Written questions by Snowden.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, whether her Department has made an estimate of the real-terms change in per pupil funding in (a) Lancashire local authority and (b) the Fylde constituency between 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 2025-26 teachers’ pay award on school budget sustainability in Lancashire schools.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, how many schools are expected to experience a real-terms decrease in funding in 2025-26 after accounting for (a) inflation, (b) increased staffing costs and (c) energy bills in (i) Lancashire and (ii) Fylde.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, which is a 6% overall increase in cash terms. The data which the department holds on the real terms increase in schools funding is at a national level. The latest schools funding statistics release was published on 30 January 2025. It showed school funding for pupils aged 5 to 16 was projected to increase by 1.2% in real terms in the 2025/26 financial year at a national level.This analysis does not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of National Insurance contributions (NICs) increases in March 2025, nor the extra funding announced alongside the teacher pay award on 22 May. Schools will, on average, be expected to find approximately the first 1 percentage point of pay awards through improved productivity and smarter spending. The government will fund the pay award above this level through new and existing funding increases. The department will be further developing the current suite of initiatives to support schools with their workforce, commercial and asset management.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Lancashire local authority is attracting on average, £6,348 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year (excluding growth and falling rolls funding) when it attracted £5,863 per pupil. These figures do not include the additional funding provided to support schools with the cost of NICs and the Schools Budget Support Grant funding alongside the teacher pay award. The actual funding that individual schools in Lancashire receive is determined by the operation of Lancashire’s local formula.We cannot provide the equivalent figures for Fylde constituency as the DSG is allocated at local authority level.The figures above are provided on a cash basis. We also publish real-terms statistics on schools funding at the national level. We use the GDP deflator to calculate real-terms funding levels.

What steps she is taking to support supply teachers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers. There are various approaches to providing supply teachers.The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. More information about the deal can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54071 on Swimming: Training, what provision is available for secondary school pupils to learn to (a) swim and (b) be safe around water.

The programme of study for physical education (PE) makes specific reference to swimming and water safety, stating that “all schools must provide swimming instruction in either key stage 1 or 2” and that pupils should be taught to:Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.Use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke).Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.Secondary schools are free to shape their PE curriculum, in line with the national curriculum, to suit all their pupils, but there is no statutory requirement to provide swimming lessons. At secondary, pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, and become more competent, confident, and expert in their technique. Swimming and water safety lessons are one way of doing this.Schools can also use their personal, social, health and economic education programme to equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge necessary to make safe and informed decisions, which is a vital part of water safety.The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education curriculum, including looking at whether additional content on water safety should be added.The department works closely with sector organisations like Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, supporting schools to provide swimming and water safety lessons through teacher training and resources. This includes support for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, hosted on Swim England’s online Inclusion Hub.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June to Question 54071 on Swimming: Training, what standard of swimming ability the government expects young people to have achieved by the end of Primary School.

The programme of study for physical education (PE) makes specific reference to swimming and water safety, stating that “all schools must provide swimming instruction in either key stage 1 or 2” and that pupils should be taught to:Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.Use a range of strokes effectively (for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke).Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.Secondary schools are free to shape their PE curriculum, in line with the national curriculum, to suit all their pupils, but there is no statutory requirement to provide swimming lessons. At secondary, pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, and become more competent, confident, and expert in their technique. Swimming and water safety lessons are one way of doing this.Schools can also use their personal, social, health and economic education programme to equip pupils with a sound understanding of risk and with the knowledge necessary to make safe and informed decisions, which is a vital part of water safety.The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education curriculum, including looking at whether additional content on water safety should be added.The department works closely with sector organisations like Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK, supporting schools to provide swimming and water safety lessons through teacher training and resources. This includes support for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, hosted on Swim England’s online Inclusion Hub.

What support is available for kinship carers in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

We are committed to providing the necessary support for kinship carers in all areas of England, including Fylde and Lancashire.The government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. In October 2024, we published the new kinship care statutory guidance for local authorities, which sets out the support and services local authorities should provide to kinship families, including reaffirming the requirement to publish their local offer of support in a clear, accessible way.In October 2024 the government also announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance in some local authorities in England, to test whether paying an allowance to cover the additional costs of supporting the child can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends. Details of this announcement are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-protects-education-priorities-in-face-of-inherited-22-billion-blackhole.This is the single biggest investment made by the government in kinship care to date. We will share further details on the process for selecting local authorities in due course.In addition, the National Kinship Care Ambassador advocates for kinship children, their carers, and their families across government. They work alongside all local authorities to help them improve their kinship practice and local policies, and ensure they are following national guidance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 54081 on Schools: Fylde, how many schools participated in her Department's energy for schools offer in Fylde constituency; and what average savings are that these schools projected to achieve in 2025-26.

Currently, there are no schools in the Fylde constituency which have joined the department’s Energy for Schools offer. The offer is available to them as-and-when their current gas and electricity contracts come to an end.If trusts or schools are interested in joining the offer, they can get further information about how to access the service by completing a registration of interest form or joining the relevant webinar. The registration of interest form can be found here: https://submit.forms.service.gov.uk/form/7281/register-your-interest-in-energy-for-schools/27000.Further information on the department’s webinars can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/free-dfe-webinars-for-schools-summer-2025-4282533.

