Live Education Questions House of Commons

Good afternoon and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the

Commons. At around 3:30pm there will be a prime ministerial statement,

with Theresa May talking about last week's European Council summit.

After that, Liz Truss will be talking about the disturbances at

Her Majesty's prison in Birmingham for a third statement on Yemen. The

main business is a debate on Brexit. Join me for the highlights of both

Houses of Parliament at 11pm. We are committed to ensuring that we

childcare that families need. We are childcare that families need. We are

investing record funding of ?1 billion per year, have announced a

fire early funding system and are providing nearly 4000 places one

year early. Last week I visited a very well-respected local nursery.

They are concerned about the level They are concerned about the level

of funding they will receive. Can she give us some reassurance and

would she like to visit the school because they would be delighted to

see her? I thank my honourable friend for that. I would be more

than happy to visit. He is right to highlight the importance of this and

that is why we've committed to providing these until the end of the

Parliament. Isn't it the case that the promise is being funded by

nurses and can the Secretary of nurses and can the Secretary of

State tell us what analysis she has undertaken of the damage that will

be done by the cuts she is making? It is a rather churlish comment and

we are investing more money in this policy than any government ever. ?6

billion. He needs to be more appreciative, I think. Working

parents in my constituency very much welcome the 30 hours of free

childcare. Can the Minister set out for them, particularly those with

disabled children, how they will disabled children, how they will

make sure there is sufficient funding available to give children

the best start in life through that scheme. She's absolutely right. I

was in a nursery in new and they were already seeing a massive

difference this is making to working families and it is with regard to

children with special educational needs, there is a fund which will go

towards them. I hope the Minister will agree that the pupil premium

provides vital support to some of our most disadvantaged children and

we want them to know that many will not be able to care for the most

vulnerable children when the 30 hours is introduced so will the

Minister guarantee that all of the money will go to our most vulnerable

children and this vital resource will not be cut this Parliament? It

will continue and will continue to go to the most vulnerable children.

We are committed to making sure as many pupils as possible have a place

at school. The latest report shows that standards have risen compared

to 2010, when 1.8 million more pupils are taught in good or

outstanding skills, proposals are in place in the consultation. I am very

encouraged by the reply from the Minister. One of the issues raised

by them is securing school places for siblings. Will my right

honourable friend look at this as part of her plans? Any changes in

relation to the overall way that the code operates will be scrutinised by

this house, she will be aware that admissions for authorities are

responsible for setting their own admissions arrangements. But

actually it allows them to prioritise siblings and some

authorities choose to do that already. Headteachers in my

constituency say they are stymied by changing expectations from

government. Will the Secretary of State reassure her teachers in my

constituency that expectations will not keep changing without good

reason? I had a chance to visit one of the schools last week which was a

fantastic opportunity, they were working with Bristol University, and

in relation to the continued reforms, we want to make sure we see

improvements in classrooms and she will no doubt welcome the fact that

we launched the strategic school improvement fund which is about

making sure we can get the investment in schools that need to

improve quickly and effectively. Skills include technical provision

as a must, so does the Secretary of State agree that university

technical colleges play an important role in this and these should be

good and outstanding? We expect them to deliver high standards. I had the

chance to go to Didcot UTC and it was providing a fantastic education,

are very different one but one that worked for them in their interest.

It was getting very good results because of that. Thank you, Mr

Speaker. It is my understanding that in the last two years there were

over 60 schools which have been rated inadequate weir and an Academy

order has been issued and a sponsor yet to be identified. How does that

uncertainty help improve standards in those schools? We are committed

to making sure that when we see schools that are not achieving the

results that they need to for those children that we have a strong

approach that is steadily improving the schools and working with them to

approve, but where they cannot improve we want to make sure that

changes take place in terms of leadership and school sponsorship,

that means schools have got the flexibility and freedom to get

better. Yes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As a former Acton residents, I'm

sure they will share concerns... They have a full role of students, a

secure site but no physical building. Can she do everything she

can to pressure the funding authority to find the shortfall that

Balfour Beatty want, because East Acton is the most deprived wards...

