Written questions by Wrigley.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of private agency profit margins in the supply teacher market on (a) schools and (b) supply teachers.

Research conducted by the department in 2023 included findings on the estimated average daily cost of a supply teacher to a school and estimated average daily take-home pay of supply teachers, by phase. The leader survey and supply teacher survey found that the reported average daily cost to the school of a supply teacher was £218 in primary, £291 in secondary and £270 in special schools. The survey also found that the reported average daily take-home salary for supply teachers surveyed was £136 in primary, £150 in secondary and £144 in special schools.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 can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge. The suppliers will also agree to not charge finder’s fees for workers who have been in post for 12 weeks, when four weeks’ notice is given, which makes it easier and more cost effective for schools to retain supply teachers and employ them on a permanent basis.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, and a supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.

What data her Department holds on the proportion of supply teachers employed through private agencies in (a) England and (b) the devolved Administrations.

The school workforce census does not identify supply teachers in England. However, teachers who are not directly employed by the school or local authority and who are in school on census day (early November each year) with a contract or service agreement lasting fewer than 28 days are recorded as ‘occasional’ teachers. In November 2024, schools reported 17,600 occasional teachers (headcount) on census day. This is up from the previous year when 15,800 were reported. The department only collects this information from state-schools in England. Education in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish Governments.A survey conducted by the department in 2023 (“Use of supply teachers in schools”) found that 85% of supply teachers surveyed said they had obtained work through supply teacher agencies.Just under half of all supply teachers surveyed (47%) wanted to stop working as a supply teacher within 12 months. 47% of those who wanted to stop working as a supply teacher wanted to leave in order to take up a permanent teaching position.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the (a) employment conditions and (b) average pay of supply teachers.

Research conducted by the department in 2023 included findings on the estimated average daily cost of a supply teacher to a school and estimated average daily take-home pay of supply teachers, by phase. The leader survey and supply teacher survey found that the reported average daily cost to the school of a supply teacher was £218 in primary, £291 in secondary and £270 in special schools. The survey also found that the reported average daily take-home salary for supply teachers surveyed was £136 in primary, £150 in secondary and £144 in special schools.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 can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge. The suppliers will also agree to not charge finder’s fees for workers who have been in post for 12 weeks, when four weeks’ notice is given, which makes it easier and more cost effective for schools to retain supply teachers and employ them on a permanent basis.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, and a supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.

Whether she plans to take steps to (a) help reduce the pay-gap for supply teachers in comparison to full-time teachers and (b) create a pathway for supply teachers to access the Teachers' pension scheme.

Supply teachers make a valuable contribution to our schools.A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) Regulations 2014, which set out the rules for the TPS, determine that for teachers to be eligible, their employment must be with an accepted employer, usually a school.Where a supply teacher is employed directly by an accepted school, they will have the same participation rights as a permanent teacher and are eligible to participate in the scheme. Where supply teachers are self-employed, or employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a contract for services, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS. This is because there is no organisation to pay both member and employer contributions to the scheme in these circumstances.The department does not have plans currently to revisit these positions.

What steps she is taking to increase the levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention within the teaching profession.

High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new teachers across secondary and special schools and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.Over 2,000 more people are training to become secondary school teachers this year. Recruitment is on track to improve even further for the cohort set to start training in 2025/26, with 1,070 more acceptances to postgraduate and teacher degree apprenticeship initial teacher training courses in secondary subjects by the end of April 2025, compared to the same time last year. Additionally, over 2,500 more teachers are expected to stay in the profession over the next three years.This government has already accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools and ensured that this is fully funded. We are also incentivising recruitment with an increased £233 million investment in training bursaries, worth £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free, for trainees in key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computingThe department is boosting opportunities to train to teach by streamlining postgraduate teaching apprenticeship courses from twelve months to nine, starting from August this year, to help get newly trained teachers into classrooms sooner.A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and we can only do this by ensuring teaching is an attractive profession for all. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools.Alongside the resources we have made available to teachers to support their wellbeing, we are also promoting flexible working policies including allowing teachers to undertake planning, preparation and assessment from home. We are working closely with the sector, as part of Improving Education Together, to identify further key actions to improve teacher workload and wellbeing and ensure those joining the profession can stay and thrive.

How many and what proportion of areas with an identified need for 0-4 year old child care do not have spare classrooms at schools.

The department is creating 6,000 new nursery places in schools across the country in the first wave of 300 school-based nurseries, backed by £37 million of funding. Up to 4,000 places will be available from this September, helping to grow our vibrant childcare market which gives parents access to provision where they need it, including through school and private, voluntary and independent partnerships. Overall, 641 schools applied for this first phase of funding and a further 592 registered their interest in future phases.In order to ensure local alignment between need for childcare and school spaces, each school involved outlined how their proposals addressed local demand and secured local authority approval to use surplus space for nursery expansion. This comes alongside the department’s regular consideration of published data such as Childcare Sufficiency Assessments and school capacity.The department will continue working closely with the early years sector to scale the programme effectively, subject to the spending review, ensuring new provision meets the needs of children, parents and schools, and works within the local market.

