

those in Swindon we enable them to use their knowledge of their pupils

to create new tailor-made ways to ensure every child can succeed. In

terms of disadvantaged, the government is closing a school in my

constituency and they will not say what the cost is and whether pupils

will go, they will not explain the travel and future demand data and

the Secretary of State will not respond to my request for a meeting

or though I am told... She has time for a photo opportunity in

Birmingham where she will not be meeting the parents. Are you

surprised when it comes to disadvantaged, my constituents have

one word the Government education policy, betrayal. As he will know,

the Academy went to special measures in September 2014 and the Department

intervene swiftly to challenge the senior leadership team and it

monitored progress closely. Throughout 2016, the schools

commissioner sought a new sponsor for the school but in November the

Ofsted inspection confirmed special measures. His right to continue to

be worried about schools in his constituency and so are we. The

voice of Luton North. Number 14. Education and training in England is

respected but were determined to make further improvements to ensure

16 to 19-year-olds are ready for the demands of the workplace. We are

learning from the best of international systems. Why sixth

formers in England funded to receive only half the tuition time and

support provided for those in Shanghai and Singapore and other

leading systems? I am proud we have equalised funding between sixth form

colleges and further education colleges protecting the base rate of

spending for further education students, 7 billion on further

education and we have funding pressures as he knows but you are

doing everything we can to invest in skills. Topical questions. Number

one. The recent release of school performance statistics confirmed the

hard work of teachers and pupils lead to higher standards in schools,

I announced a further six opportunity areas aimed at tackling

the challenges for young people from early years through to the world of

work. I also make clear building a country for everyone means better

options for the more than half of young people who do not choose to go

to university and technical education is at the heart of the

industrial strategy the government published last month. We are

determined to create a gold standard technical route so young people who

pursue it can get the skills we need to succeed. I welcome back

commitment to apprenticeships, we are a leading provider of high

quality apprenticeships leading to permanent employment in many cases.

Will she assure me a line in further education and training colleges with

the need for employers is a priority. I can give her that

assurance and putting the needs of employers first is at the heart of

our apprenticeship reforms including introducing employer design

standards which test an apprentice has the skills and behaviours and

knowledge employers need. Thank you. This government allowed to local

authorities rated good for children's services to be granted

exemptions from statutory guidance even extending the exemptions when

there was no evidence of improvement. Ofsted has rated them

both inadequate finding the two long children have been at risk and are

suffering harm. Despite growing evidence of the dangers of these opt

out practices, the Secretary of State is determined to push through

massive deregulation in the children and social work Bill allowing local

authorities to not just opt out guidance but vast swathes of primary

and secondary child protection legislation. Can she explain why it

is okayed to experiment with the lives of vulnerable children? We

have healthy debates about the power in committee and she has failed to

grasp what it is we are trying to achieve and that is where local

authority and social workers tell us where there was well-intentioned

legislation, they want to be able to try new ways city outcomes for

children, improve. And that is why a raft of organisations including the

children's Society say they welcome the commitment to innovation in

children's social care and support the intention to allow local

authorities to test new ways of working in a safe, and transparent

way. I thought she would want to welcome that rather than trying to

make difficult arguments that she is trying to concoct on her side, the

way forward we want to go in this bill. It is wrong and she should

follow the path the profession wants to go in. I welcome the recent

proposals to address the historic underfunding in rural schools in

Somerset. While some of my schools are set to receive 20% more in two

years' time, other rural primary schools seem to have been treated

very differently. Will he meet with me to review these anomalies? I will

be delighted to meet him to discuss school funding in Yeovil and so

proficient at the offices it is all ready in a diary for the 27th of

February bust in his constituency school funding rises by ?2.8 million

and the new formula and 94% of schools in his constituency see a

rise in funding. In my constituency 85% of children who attend an

independent nursery do not have access to a qualified early years

teacher. This is one of the highest proportions in the whole of England.

Their tempers and less likely to be at the expected standards by age of

five. The minister was to increased social mobility so what effort is

she making to do this in Birmingham? Well, she is right to point out that

the early years workforce is one of the greatest assets and we will

shortly be releasing a workforce strategy outlining how we will

improve what exists, we need to help employers attract and retain and

develop their staff to the highest quality of early years provision.

With the minister consider establishing a minimum level of

funding per school? We have had representations from some low funded

authorities about if there is funding secondary schools need and

were fewer of the pupils bring with them additional needs... We are

looking at all the concerns members have raised in the consultation

process which is why it is extended to 14 weeks. Following

investigations by the Manchester evening News, two serious

allegations of financial mismanagement have come to light for

two multi-Academy trusts in my constituency is. One is for 5p in

debt and the other money has gone missing. The minister said they do a

good job holding trusts to account but what more can be done to make

sure the money is recouped and people are held to account? It is

important we have strong governments for multi-Academy trusts as she

points out. We need equally strong governance for local authority

schools to. She will be aware harrow is the most multiracial borough in

the country. Can she explain to the people of Harrow why every secondary

school bar one and every primary school in the borough will see a

reduction in expenditure under her plans. He will know 20% of schools

in his borough will see an increase in funding and per-pupil funding in

Harrow remains high. It is higher than many local authority areas

around the country. Leeds are reviewing transport to school for

pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and there was

a risk people may not get funding. Will he commit all children in this

situation get the funding for the transport they need to get to

school? He knows over the last few years we have implemented a new

system in bedding well in many parts of the country but there are still

areas we want to look at to make sure every child is benefiting from

the changes and other look at the issue raises.