She's made her point with great force and eloquence but it does not

need to be made at any further point. Acton is a place I very much

enjoy living in and it is important we see school standards raised in

Acton. I will look very carefully at the particular issues she has raised

and perhaps write to her to find out what she can advise we do to speed

things up. There is a skill in my constituency, two of my children

attended, so do 1000 of its children, and it has been placed in

special measures and will become an Academy, which I support, but the

choice of Academy has been made and subsequently retracted pending

surveys on the school. The process is flawed. Would the secretary take

a look at this with urgency? I'm aware of this matter because he has

done his rule as a fantastic local MP in already raising it with me and

it is something we are looking at within the Department to see whether

we can make sure that the barriers preventing their school from getting

a great sponsor that can help improve it, not just for his own

children but all the children there, can be quickly removed.

Multi-Academy trusts enable the sharing of staff and expertise that

can help foster a truly excellent special education provision and

special schools can be helpful in supporting children with special

education needs as well as provision education needs as well as provision

alongside mainstream provision. Some examples can be found in the good

practice guidance published on the 9th of December. I was going to ask

him to issue further guidance when I tabled the question in December. I

don't think it has been issued so I'm grateful for that. I would

encourage him to look at special needs schools operating as special

needs schools because there is a difference between thousands of

pupils. I think the honourable gentleman is encouraged by the power

of his own question tabling. I expect nothing less from the

honourable gentleman. He raises an important issue. We continue to

provide guidance in this area. I would encourage any newly forming

organisation to get in touch. You've moved to number four. Very

well. I thank the Minister for meeting to discuss the contents of

my ten minute rule Bill to do with special needs. He mentioned the

arrangements were not ideal and needed some adjustment and mentioned

a consultation. Could he give us any more information on that? I welcome

a lot of sympathy for the cause he a lot of sympathy for the cause he

makes within it. I can commit to a consultation early in the New Year

and I know that he will want to contribute along with others

interested in this issue. Great teachers are critical to improving

educational outcomes. Teaching is a profession and we are supporting the

development of teachers including through the new leadership

innovation fund and the new chartered College of teaching and

also through investment in improving curriculum expertise and in

particular in maths which I saw for myself on a recent visit to China.

In the paper that was produced in In the paper that was produced in

March in 2016, there was a good proposal in that paper for a

national teacher vacancy website to national teacher vacancy website to

ensure that the cost of recruitment was kept down. What progress is

being made? She set out a commitment we made in

the March White Paper. It is going to offer a website with a free route

for schools to advertise teacher vacancies, but also provide teachers

with easier access to information about job opportunities. We have

worked closely with schools and teachers on testing out different

approaches for how to deliver that website so we can make sure it adds

maximum value to all schools. Whenever I meet young people in my

constituency, they tell me that the thing that could most affect their

educational outcomes is a curriculum for life and compulsory PSAT in all

schools. The curriculum was last updated before Facebook was even

invented. Teachers go unsupported and untrained. If yesterday's

briefings to the papers are to be believed, the government is

considering bringing in compulsory PSHE. Is this true, and if so, when

will it happen? It is urgent. I was clear in my first education select

committee appearance but I felt this was an area we needed to look at,

which is what we are doing. It is not just a question of updating the

guidance, it is also about the schools that it is taught in. It is

also about the quality of the teaching that happens as well. As

someone who did pure maths and applied maths as well as physics and

English at A-level, I am very keen mathematics teaching. I was

wondering, what was the Secretary of State's assessment of the recent

mathematics teacher exchange between the United Kingdom and China? I

think it has worked fantastically well so far. We have seen 131

teachers from England visiting Shanghai and 127 teachers from

Shanghai visiting English schools. Through that exchange, our teachers

have observed Shanghai teaching methods. And in the 48 schools that

have taken part in the study, most teachers have implemented changes

which have led to increased enthusiasm for mathematics,

hopefully as strong as his was at school, deeper engagement and

increased confidence, but critically, higher attainment. One

of the best ways to support teachers in improving educational outcomes,

particularly for children with special needs, is through the pupil

premium. Will she therefore explain to the House why the level of the

pupil premium has been frozen at current levels through this

Parliament? The pupil premium was of course something that the previous

coalition government introduced and is continuing to be supported

throughout this Parliament to make sure funding goes to those children

who need it most. Last week, I announced the national funding

formula, which also prioritises resources going towards children

with a distant advantage. The Secretary of State will know how

traumatic it is for students and teachers in getting children through

GCSE maths and English resits, which can often blight their post-GCSE

students. Can we have a curriculum which is vocationally based for

numeracy and literacy, which will give people the skills they need for

work without having to go through this traumatic and often wasteful

experience? It is important that all children leaving our education

system leave with something to show for their names, particularly on

maths and English. That is why we brought in the GCSE resits policy.