What discussions she has had with (a) school support workers and (b) other relevant stakeholders in the drafting of the Employment Rights Bill.

Clauses to establish the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) were introduced in Parliament as part of the Employment Rights Bill on 10 October 2024.The department has policy responsibility for school support staff and the SSSNB. The department worked closely with stakeholders on the drafting of SSSNB clauses prior to introduction, including the recognised trade unions representing school support staff and employer representative organisations.Departmental officials have established a regular working group with these organisations to provide a forum for stakeholders to give views on the design of the body.We also engage with wider stakeholders who can share knowledge and expertise on the school support staff sector.

What recent estimate she has made of additional funding required for SEND support in schools in Devon.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Within that total there is an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Devon County Council is being allocated over £125 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £8.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.Mainstream schools are expected to contribute from their budgets to the cost of supporting their pupils with SEND up to a cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that threshold, using funds from their high needs budgets. Nevertheless, the government recognises that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting a strain on local government and school finances. The government is considering, as part of the current spending review due to conclude in June, the funding and changes required in future years, to ensure that high-quality services for children and young people with SEND can be delivered in a financially sustainable way.

What steps she will take to ensure that the proposed pay award for teachers does not adversely impact (a) staffing levels and (b) educational provision.

The overall core schools budget (CSB) is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning the CSB will total over £64.8 billion.Final decisions on the teachers’ pay award for 2025 will be made following recommendations from the independent School Teacher Review Body (STRB). We have received the STRB’s report and will respond in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to increase SEND funding in Devon.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Within that total there is an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Devon County Council is being allocated over £125 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £8.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.Mainstream schools are expected to contribute from their budgets to the cost of supporting their pupils with SEND up to a cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that threshold, using funds from their high needs budgets. Nevertheless, the government recognises that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting a strain on local government and school finances. The government is considering, as part of the current spending review due to conclude in June, the funding and changes required in future years, to ensure that high-quality services for children and young people with SEND can be delivered in a financially sustainable way.

What discussions she has had with local authorities in (a) rural areas and (b) Devon on (i) reducing the time taken for patients to be seen by and (ii) expanding SEND hubs.

The department has worked closely with statutory partners in Devon since the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in May 2022, which found insufficient progress on four significant weaknesses identified in the previous inspection in 2018, including the timeliness and quality of education, health and care (EHC) plans. In response, an improvement notice was issued in September 2022, and an Accelerated Progress Plan was developed with Devon County Council and the integrated care board. The department and NHS England have deployed SEND advisers to support the local area.Formal monitoring meetings are held with Devon County Council and partners, including on EHC plans and assessment timeliness. While recent monitoring meetings have shown some improvements, substantial progress is still needed to ensure all children and families receive the support they need and deserve.Many children and young people with SEND continue to face challenges in accessing suitable school placements close to home.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital in the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, with over £11 million high needs capital funding allocated to Devon County Council. This can be used to make classrooms more accessible and create specialist facilities in mainstream schools for intensive support, alongside continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs.The department is working closely with Devon County Council to consider proposals for an increase resourced provision in Devon as part of the local authority’s approach to SEND sufficiency.

Whether she plans to increase per-pupil funding in Devon to the national average.

The purpose of the national funding formula (NFF) is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Devon local authority is receiving over £560.1 million for mainstream schools in financial year 2025/26, or £6,195 per pupil on average (excluding growth and falling rolls funding). This represents a 2.4% increase in per pupil funding compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding.The NFF accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. All schools attract a lump sum of £145,100 which provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. Additionally, eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in financial year 2025/26. Through the 2025/26 NFF, 148 schools in Devon attract sparsity funding.We will review the schools NFF for 2026/27 and beyond to ensure that we get any changes right, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the National Funding Formula on (a) rural areas and (b) Devon.

The purpose of the national funding formula (NFF) is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Devon local authority is receiving over £560.1 million for mainstream schools in financial year 2025/26, or £6,195 per pupil on average (excluding growth and falling rolls funding). This represents a 2.4% increase in per pupil funding compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding.The NFF accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. All schools attract a lump sum of £145,100 which provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. Additionally, eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in financial year 2025/26. Through the 2025/26 NFF, 148 schools in Devon attract sparsity funding.We will review the schools NFF for 2026/27 and beyond to ensure that we get any changes right, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.

How much capital funding she plans to make available for schools in Devon in the 2026-27 financial year.

