Written questions by Lewis.

What steps her Department is taking to address disparities in hourly rates in relation to national funding for nurseries.

The department uses the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF determine local authority hourly funding rates by taking into consideration the different costs of delivering early years provision in different parts of the country.The hourly funding rate for each entitlement varies to reflect the costs of delivering provision to different age groups. We know that the cost of delivery is highest for younger children due to higher staff costs, as staffing makes up the most significant proportion of provider costs.Rates also vary between local authorities reflecting the different communities that local authorities serve. However, it is local authorities who are responsible for setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their own local funding formula.The department will consult on changes to how early years funding is calculated and distributed, details of which will be published in 2026, to ensure funding is matched to need.

How calculations of national funding rates by age group for nurseries are currently conducted.

The department uses the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF determine local authority hourly funding rates by taking into consideration the different costs of delivering early years provision in different parts of the country.The hourly funding rate for each entitlement varies to reflect the costs of delivering provision to different age groups. We know that the cost of delivery is highest for younger children due to higher staff costs, as staffing makes up the most significant proportion of provider costs.Rates also vary between local authorities reflecting the different communities that local authorities serve. However, it is local authorities who are responsible for setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their own local funding formula.The department will consult on changes to how early years funding is calculated and distributed, details of which will be published in 2026, to ensure funding is matched to need.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the (a) quality of child's rights impact assessments prepared by Government Departments on (i) reserved and (ii) other matters and (b) extent to which children’s (A) views and (B) experiences have been taken into account in these assessments.

Departments are responsible for carrying out assessments on their policy or legislation area. The Department for Education does not collect information centrally on the number or quality of assessments carried out and the extent to which children’s views and experiences have been taken into account in those assessments. This is the responsibility of individual departments and their policy teams to oversee. Child’s Rights Impact Assessments are encouraged to be used across government to ensure new or significant changes to policy or legislation do not adversely affect children’s rights and wellbeing. The department co-produced, with civil society experts, a Child’s Rights Impact Assessment template with guidance that has been shared with other departments. Within the template, the guidance prompts the departments to detail what steps have been taken to directly or indirectly gather the views of children and young people. We value the voices and lived experiences of children and young people and recognise the importance of listening to how decisions made in government impact them.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32022 on Schools: Pay, whether the new productivity initiatives include consideration of the use of AI technology to reduce the employment of (a) teaching and (b) teaching assistant staff.

High quality teaching is the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.The department is committed to supporting schools in driving high standards for every child and addressing workload challenges. Our productivity initiatives include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other evidence-based technology to reduce the time teachers spend marking, planning and form filling so that their drive, energy and passion is fully focused on delivering change for children.AI, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life. The department wants our teachers and support staff to not only stay in our classrooms, but to thrive in them.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of closing the Adoption and special guardianship support fund on children receiving support from that fund.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.The department will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

Whether she plans to replace support for (a) adopted and (b) special guardianship children receiving therapy for early trauma when the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund closes.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.The department will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of funding pay increases from school budgets on levels of (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants.

At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Of this £2.3 billion increase, almost £1 billion is being allocated to high needs budgets. The outstanding £1.3 billion will cover the remaining mainstream costs of the 2024 teachers’ pay award in the 2025/26 financial year, as well as an increase to the mainstream schools national funding formula, and any increases to other elements of core funding.On 10 December 2024, the department published our written evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to inform their recommendations for teachers’ pay in the 2025/26 academic year, which proposed a pay award of 2.8% for teachers. We expect that schools will also take into consideration the cost of support staff pay in the 2025/26 financial year. Schools will be expected to fund the 2025 teacher pay award from the additional investment provided at the Budget, alongside their existing funds. Most schools will need to supplement the new funding they receive with efficiencies in their budgets. The balance between new funding and efficiencies will vary at individual school level depending on their circumstances. It will continue to be for individual schools to decide how they spend their budgets, including on the balance between spending on teachers, support staff, including teaching assistants, and non-pay expenditure.To support schools towards identifying efficiencies, the department is developing a suite of new productivity initiatives in partnership with the sector. This will complement the free support already available to schools, including new support to make budgets go further across technology, procurement, banking services and energy contracts. For example, we have already seen from our pilot that the 400 schools who have participated in the department’s ‘Energy for Schools’ offer will save 36% on average compared to their previous energy contracts.

If she will publish the methodology for engaging with children and families living in poverty under the Child Poverty Strategy.

The Child Poverty Taskforce has prioritised hearing directly from children and families in the development of the child poverty strategy.Ministers, special advisors and government officials have taken part in several sessions with children and families to inform the strategy. This has been supported by a number of partners, including the Changing Realities project and Save the Children, and has included discussion of a wide range of issues, including the effects of poverty on single parents, and the experience of children with special educational needs and disabilities.The details of the Taskforce’s engagement and supporting research with children and families will be published in the strategy.

How many meetings the Child Poverty Taskforce has had with children and families living in poverty.

The Child Poverty Taskforce has prioritised hearing directly from children and families in the development of the child poverty strategy.Ministers, special advisors and government officials have taken part in several sessions with children and families to inform the strategy. This has been supported by a number of partners, including the Changing Realities project and Save the Children, and has included discussion of a wide range of issues, including the effects of poverty on single parents, and the experience of children with special educational needs and disabilities.The details of the Taskforce’s engagement and supporting research with children and families will be published in the strategy.