For students who achieved a D and were close to being able to get to

the better standard, they should have another go at doing that.

However, the functional skills qualifications have been

well-received by employers and we want to look at how they can also

play a role in enabling all young people to show their

accomplishments. Grammar schools are the Prime Minister's flagship policy

for improving outcomes, but today the Independent is saying that

officials in the Department for Education have said there is no

chance of a new selective school before 2020. Can the Secretary of

State confirm how many selective schools are to be built in this

Parliament? The consultation finished last week. We will now look

at the responses to it. We have to recognise that we need an education

system that has more good school places, especially for children in

parts of the country that don't have access to them. Rather than carping

with no suggestions, I hope we can have a good debate now that the

consultation has finished and bring forward additional grammar school

places. The school workforce census reports

a constant vacancy rate of 0.2% of teachers in post. New analysis

published in September looks at the proportion of schools with at least

one vacancy. This measure has sung the Luke shown some variance since

2010, with London having the highest proportion of vacancies. The

department is also working to identify those schools experiencing

the greatest teacher shortages and to support them to meet those

challenges. Good teaching depends on retaining good teachers in the

profession. Does the minister not accept that the consistent

underfunding of schools in disadvantaged areas such as the

north-east makes retaining teachers difficult, and will he look again at

the cost adjustment element of the national funding formula that could

have the adverse effect of sending money away from disadvantaged areas

into more affluent ones? We have protected the score schools but in

real terms throughout this Parliament and the last. We have

also grasped the nettle, something the Labour government failed to do

while in office, of introducing fair funding. One of the elements of that

is in ensuring sufficient funds to tackle disadvantaged and lower

attainment. Schools in Somerset have great teachers, but find it hard to

recruit does. Does my right honourable friend agree that

adjusting the funding formula will help rural areas like mine attract

and retain excellent teachers? My honourable friend is right. Areas

around the country have been underfunded for many years. We have

been the first government that has grasped this nettle introducing a

much fairer national funding formula that will deal with these historic,

and anachronistic and unfair national funding formulas. Regarding

the proposed funding formula last week, can I ask the minister how it

helps recruit and retain teachers when all but one of the schools in

my constituency will lose money under the funding formula? The

national funding formula has been introduced to ensure that we have a

fair funding system. We are consulting on that system over the

next 40 weeks, and I am sure the honourable gentleman will send him

his representations. If an outstanding academy in the New

Forest, minutes from the seaside, is having difficulty recruiting an

English teacher, what hope is there for anywhere else? My honourable

friend raises an important point. The national funding formula will

help schools have the resources to enable them to use the discretion we

have given schools in how they reward teachers, particularly in

those subjects where they find it difficult to recruit. Can I take

this opportunity to wish the House well. The Association of schools and

college leaders have found that opening up new grammars may worsen

new teacher recruitment is. Doesn't he think the priority should be

incentivising teacher recruitment and retention, rather than taking

the retrograde step of providing new armers that will do nothing for new

pupils and parents? We are prioritising teacher recruitment. We

met 94% of our target last year and 93% this year. We are recruiting

more teachers in science than before. She should look at the

number of teachers coming into teacher training, and acknowledge

the fact that there are 456,000 teachers in our schools today, an

all-time high, and there are 50,000 more teachers today than in 2010.

May I take the opportunity to thank the honourable gentleman for the

work he does for education. Helping all young people to get the careers

education and guidance they need is crucial to delivering social

mobility. That is why we are investing ?90 million over the

parliament to ensure that every young person has access to advice

and inspiration to fulfil their potential. This includes further

funding for the careers and enterprise company to continue the

excellent work it has started, including 1 million for the first

six opportunity areas. The all-party group for education is conducting an

inquiry into how we prepare children for their future careers. It seems

to be not just the academic, but also the soft skills. Does the

government feel that it is doing that ably enough, and would you

attend the launch of our document when it is produced on the 7th of

February? The honourable gentleman makes an important point. Not enough

schools are encouraging their children to do not just soft skills,

but all skills and technical education and apprenticeships. We

have worked to change that and make sure schools talk about

apprenticeships and skills when they give careers advice. We are

investing millions in the careers enterprise company, which is going

to look after 250,000 students in areas of the country that have least

careers provision. In terms of the event that the honourable gentleman

has asked me to, I will do my best. I have to obviously check the diary.

