Written questions by Hinds.

What assessment has she made of the potential merits of writing by hand in learning to write lessons.

The department supports the development of strong writing skills at each stage of children’s education and development.In the early years foundation stage (EYFS), it is important for children to develop their fine motor skills in order to write and allow children to communicate effectively. The level of development children should be expected to have reached by the end of the EYFS is defined by the early learning goals (ELGs). As per the ‘fine motor skills’ ELG , for a child to reach the expected level of development at the end of the EYFS, they must be able to ‘hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing - using the tripod grip in almost all cases‘. The writing ELG states that children at the expected level of development will ‘write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed’ and ‘write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others’.As part of the current national curriculum, pupils must learn how to form letters correctly and confidently, choose the writing implement that is best suited for a task and receive frequent, discrete and direct teaching. No one particular handwriting style is recommended and schools are free to decide themselves how they teach handwriting. Eventually, pupils are expected to write fluently, legibly and quickly. During key stage 2, joined handwriting should be the norm, with pupils using the diagonal and horizontal strokes that are needed to join letters and understanding which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left not joined.High and rising school standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best life chances. The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review which will seek to deliver, amongst other things, an excellent foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final review with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025. In the meantime, the department is continuing to consider any further steps that should be taken to best support the teaching of writing in schools.

When she expects teaching of GCSE Natural History to begin.

All young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum with a range of qualification routes and choices. The government is considering the next steps for a natural history GCSE.The government has also established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy. The review, which covers ages 5 to 18, will ensure that the curriculum appropriately balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility and inclusivity for all children and young people. The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out their initial findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final report with recommendations will be published in autumn 2025.

What estimate she has made of the increase in school funding in the 2025-26 academic year (a) per pupil, (b) in real terms per pupil based on the GDP deflator and (c) in real terms per pupil based on Retail Price Index inflation, excluding the existing teacher pay award.

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 the 2024/25 financial year. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion in the 2025/26 financial year.This provides a cash increase per pupil of 3.9% and an increase in real terms per pupil of 1.5%, as measured by the GDP deflator. The GDP deflator is the standard measure of inflation for public spending and is appropriate for considering school costs. The department does not produce estimates using the Retail Prices Index.

If she will adjust the funding formula for early years education to allow for the increase in employer National Insurance contributions.

I refer the right hon. Member for East Hampshire to the answer of 8 November 2024 to question 12070.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2024 to Question 5982 on Breakfast Clubs: Disadvantaged, whether this data was used to assess eligibility for the national schools breakfast programme in the 2024-25 academic year.

School-level data on the proportion of pupils living in bands A-F on the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index was used to assess the eligibility for new schools joining the National Schools Breakfast Programme in the 2024/25 academic year.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of making all children from families that receive Universal Credit eligible for free school meals.

The new government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.The government has inherited a trend of rising child poverty and widening attainment gaps for children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers. Child poverty has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. The government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, by tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. To support this, a new Ministerial taskforce has been set up to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025. The taskforce will consider a range of policies in assessing what will have the greatest impact in driving down rates of child poverty. As with all policies, the government keeps the approach to FSM under review.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of adjusting the eligibility criteria for free school meals so as to maintain the proportion of children who are eligible at the same level as in academic year 2023-24.

The new government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.The government has inherited a trend of rising child poverty and widening attainment gaps for children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers. Child poverty has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. The government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, by tackling the root causes and giving every child the best start at life. To support this, a new Ministerial taskforce has been set up to develop a Child Poverty Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025. The taskforce will consider a range of policies in assessing what will have the greatest impact in driving down rates of child poverty. As with all policies, the government keeps the approach to FSM under review.

What representations she has received on the potential merits of having employers set standards for (a) apprenticeships and (b) T Levels through (i) Trailblazers and (ii) T Level Panels.

Employers are well placed to specify what knowledge, skills and behaviours lead to competence in an occupation, yet they tell the department that the current processes for preparing occupational standards can feel slow, bureaucratic, and time-consuming. This is a barrier to their engagement. We want to focus their input where it has most impact, including through Education Trailblazer Groups and T Level Panels.

What representations she has received on the potential merits of transferring standards approval powers for technical and vocational qualifications from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to herself.

A consistent theme of the feedback the department receives from employers is the need for a system for developing training to become more responsive to their current and future skills needs. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc.) Bill will help enable the government to deliver a more responsive skills system which is better able to quickly and efficiently meet businesses’ skills needs.

What information her Department holds on the level of (a) demand and (b) supply for Year 7 places in the (i) Salford - South, (ii) Trafford - Sale, (iii) Manchester - South and (iv) Stockport - East & South Planning Areas in September 2025.

Information on the latest school place planning estimates are published at year group and planning area level in the annual School Capacity statistics publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. The information requested can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b12c3f30-c22c-4b88-b5b2-2c1848981b4e. The data includes local authority pupil forecasts (demand), estimated future capacity (supply), and an estimated number of additional places needed or surplus places. These estimates reflect the position reported by local authorities as at May 2023 through the School Capacity survey, supplemented with the department’s internal data on central programmes which will add or remove school places.

What information her Department holds on the level of (a) demand and (b) supply for Year 7 places in each Planning Area in Coventry in September 2025.