Whether any schools in Lancashire are (a) currently part of and (b) will be included in the next phase of the PINS programme.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

What steps she is taking to help support children with SEND following the application of VAT to private school fees in Fylde constituency.

The majority of children with special educational needs (SEN), including most with education, health and care (EHC) plans, are already educated in mainstream state-funded schools where their needs are met. The department works to support local authorities to ensure that every local area has sufficient places for children that need them, including pupils with SEN requiring places at state-funded schools.The government is providing an almost £1 billion uplift in high needs revenue funding for the 2025/26 financial year. The government has also announced £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, or who require alternative provision.Local authorities fund pupils’ places in private schools where their needs can only be met in a private school. Where this is the case, local authorities will be able to reclaim that VAT on the fees from HMRC.

What assessment he has made of the merits of the PINS programme from the 1,600 schools participating in that programme.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

What assessment she has made of the merits of making (a) PINS training materials and (b) modules available to schools currently not participating in the programme.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

How the £9.5 million in funding for the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme will be allocated across the additional 1,200 schools.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

How many schools will be affected by the expansion of the PINS programme in the Fylde constituency

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £9.5 million of investment in 2025/26. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).An equal budget has been allocated to each Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable them to deliver PINS to an additional 30 schools and provide ongoing support to the 40 schools supported in the first year of the programme. The specific amount available to each ICB is determined by the NHS fair share formula, which adjusts budgets to take account of local cost variations. Each ICB nationally will receive a minimum of £209,000.Across Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB footprint, 40 schools took part in PINS in 2024/25 and will continue to receive support to embed their learning over 2025/26. The ICB is in the process of recruiting an additional 30 new schools for 2025/26. The programme is being evaluated by a consortium led by CFE Research, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.

How many Young Futures Hubs will there be in (a) Lancashire and (b) Fylde constituency.

The government has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive.To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the department will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. These early adopter hubs and work in local areas will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located.The department will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in (a) construction and (b) social care sectors; and what steps she is taking to ensure that these will be targeted at disadvantaged communities.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. To support this, the department is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.From August 2025, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, gain high-quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.To improve access to apprenticeships, the department provides £1,000 to employers and training providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and up to age 24 for apprentices with an education, health and care plan. Apprentices under 25 who have been in local authority care are also eligible for a £3,000 bursary to help them transition into employment. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice they hire and retain, to support them to transition into employment.

What steps he is taking to encourage pupils to undertake courses in (a) construction and (b) social care skills.

High quality, careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) is key to helping young people make informed decisions about their future. The department funds person-centred and impartial careers information and advice across all employment sectors, including construction and social care.​Through the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), the department funds Careers Hubs which lead partnerships including secondary schools, colleges, employers and strategic and local authorities to help young people connect to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. ​CEC also works with sector bodies and employers to help them to engage effectively with schools and colleges.The National Careers Service, a free, government-funded CIAG service uses a range of labour market information to guide individuals. The Service website provides access to various digital tools and resources which cover over 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles including a range of construction and social care roles.The government has introduced measures to raise awareness, boost access, and improve the quality of training available in both the construction and healthcare sectors, including the ‘Next Generation’ campaign promoting technical education pathways inspiring pupils to pursue careers in sectors like construction and healthcare and a £625 million skills package for the construction sector.

What steps she is taking to support construction companies to take on apprenticeships.

To address skills shortages within the construction industry, this government will invest £600 million over this Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers.The department is introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people as part of our reformed growth and skills offer. Construction will be one of the key sectors to benefit from foundation apprenticeships, with the introduction of three new apprenticeship standards from August. This will provide employers with the opportunity to reach young people and support their transition into full-time employment within high-priority sectors, including construction, giving them the tools they need for a rewarding career. As part of the offer, employers will receive £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. This offer is backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26.To support employers within the construction industry to recruit and retain apprentices, an industry investment of £140 million will establish 32 pioneering new homebuilding hubs. The purpose-built hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. This will create up to 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28.

What steps he is taking to support schools to improve neurodiversity inclusion in areas not selected for the current expansion of the PINS programme.

The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. We are working at pace to develop plans for reform to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and will set these out in due course.In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations.The department also provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. It will also help them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.

What steps her Department is taking to support adults to expand their digital capability.

The Digital Essential Skills Entitlement, funded by the Adult Skills Fund, provides full funding for adults with low digital skills to undertake Essential Digital Skills Qualifications (EDSQs) and digital Functional Skills qualifications up to level 1.More flexible provision is available through Tailored Learning which offers bespoke courses in essential digital skills.The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults access to high value level 3 qualifications for free, to support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The offer currently includes 45 digital qualifications.The department provides a range of post 16 academic and technical digital qualifications. There are currently 34 occupational standards in digital occupations and we are set to introduce foundation apprenticeships for young people, the first wave of which includes two digital standards. There are 78 Higher Technical Qualifications in the digital sector. Skills Bootcamps enable adults to build sector-specific skills, and 61% of 2022/23 Skills Bootcamp starts were in digital.The Digital Inclusion Action Plan outlines steps toward delivering digital inclusion for everyone in the UK, including supporting local and community initiatives to increase digital participation and digital skills. The new Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors, including digital technologies.