The junction of the careers and enterprise company will do a great

deal to improve careers advice among secondary school students. But to

encourage more girls into a science career, we have to start earlier in

primary schools. Can the minister confirmed that increasing diversity

in the careers that leads to greater productivity will form a central

part of the Stem related strategies? Again, my honourable friend is

right. We need to do everything was able to ensure that young people do

the empty macro subjects are encouraged into doing so -- the Stem

subjects. That is why we are encouraging apprenticeships. It is

why the get up and go campaign focuses on Stem subjects and

encouraging more women to do the skills we need. I am glad to hear of

the minister's support for young people studying Stem subjects. Does

he share my disappointment that the GCSE in environmental science has

now been discontinued? There are alternative qualifications. I would

also add that we are creating a state-of-the-art technical education

system with 15 different pathways, which will have important technical

routes and qualifications that will have the prestige and give employers

the qualifications that they need. The minister knows that university

technical colleges can be a fantastic route into

apprenticeships, degrees and jobs. The proposed Gloucestershire health

university technical College will be a magnificent example of this, but

with the minister to the chamber when the delayed deadline for UCT

applications will be announced? My honourable friend is right to

highlight the importance of UCT and here's a champion of apprentices and

skills in his constituency since he has been elected. I will speak to my

honourable friend the UCT minister about question he raises. Question

number seven, Mr Speaker. Following the EU referendum on the 23rd of

June, we are considering all aspects of how the vote of the people of the

United Kingdom to leave the EU might impact on further education

institutions. This includes consideration of institutions'

access to EU funding sources. We are committed to ensuring that the FE

sector remains effective in delivering learning that provides

individuals with the skills the economy needs for growth. The

Chancellor of the Exchequer committed to stability in the period

leading up to departure from the EU. Further institutions in Glasgow need

a certainty in this scenario, including those who have benefited

from European social fund to the tune of ?1.5 million this year

alone. Brexit is not a circumstance of Glasgow's choosing. Will the

government commit to abandon the empty "Brexit means Brexit" rhetoric

and publish detailed plans on Sunday? I say to the honourable lady

that leaving the European Union means that we all want to take our

own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously

targeted by EU funding. The government is consulting closely

with stakeholders to review all EU funding schemes to ensure that any

ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK's national interest,

while ensuring appropriate certainty.

You are not be sensible for the government to commit simply

replacing EU funding with UK funding, keeping everyone happy? My

honourable friend makes an important point. The government of the UK will

decide how best to spend the money that was previously going to the

European Union. Colleges Scotland have received 250 million in EU

funding to fund capital projects. Given it was this government who

gambled away Scotland's membership, what is the likelihood of this

government replacing this type of vital funding in the years ahead. I

find it interesting that the party's position is to campaign for more

powers to go from Westminster to Scotland and yet they would like

funding decisions decided in the EU than in Scotland. Having said that

she will know the Chancellor has announced the Treasury will

guarantee investment bids which are signed before the UK leaves the EU

including funding for projects agreed after the Autumn Statement if

they represent good value for money and if they are aligned with the

continue beyond the departure from continue beyond the departure from

the EU. We know that our further education colleges benefit hugely

from European social funds. The government told me in February that

the funding agency had ?725 million and 120 million went to colleges

from funding, it guarantees jobs and skills. Can the Minister guarantee

that government will replace this after Brexit and F E colleges, which

provide courses and get the same guarantee as universities? Thank

you, Mr Speaker, I had hoped in the spirit of Christmas the honourable

gentleman might have welcomed the 900,000 apprenticeship

participation, the highest in our island's history. The access to

European funding is one aspect of business that is impacted by the

decision to leave the European Union and we are considering all aspects

of how colleges may be affected but it is worth noting that by 2020 the

adult budget will be the highest in the nation's history if you include

apprenticeships. All this getting up is good

preparation for Christmas. If he knows he has the next question he is

very welcome to remain standing at the box, nobody would think there is

anything disorderly or unreasonable about that. Thank you, it is good

for the calories in advance of Christmas.