Information on the latest school place planning estimates are published at year group and planning area level in the annual School Capacity statistics publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. The information requested can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalogue/data-set/b12c3f30-c22c-4b88-b5b2-2c1848981b4e. The data includes local authority pupil forecasts (demand), estimated future capacity (supply), and an estimated number of additional places needed or surplus places. These estimates reflect the position reported by local authorities as at May 2023 through the School Capacity survey, supplemented with the department’s internal data on central programmes, which will add or remove school places.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of levels of demand in schools for free school meals.

Under existing programmes, the department provides free school meals (FSM) to around 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils in schools, just under 1.3 million infants through Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM), and over 90,000 low-income students in further education (FE). More than £1.5 billion is allocated in support of these programmes.Schools are funded for benefits-related FSM at £490 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. Total funding driven by the FSM factor in 2024/25 is £917 million.UIFSM and FE free meals are funded through a direct grant to schools and colleges. The current per meal rate is £2.53 in the 2024/25 academic year. Final funding rates for UIFSM in 2024/25 will be confirmed in due course.As with all government programmes the department will keep its approach to FSM, including levels of demand and funding to deliver this, under continued review.

What plans she has for the funding rates for free school meals.

Under existing programmes, the department provides free school meals (FSM) to around 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils in schools, just under 1.3 million infants through Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM), and over 90,000 low-income students in further education (FE). More than £1.5 billion is allocated in support of these programmes.Schools are funded for benefits-related FSM at £490 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. Total funding driven by the FSM factor in 2024/25 is £917 million.UIFSM and FE free meals are funded through a direct grant to schools and colleges. The current per meal rate is £2.53 in the 2024/25 academic year. Final funding rates for UIFSM in 2024/25 will be confirmed in due course.As with all government programmes the department will keep its approach to FSM, including levels of demand and funding to deliver this, under continued review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact on recruitment and retention of excluding teaching staff at non-academised sixth-form colleges from the recent pay award in financial year 2024-25.

The recent pay award for the 2024/25 financial year was for school teachers only. The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE).This government recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills that they need to succeed in their education and will consider workforce sufficiency and what this might mean for FE funding in future years.The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.

With reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, HC 295, in which key sectors there will be new foundation and shorter apprenticeships.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity and to grow the economy. Too many young people are struggling to access high quality opportunities after leaving school and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.The department is beginning work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, which will provide high quality entry pathways for young people.Apprentices are employed, and so as jobs with training, the department’s new foundation apprenticeship offer will start with the needs of employers as well as young people. Foundation apprenticeships will focus on ensuring that training is directed towards skills and staff shortage areas and offer young people a broad training offer with clear, seamless, progression into other apprenticeships.The department will set out more detail on foundation apprenticeships, including the sectors they will be available in, in due course.

With reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, for what reason the launch date of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement has been revised.

The government is committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), expanding access to high quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives, helping businesses to fill skills gaps and kickstart economic growth.The LLE will now launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, including full courses, modules and Higher Technical Qualifications.This is in order to:Improve the impact and effectiveness of the LLE by ensuring that policy and design fully align with this government’s ambitious vision for the future of our skills landscape.Refine the department’s delivery and implementation plans through collaboration with Skills England to help support this government’s industrial strategy.Give education providers the necessary time to prepare for the launch of this new and transformational student-finance system.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on each sector for which her Department has responsibility.

My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made an announcement at Budget on 30 October 2024 setting out changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions policy. Alongside this, she has decided to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional associated cost. Given the impacts of this policy change will need to be worked through in further detail, this additional support is not reflected in departmental spending review settlements immediately. HM Treasury will confirm funding allocations by department as part of setting baselines and planning assumptions for phase 2 of the spending review.

If she will adjust childcare hourly funding rates to reflect changes to employer NICs.

As announced at Budget, the department expects to provide £8.1 billion for early years entitlements in 2025/26, which is around a 30% increase compared to 2024/25, as we continue to rollout the expansion of the entitlements to eligible working parents of children aged from nine months. The department is looking at what changes announced in the Budget will mean for the early years sector and will announce more details as soon as possible. The Employment Allowance will be worth up to £10,500 for eligible providers, meaning smaller providers may pay no National Insurance at all in 2025/26. We are working at pace to publish funding rates for 2025/26, as we know how important this is for local authorities and providers.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on SEND cost pressures.

At Budget, HM Treasury confirmed that all public sector organisations will be funded for the increase in employer contributions to national insurance in 2025/26. This will include funding for schools. The department anticipates providing this funding to schools, including with regard to special educational needs and disabilities, funding for special schools, and alternative provision. This will be through an additional grant in 2025/26. The department will provide more information on this, including funding rates and allocations, as soon as practicable.

What the change in the core schools budget will be for (a) 2025-6, (b) 2026-7 and (c) 2027-8 (i) in total and (ii) per pupil.

Funding for schools and young people with high needs is set to increase by £2.3 billion in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26. The department will confirm per pupil increases for schools and high needs once the national funding formulae for 2025/26 have been calculated. The Budget on 30 October sets out the government’s plans for the upcoming 2025/26 financial year. Core schools budgets beyond 2025/26 have not been set.