Following the focus provided by the recently launched industrial

strategy, can my right honourable friend tell the House what steps the

Government is taking to ensure that every child gets the kind of stem

education they will feed in the future to access the opportunities

that will exist? We focussed on not only maths and English but

particularly made sure that girls in school are taking stem subjects like

never before, it is vital, if we are going to have the skills that

British businesses needs, to need to help us be successful in the future,

I am delighted to say A-level maths is the most successful A-level but

we ant to see that continuing. We want to see more stem graduates.

Adult education can transform lives. Address the skills gap and address

technology change. And yet numbers for adult learners are falling off a

cliff and the industrial strategy doesn't mention it. Can she have a

word? Thank you. My right honourable friend will be pleased to know, by

2020, we will be spending more on the adult education budget than any

time in our island's history. We are investing in skills, we invest in

apprenticeship, 377,000 over 19s in the past year. We are investing in

adult education, that is what we are doing.

Today with the National Literacy trust we are announcing figures that

86% of all English constituencies have one ward with significant

literacy problems in them. Does the Secretary of State agree this is not

just an economic issue, it is one of social justice. The view about the

primacy of reading and writing which is fundamental to education which is

why ensuring children are taught to read using methods that evidence

from this country and round the world shows works, that of synthetic

system phone nicks has been at the hard heart of education reforms and

the proportion of six-year-olds riz reaching the standard has risen to

81% in 2016. What is the Secretary of State say

to my constituent who received funding in April 2015 for a health

and social care diploma with provider that has gone into

administration, no access to her portfolio. Will she look into this

case and meet with me to help Catherine and thousands of others in

this situation. I thank the honourable lady for her question, I

am happy to meet with her, and I know that the skills funding

agencies is doing everything possible to make sure everyone

affected by such issues are, have alternative education providing, I

have asked the SFA to offer every possible assistance. Can the

minister provide me with an update on when the performance tables will

be released for 2019, as this is very importanter for schools in

Taunton dope to be aware when they are advising year nine pupils on

what GCSEs to select. She is right to highlight the important of this

information. We are finalising the details of the technical and applies

qualification that will count in the 2019 performance tables and will

publish the list as soon as possible. Is the Secretary of State

aware that the university technical college bid in Doncaster is vital to

increasing skills and apprenticeships, so will she,

without delay, give the college the go-ahead, or meet with the local

Chamber of Commerce and Local Authority to explain what the delay

is? Well, I think I have had a chance to see her on a number of

UTCs during my time in this role and many are producing an outstanding

education that is different for the young people that go there, they

might have otherwise had. I am well aware Doncaster wants a response in

relation to the an care, I welcome the backing she has given to it and

we will be confirming the decision on that shortly.

Too many people leave school would achieving the results they need,

they need but is the, is my right honourable friend wear of the work

done by the British Army to get people without the grades up to the

grade when they join those establishments and will she

undertake to find out what can be taken, what understanding can be

taken from those places? I like to thank my right honourable friend for

bringing the army training camp to the attention of the House, the army

has a strong track record, of delivering high quality education in

training and I would be delighted to discuss these issues further with my

right honourable friend. Mr Speaker, Sir Michael Wilshaw

courage urged the Government to tackle the low standards in many

northern and Midlands secondary schools and Nottingham's education

board has identified teacher recruitment retention as their pry

or yourty. How can she believe that cutting the funding for every school

in my constituency will help those schools to attract the best teachers

and raise standards among young people in some of our most deprived

communities. Put huge amounts of funding in

relation to the northern powerhouse strategy to help schools across the

north lift standards, part of this is in relation to improving teacher

recruitment but teacher retention, but I would draw the House's

attention to the fact it is not just northern schools where we want to

see progress, we want to see progress in the Midlands schools but

dare I say in the East of England as well.

Statement, the Prime Minister. Thank you Mr Speaker. And Mr

Speaker, before I turn to the European council, I am sure that the

whole house will want to join me in sending our congratulations to Her

Majesty the Queen as she marks her Sapphire jubilee today. It is

testament to Her Majesty's devotion to the nation she is not marking

becoming our first monarch to rein with any special celebration but

getting on with the job to which she has dedicated her life.

And on behalf of the whole country I am proud to offer Her Majesty our

humble than Forbes