We are making over 60 million support apprenticeship take-up from

disadvantaged areas. Our campaign aims to get more young people to

apply for an apprenticeship. We are increasing the number of

traineeships. What measures is he putting in place to overcome

barriers to accessing apprenticeships and for ensuring a

good promotion of them by schools? I thank my honourable friend for this

question. We are putting 60 million in deprived areas to encourage

trainers to have that. We are putting a lot of funding into

helping 16-18 -year-olds, supporting businesses and providers. We are

supporting health and social care apprenticeships if they have a plan

from the local authority. We're giving 12 million to the fund. This

government is committed to ensuring most young people can do

apprenticeships. From next April, many schools will pave the

apprenticeship levy, and other cost. That is an additional cost of

?15,000. Will the Minister agreed to meet with me and another member and

concerned headteachers to discuss the impact of the levy on schools

and academies. I'm very happy to meet with the honourable lady but

the whole purpose of the levy is to change behaviours and ensure we

become an apprenticeship and skilled nation. If the schools have the

needs of their levy then not only will they not pay any levy but they

will get 10% on top. Small businesses often give the best

experience to an apprentice but lack the resources to support them. What

steps is the Minister taking to encourage small businesses to take

on apprentices? I know that the honourable friend is a champion of

small businesses in his constituency. We are doing huge

amounts to encourage small businesses to take on young

apprentices, huge financial incentives for the providers and the

businesses, small businesses have to pay no training cost at all if they

have 16-18 -year-olds. We have cut national insurance for

apprenticeships up to the age of 25. The scheme must be better publicised

in our high schools and primary schools to encourage those who don't

feel comfortable in academia to understand there are options

available to them. Could the Minister specified how the

Department plans to implement any such system in schools? As so often,

the honourable gentleman makes a the honourable gentleman makes a

good point. When I go around the country, again and again,

apprentices have not been encouraged by their schools to do this and we

are looking at how to ensure that careers encourage them. We are

investing ?90 million in careers, they have many advisers, getting

kids to do work experience. We are committed to tackling inequalities

so that all pupils can fulfil their potential. We welcome the

contribution, including the benefits of an academic curriculum. The

northern powerhouse challenge as well funded as the London challenge

was funded with the very welcome, for schools such as one outstanding

school in my constituency. What support will be available to schools

like that already doing their very best in very disadvantaged areas?