What discussions on the Child Poverty Engagement Plan in which regions the Child Poverty Taskforce has had with (a) devolved governments, (b) elected mayors, (c) academia, (d) businesses and (e) civil society.

The Child Poverty Taskforce is engaging with devolved governments, elected mayors, academia, businesses and civil society, as well as children and families across the regions and nations of the UK to shape and inform the Child Poverty Strategy.The Taskforce regularly discusses its engagement approach with ministers from all four nations, and key child poverty stakeholders such as Save the Children, IPPR, Citizens Advice, Child Poverty Action Group, Barnardo’s, the End Child Poverty Coalition, and the National Children’s Bureau, who arrange events on our behalf. We also have an Analytical Expert Reference Group, which brings together independent external expertise.The full details of our engagement plan will be set out when we publish the Child Poverty Strategy.

Pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2024 to Question 2948 on Special Educational Needs, what estimate she has made of when the review of Norfolk County Council's Safety Valve agreement will be completed.

Norfolk County Council's Safety Valve agreement is currently under review. The local authority is working closely with the department and expert advisers on a plan to achieve a sustainable high-needs budget while delivering better outcomes for children an...

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of low pay on early years childcare sector recruitment.

The department recognises the concerns the sector has about workforce recruitment and retention challenges. The department continues to work closely with the sector to understand these challenges. Early education and childcare is delivered by a mixed mark...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing 16 to 19 funding to colleges to help fund pay deals.

The government recognises how critical further education (FE) teachers are to unlocking opportunity, tackling disadvantage and equipping learners with the skills needed to secure high value work and boost employer productivity. While the government does not set or recommend pay in the FE sector, it is clear that remuneration is an important factor in teacher recruitment and retention. The government continues to invest in FE teachers, including through additional funding of around £600 million across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. This will support FE providers to recruit and retain high quality teachers in critical subject areas where vacancy rates are high.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, how her Department monitors whether local authorities are meeting their obligations to fulfil statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, which will support local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform. Ofsted publish final outcome reports on their website, and local areas are required to publish them on their organisation’s website.Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.The department collects a range of SEND performance metrics from local authorities on an annual basis and these are publicly available. The department welcomes the publication of the Big Listen response. It will work with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children with SEND or in alternative provision are better reflected in both the education inspection and the Area SEND inspection framework going forwards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, if her Department will publish a list of local authorities that have breached obligations to fulfil statutory duties to children and young people with SEND.

A new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection framework was launched in January 2023. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection within five years, which will support local areas to achieve better outcomes and standards in line with our programme of reform. Ofsted publish final outcome reports on their website, and local areas are required to publish them on their organisation’s website.Where a council does not meet its duties, the department can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners.The department collects a range of SEND performance metrics from local authorities on an annual basis and these are publicly available. The department welcomes the publication of the Big Listen response. It will work with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children with SEND or in alternative provision are better reflected in both the education inspection and the Area SEND inspection framework going forwards.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, how her Department monitors whether the Safety Valve programme leads to improvements in SEND service.

Safety Valve agreements are established only when both the local authority and the department agree that the proposals will improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through a monitoring process that takes place three times a year. These reviews are not published, in order to secure free and frank discussion between the local authority and the department.Norfolk's agreement is currently subject to review, and the local authority is working with the department on a revised proposal within the programme's framework.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1512 on Special Educational Needs, when her Department last undertook a review of the Safety Valve agreement with Norfolk County Council; and if she will publish the conclusions of the most recent review.

Safety Valve agreements are established only when both the local authority and the department agree that the proposals will improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through a monitoring process that takes place three times a year. These reviews are not published, in order to secure free and frank discussion between the local authority and the department.Norfolk's agreement is currently subject to review, and the local authority is working with the department on a revised proposal within the programme's framework.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of levels of pay in further education institutions on recruitment and retention.

The government recognises how critical further education (FE) teachers are to unlocking opportunity, tackling disadvantage and equipping learners with the skills needed to secure high value work and boost employer productivity. While the government does not set or recommend pay in the FE sector, it is clear that remuneration is an important factor in teacher recruitment and retention. The government continues to invest in FE teachers, including through additional funding of around £600 million across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This includes extending retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers in key subject areas. This will support FE providers to recruit and retain high quality teachers in critical subject areas where vacancy rates are high.

What steps her Department is taking to increase SEND provision for pupils moving from private to state schools.

The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them and to provide appropriate support where pupils with special educational needs (SEN) require a place at a state-funded school.State-maintained schools are required to identify and address the needs of the pupils they support. Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need and are funded to do this through their formulaic funding allocations.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of Safety Valve agreements on the delivery of local authorities' statutory obligations to children and young people with SEND.

Local authorities high needs budgets are under significant pressure, and the department is considering what support and reforms are needed to secure better outcomes and experiences for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and to secure local authorities financial sustainability. The Safety Valve programme is intended to help local authorities provide an improved SEND service by maximising the impact of their high needs budget and promoting a more stable and effective system for children and young people with SEND. Safety Valve agreements have been established only where both the local authority and the department agreed that the proposals would improve services for children and young people with SEND. Safety Valve agreements are not intended to release local authorities from their obligations to fulfil their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND, and the department would not enter into an agreement with a local authority if it compromised their ability to meet these obligations. The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through its monitoring process and provides support and intervention if they go off track. The future use of Safety Valve agreements is also under review. The department does not hold any specific data on the potential impact of Norfolk’s Safety Valve agreement.