Ensuring schools have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.Capital funding for the 2026/27 financial year to improve the condition of the estate will be set out following the next multi-year phase of the spending review.In the 2025/26 budget, we increased capital funding to £2.1 billion to improve the condition of school buildings, up from £1.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The majority of this funding is allocated to large responsible bodies such as local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary-aided school bodies, who decide locally how to invest in their schools. Allocations and the methodology for the 2025/26 financial year are published in the ‘School capital funding’ guidance which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.This is on top of the continuing School Rebuilding Programme, which includes nine schools in Devon.In March 2025, the department announced that Devon County Council has also been allocated just over £15.7 million in capital funding to support it to create the mainstream school places needed by September 2028. £9.6 million of this will be paid in the 2026/27 financial year, with a further £6.1 million paid in 2027/28.

What support is available to schools in Devon with class sizes over 35 pupils.

In Devon, the average infant class size is 24.9 pupils and the average primary class size is 25.5 pupils. These are both less than the national average of 26.6. The average secondary class size is 22.6 pupils, which is similar to the national average of 22.4.Legislation limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per schoolteacher, with limited prescribed exceptions, including for looked after children and those from multiple births. In Devon, the average infant class size is well within the statutory limit and below the national average.There is no statutory limit on the size of classes for older children (pupils aged 8 and over), and it is up to schools to decide how to organise classes based on local needs and circumstances, ensuring they are consistent with raising attainment and helping pupils to achieve and thrive.Local authorities have responsibility to ensure there are sufficient school places in their area. The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide additional school places where they are needed.

What steps she is taking to ensure that safeguarding teams in schools follow up with young people who have self-harmed.

The Department for Health and Social Care is primarily responsible for child mental health, including self-harm. Schools and colleges also have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the department’s statutory guidance for schools and colleges, makes clear that schools should ensure they have clear systems and processes in place for identifying possible mental health problems, including routes to escalate concerns and clear referral and accountability systems.The department supports mental health leads in schools to embed effective approaches that help to identify issues such as self-harm and provides appropriate support along with a range of guidance and practical resources.If staff have a mental health concern about a child which is also considered to be a safeguarding concern, they should follow their child protection policy and speak to their Designated Safeguarding Lead or a deputy immediately.Designated Safeguarding Leads act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff and are the point of contact with local safeguarding partners. They liaise with school mental health leads and, where available, with mental health support teams where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health issues. They also work with parents and carers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children to ensure support is in place at every stage.The government will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46274 on Schools: Uniforms, if she will take steps to provide further support for low income households to assist in the purchase of school uniforms.

This government recognises that parents are struggling with the cost of uniform and that in England some local authorities provide discretionary grants to help with buying school uniforms in cases of financial hardship.Rather than subsidising expensive uniforms through providing additional financial support, this government has chosen to reduce the cost of uniforms for all parents by legislating to limit the number of expensive branded items schools can require.Departmental research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents are allowed to buy items from a range of outlets. Based on previous department surveys of parents, we estimate that the aggregate savings of the new limit on compulsory branded items to parents with children in primary school is around £21 million per year, and for those with children in secondary school is around £52 million per year. We estimate that some families will save over £50 on the back-to-school shop.Therefore, a legislative limit is the most effective way to make schools remove unnecessary and expensive branded items and bring down costs for parents.

How many new school based nurseries will be located in the (a) Plymouth Unitary Authority, (b) Torbay Unitary Authority and (c) Devon County Council area.

Under the School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant 2024 to 2025 schools could apply to create or expand school-based nursery provision. Three schools received funding in Plymouth Unitary Authority, two in Torbay Unitary Authority and five in Devon County Council.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28734 on Prisoners: Parents, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of having a parent in prison on SAT performances; and whether she plans to adopt moderated teacher assessments.

The department does not hold information on the impact of having a parent in prison on end of key stage 2 attainment nor does it carry out such analysis.The purpose of the end of key stage 2 assessments is to understand pupils' attainment, including areas where they may need more support in order to support their transition into secondary school. Schools can use the assessment in this way to support pupils who may be experiencing an impact in attainment due to having a parent or primary carer in prison.Statutory teacher assessment judgments take place at the end of key stage 2 for writing and science. Local authorities are required to externally moderate the teacher assessment of writing within at least 25% of maintained schools and 25% of academies and participating independent schools that opt into local authorities’ external moderation provisions. External moderation aims to give confidence that schools’ judgements are accurate and consistent with national standards.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review panel have been clear that SATs are an important part of assessing children’s progress throughout primary school, and that the system of primary assessment is currently working well. As the Review continues its second phase, it will consider how to build on effective systems to support the attainment of all children.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that media literacy is included in the Curriculum and Assessment Review.

I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47184.