There is an achievement gap which is why in March 2016 the Chancellor

announced ?20 million of new funding to support a northern powerhouse

strategy. Old Trafford is the best performing in North England but one

of the worst funded authorities. I'm sure he can imagine the concern that

the draft funding formula produced last week would lead to all

secondary schools being worse off and the number of primary schools

being worse off. Can I ask him to look as a matter of urgency at the

nature of the funding formula to ensure fairness to the

which have been underfunded? They which have been underfunded? They

will see gains, some ?210 million, but in Trafford there is a loss of

0.4%. The current formula under funds primary is computed

secondaries. Under the proposed national funding

formula, the secondaries will lose but the primaries will game. The

education policy found that there are no better standards in local

authorities so why is expanding trust is key to driving up

standards? Is it because he is very well paid by an academy trust and is

there perchance any evidence? He is experienced in running a very

successful one. Sponsored academies do increase more rapidly. One of the

causes identified is the challenge of teacher supply. Does my

honourable friend agree with me that one way of improving that will be to

recruit more members from the former members of the Armed Forces into the

teaching profession? I do agree and we have a scheme that does just

that, and as the years go by it is recruiting increasing numbers, small

numbers but increasing numbers of highly qualified but experienced

ex-military personnel. Thank you, Mr Speaker, we've not permanently

closed any academies within three years of their conversion, but we've

re-brokered them. If no school has been closed within three years of

such conversion and now Academy closed solely as a result of a bad

Ofsted report and there is no reliable estimate of the cost or the

availability of alternate places and future demand and the real travel

alternative schools, how does the alternative schools, how does the

government justified reneging on their promise to the pupils and

parents to rescue an Academy in my constituency rather than close the

school? No decision has been taken yet on the future of this academy

but ministers are going to consider all options and the view of parents

in the community before reaching a final decision. They will ensure

that they get good access. Increasing this for pupils underpins

our commitment to making sure our country works for everyone and in

the pupil premium we are narrowing the gap between disadvantaged pupils

and their peers and indeed, this can be seen in the primary school in

Enfield which I want to congratulate for its excellent work on pupil

premium. Thank you for the response. On the response from my right

honourable friend for Harlow, given the school's link with local

employers, they have let their most vulnerable. Can I commend the

Secretary of State for the good example of the TEFL steps in to work

programme which is bucking the national trend. It is something I do

commend. We're working with it to strengthen links between employers

and schools when you get a close relationship, especially for those

with learning difficulties, it can make a great difference. There is a

serious problem here in terms of disadvantaged young people, clever

and bright at the age of 11, then lose them, they fail in secondary.

Is she further aware, though she is reluctant to answer the question,

how many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are locked

into the further education system unable to get their GCSEs in maths

and English? When is she going to do and English? When is she going to do

something about it? We've seen the attainment gap getting lower between

disadvantaged young people and those who start off from better

backgrounds. We put resources into the system. Further education is one

of our key aims across the Parliament to make sure it delivers

the same gold standard. The House will know that the

Secretary of State failed to commit to building a school in this

Parliament. Today, the policy Institute have released evidence

showing you cannot future proof and 11 plus test. Does she agree with me

that selection at 11 will favour that selection at 11 will favour

families that can afford it and do nothing to improve the educational

outcomes of the most disadvantaged pupils?

I disagree. As usual, from the opposition, we have had criticism

but no alternative policies whatsoever, and a continued failure

by the opposition to set out whether it would close existing grammars. At

some stage, it would be fantastic to get clarity on Labour Party policy.

We want to see more good school places for children, particularly

disadvantaged children, and we know the disadvantaged children on free

school meals who get into grammar schools see the attainment gap

closed by the time they leave. The new national curriculum that came

into force in September 2014 expects every pupil to know the

multiplication tables to 12 times 12 by the end of year four. We have

strengthened our primary maths assessment to prioritise fluency in

written calculation and we have removed the use of calculators from

key stage two tests. We have not made an assessment of the proportion

of children in Northamptonshire or England who know the multiplication

tables by heart, but we plan to intend a multiplication tables check

for primary school pupils in England to ensure that every child leaves

primary school fluent in that times tables up to and including 12 times

12. Which my friend madrasas is 144. We are all much better informed!

Would my honourable friend agree that learning your times tables is

essential for success and maths, and what is the government's official

view to the best way in which times tables should be taught and learnt?

We don't have an official way of how this is taught, but we do expect

every child to know their tables. The reason it is until year four is

so that children can recall the times tables automatically so that

they can then tackle long multiplication and long division. We

want all pupils to be healthy and active and have the opportunity to

engage in sport and physical activity. That is why PE remains a

compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum

and since 2013, we have given ?600 million to primary schools to

include the quality of PE provision, with that doubling from 2017. Given

the urgent need to tackle child obesity and physical inactivity, can

my right honourable friend tell the House what steps he is taking to

work with organisations such as the UK active outdoor industry

Association as well as local organisations like active Cheshire

to follow the example of the school where my daughter goes to take

forward more daily initiatives? As a fellow Cheshire MP, I am aware of

the excellent work done by local schools and local groups in

partnerships. We welcome initiatives such as the daily mile. They help

teachers have the autonomy to make good decisions on behalf of their

pupils to have an array of excellent initiatives, and we continue to

promote those. The minister is too modest in declining to take the

opportunity to say that he has himself over many years led by

example to his repeated and impressive marathon running, with

which the whole House by now should be familiar. Physical activities are

important to equip the next generation with the skills to

contend with both their physical health and the mental health. But

alone, it will not content with our nation's obesity crisis. We know

from the child measurement figures how challenging this is for our

country. Will his government be bringing forward compulsory PSHE so

we can equip the next generation with the knowledge and skills to

know what they should be eating as well as what physical activities

they should be doing? I have already told the House that PE is compulsory

at all four key stages. The Secretary of State has set out the

need to improve the access and quality of PSHE, and that is

something we are looking forward to. I will be taking part in the London

Marathon again next year to continue my efforts to lead by example. The

honourable gentleman is genuinely a hero! Topical questions, Mr Nigel

Huddlestone. If I can just wish everybody a happy Christmas in the

House as well. Mr Speaker, the latest stab figures show that there

are near Ely 1.8 million -- there are nearly 1.8 million children

being taught in outstanding schools than in 2010. Our consultation has

ended and we look forward to responding to that in due course. In

the past few weeks, we have announced ?114 million for the

strategic school improvement fund and have published the next age of

consultation on our national fairer funding formula for schools across

England, which will finally bring an end to the historic postcode lottery

of school funding. I also saw the excellent teacher exchange programme

in Shanghai, China, earlier this month, as well as visiting many

great schools in our own country. Team GB gave an incredible

performance that this year's Rio Olympic Games, bringing home 67

medals. One third of those medal winners went to private schools

compared to 7% of the population as a whole. What else is the government

doing to encourage greater participation in sport in our state

schools? Since 2013, we have provided over ?600 million to

primary schools through the primary PE and sport premium, which is

making a difference. In independent research, schools reported an 84%

increase in participation in extracurricular activities. We know

there is more to do, and that is why we have doubled a premium to ?320

million a year from autumn 2017. I would also like to wish the

Secretary of State a Merry Christmas and all the members of the House,

but it ain't going to be a Merry Christmas for our schools. The

recent government consultation says there will be a floor on schools

funding so that no school would lose more than 3% of their funding per

pupil as a result of changes to the funding formula. Some schools face

to severe cuts to manage. But only has the National Audit Office show

that schools are facing funding cuts of 8% per pupil, they have

criticised her department for failing to make the scale of the

coming cuts clear. The Secretary of State has two choices. Order. I am

sorry. If we are going to have a right for the opposition front bench

to come in on topical is, and I make this clear with immediate effect, it

must be done briefly, otherwise it is completely absorbing the time for

backbenchers. A single sentence from the honourable lady will suffice.

Sorry, Mr Speaker. Will she cut the funding in 2020 or will she issue

guidance to schools on what those cuts will be? We are consulting on

proposals for a new national funding for here. Everybody accepts the

current system is unfair, transparent and out of date and it

doesn't support our aspiration for all children to reach their

potential to succeed in adult life. There is little or no justification

for the differences that local schools get at the moment. The

consultation is now under way. I have no doubt that honourable

members across the House will want to respond. The former Chancellor

was the most recent senior Conservative to say that the Prime

Minister's plans to include international students in migration

figures were not sensible. Will the Secretary of State join us and

commit to doing everything she can to reverse this foolish policy and

ensure that students are removed from the migration statistics? We

value the significant contribution that international students make to

our universities. We have no plans to introduce a cap on and take. As

the Secretary of State recently announced, we will shortly be

seeking views on the study immigration root of all parties

including the opposition should ensure their point of view is heard.

Getting it right early on is crucially important for life

chances. Corby provides flagship nursery provision and early

intervention provision which local families appreciate and value. With

the minister be willing to visit to discuss how the funding reforms can

best support this provision going forward? We all know that maintained

nursery schools are a small but important part of the early years

sector, providing high quality child care and education, often in

disadvantaged areas. They have a potentially important role in

shaping best practice with other providers in their area, and I would

be happy to meet my honourable friend and other representatives to

discuss this further. Does that Secretary of State acknowledge that

many schools including the primary school in the most deprived part of

my constituency which contacted me on Wednesday are struggling

financially as a result of amongst other things, the overhead is being

heaped on them. It is children with special educational needs who are

likely to suffer most from the financial squeeze. In fact, under

the national funding formula that we announced last week to stop the

consultation on in relation to high needs, there will be no local areas

losing. And we will be able to do not only that, but also ensure that

those areas that need to gain who have been underfunded will be able

to gain up to 3% over 2018-19 and 2019-20. Following the publication

of the key stage two results on Thursday, the national average pass

rate was 54%. The Lancashire pass rate was 54%, but the pass rate in

my constituency was 47%. What steps is this Parliament taking towards

best practice for schools like those in my constituency and what can she

do to help schools that are underperforming? I share my

honourable friend's concern. We want all schools to use evidence -based

teaching and to help spread effective practice. We have

established a national network of teaching schools as well as school

partnerships led by schools that excel in the teaching of maths,

phonics and science. International students are vital to an economy and

contribute ?7 billion to universities in the UK. Can the

Secretary of State confirm whether or not the government plans to use

the new teaching and excellence framework to link student visas to

the quality of an institution as a means of cutting immigration? No

decision has been taken as to the best way to differentiate in order

to allow our best institutions to continue to attract international

students at this stage. The Home Secretary has indicated that she

will be starting a consultation in the new year. All parties are

encouraged to contribute to that. Recognising the mental health

challenges faced by an increasing number of young people, can my right

honourable friend to the House what steps she is taking to work with

bodies such as young minds and the NSPCC to help young people and their

parents tackle self harming, which is blighting the lives of too many

children? Every child and young person should be able to enjoy good

mental health and well-being. My honourable friend is right to raise

serious concerns about self harm. We are working with the Department of

Health to tackle it by funding guidance for schools on teaching

about self-harm and pointing parents towards the Mind portal and the

invaluable NSPCC ChildLine, but we know there is more to do. The 80

sector in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland supported SNP

amendments to the higher education Bill on UK research and innovation.

Can the Secretary of State tell us if she plans to look at this issue

again, or is she happy to ignore the HE voices within the devolved

nations? The honourable gentleman will have seen the amendment

ensuring that there will be at least one member of the UK border with

experience of the excellent research that goes on in at least one of our

devolved administrations. Universities like Sunderland do a

fantastic job supporting part-time and mature students into higher

education. Ministers claim to support this, so why in the Autumn

Statement was funding for widening participation cut by 50%? The

honourable lady will be encouraged to see that spending on access

agreements will increase to over ?800 million in the next financial

year, up from ?400 million when this last coalition government came into

office, almost doubling the amount being spent on this important area.

The Secretary of State will remember the historic and ongoing problems

with flooding in Tipton St John primary school. Will she ever

announce an early Christmas present for the people of Tipton St John by

announcing that her department is going to contribute to the funding

solution to relocate the school to Ottery St Mary? Following his

meeting on the top of October with my right honourable friend the

Secretary of State and representatives from the county to

consider plans to relocate the school, a feasibility study was

submitted to the educational funding agency. Officials have reviewed the

report and have been in dialogue with Devon County Council to address

outstanding issues. Once those are resolved, a decision can be taken

about whether a central funding contribution can be made and whether

he will have a Christmas present. What contingency plans does the

Minister has showed a source of recruitment for EU teachers

diminish. As I said earlier the government welcomes the contribution

EU students and international students make to higher education

institutions and there is no plan to introduce a cap on that number. We

continue to welcome EU students. Superb schools across my

constituency based a double financial whammy of being both rural

and small. Under new funding formula is only eight schools will get

another blip. Could the minister look again at school is not hitting

the traditional markers of deprivation? -- get an uplift. We

have a consultation on introducing a national funding formula. We have

tried to make sure there are factors affecting schools in more remote

locations but also where they have higher cost bases under the

additional costs allowance to reflect that as well. This is a

consultation and I'm sure she will want to have input into this. Last

Tuesday was in 2000 people filled the Royal concert Hall in Nottingham

to hear hundreds of schoolchildren singing and playing together in the

Nottingham music service Christmas in the city concert. The opportunity

to learn to play music is very important in building confidence and

enjoyment of school and will she visit Nottingham music service to

hear more of the wonderful work but they are doing in our city schools

were more than 8000 students are learning to play a musical

instrument? ?300 million has been announced for music and the arts. I

recognise how important music is and I hope those children will get the

benefit of the ongoing investment this government is now putting in.

Willmore pupils be able to take up places in grammar schools? Once we

have got through the response to consultation and had the chance to

change the law hopefully preventing grammar schools from being opened, I

hope we will be able to make progress on this. And finally, Fiona

McTaggart. Headteachers will be grateful to the Minister for meeting

with them to discuss teacher shortages but unfortunately, I have

reminded him twice since then about the fact that they have not received

the letter he promised at that meeting. Can I expect that before

Christmas? I will do my utmost to ensure they receive a letter and I

enjoyed reading them, they raised important points, but we are

ensuring that we are filling teacher training places and there are more

teachers now in the system than last year. Statement. The Prime