Written questions by Vickers.

Whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on expanding post-16 provision in areas experiencing population growth.

The department knows that the 16 to 19 population has been increasing in some parts of England and that extra capacity has been needed in post-16 places in some areas.The post-16 Capacity Fund has already invested £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we will be investing a further £375 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to provide additional places.In due course, we will make announcements and provide further information about the delivery of the £375 million capital funding secured for the post-16 sector.For institutions with a significant growth in students, we recognise that there are additional costs and we provide in year 16 to 19 funding to help with these costs. The department announced its plans to support providers in offering places to young people across the country on 27 August 2025.In support of local authorities’ statutory duty to secure suitable provision in an area, we will consider their requests to fill a gap in provision. Information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-market-entry.

What progress her Department has made towards meeting teacher training targets in the 2024–25 academic year.

​​Performance against the postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment targets for the 2024/25 academic year is published in the ITT Census here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2024-25.​In 2024/25, 88% of the postgraduate ITT recruitment target was met for Primary ITT, and 62% for Secondary ITT. This was a significant increase in secondary, where just 48% of the target was met in 2023/24. For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Computing), there were positive improvements, with 61% of the postgraduate ITT target met, compared to 47% in 2023/24. We are working hard to build on these improvements, as the government reestablishes teaching as a respected, valued profession once again.

What proportion of pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans are educated in (a) specialist state schools, (b) ARP units within mainstream state schools (c) independent/third sector placements paid for by the state (d) further education colleges and (e) other settings in Stockton West constituency.

Information on education, health and care (EHC) plans maintained by local authorities and the settings attended is published as part of the statistical release ‘Education, health and care plans, Reporting year 2025’, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.Information on the educational settings attended by children and young people whose EHC plan is maintained by Stockton on Tees local authority is shown in the permanent data table ‘Number of education, health and care plans (EHC) plans as at January each year’, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/c1dfe3cb-28bd-44a1-f89d-08de0724494a.Information at constituency level is not available.

How many and what proportion of (a) secondary school and (b) further education college students have Education, Health and Care Plans in (i) Stockton West constituency and (ii) England.

Information on pupils in schools who have education, health and care (EHC) plans is published as part of the statistical release ‘Special educational needs in England’, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25.An extract showing the requested information for primary and secondary schools in England and Stockton West constituency is shown below: Number of pupils with an EHC planPercentage of pupils with an EHC planEngland State funded Primary schools157,7163.5%State funded secondary schools113,4523.1%Stockton West Constituency State funded Primary schools2442.7%State funded secondary schools3103.1%1. Source: School CensusInformation on the number of young people with an EHC plan who attend further education colleges within the Stockton West constituency, and for England, is not currently available.

How many and what proportion of primary school pupils have Education, Health and Care Plans in (a) Stockton West constituency and (b) England.

Information on pupils in schools who have education, health and care (EHC) plans is published as part of the statistical release ‘Special educational needs in England’, which can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25.An extract showing the requested information for primary and secondary schools in England and Stockton West constituency is shown below: Number of pupils with an EHC planPercentage of pupils with an EHC planEngland State funded Primary schools157,7163.5%State funded secondary schools113,4523.1%Stockton West Constituency State funded Primary schools2442.7%State funded secondary schools3103.1%1. Source: School CensusInformation on the number of young people with an EHC plan who attend further education colleges within the Stockton West constituency, and for England, is not currently available.

What steps she is taking to promote hospitality careers to young people through (a) schools and (b) colleges.

Our ambition is for everyone to have access to impartial careers information, advice and guidance throughout their lives, to break down barriers to opportunity and drive economic growth.We fund the Careers and Enterprise Company to support schools and colleges to deliver high quality careers programmes and increase young people’s exposure to different sectors, including hospitality.96% (4,942) of schools and colleges in England are part of our national network of careers hubs. These hubs connect educators to employers, local authorities and sector bodies, including the Food and Drink Consortium and UK Hospitality. They provide insight into roles and pathways into all sectors, resources developed by employers to support careers learning in education, help to identify work experience opportunities and tailor careers advice to local need.Our Skills for Careers website has a dedicated page for young people to explore careers across sectors, including hospitality, and can be accessed here: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/common/career-ideas.

What steps she is taking to support partnerships between further education providers and hospitality businesses.

It is for employers and further education providers to work together to ensure that provision meets learner, labour market and employer needs. The department welcomes and encourages such partnerships.Across all areas of England, Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) give businesses a direct route to work collaboratively with local providers and leaders to shape curricula and deliver skills provision. Over 25% of LSIPs identified Hospitality and Tourism as a priority sector with key skills needs. In these areas, key stakeholders are working in partnership to develop a skilled workforce that can support these areas' growth and sustainability.A new round of LSIP development started on 1 October 2025 and this is an opportunity for businesses to engage with their local Employer Representative Body to discuss their skills needs and set out the challenges specific to their local economies, including in the hospitality sector.

What discussions she has had with hospitality employers on shaping T-Level qualifications.

The department has engaged with employers throughout the development of T Levels. Employers from the hospitality sector were particularly involved in discussions with the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education around potentially developing T Levels in Catering and Hospitality, with a decision taken not to pursue this T Level announced in March 2025.Hospitality employers have been involved in other T Levels, including as members of the T Level panel developing and approving the Management and Administration T Level, and through providing industry placements to learners.

Whether her Department has a budget for retraining programmes for adult workers transitioning from oil and gas to renewable energy.

Green skills are essential to driving economic growth and achieving the UK’s net zero target by 2050. Clean energy and advanced manufacturing have been identified as priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy.To support this, the government will invest an additional £1.2 billion annually in skills by 2028/29, expanding opportunities across high-growth industries. As part of this, over £100 million will be directed toward engineering skills development through education, apprenticeships, and the establishment of Technical Excellence Colleges in key sectors like advanced manufacturing.The government will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund in the 2025/26 academic year. This includes funding the Free Courses for Jobs offer, which gives eligible adults the chance to access a high value level 3 qualification for free, helping support them to gain higher wages or a better job in key sectors, for example in heat pump installation.The government will also support adult learners through our technical education offer, including through a range of apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of teacher recruitment and retention incentives on teacher recruitment and retention in areas of high deprivation in the (a) North East and (b) England.

As part of our Plan for Change, the government is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and our colleges, over the course of this parliament.Delivery is already under way. We agreed a 5.5% pay award for 2024/25 and a 4% pay award for 2025/26, meaning teachers and leaders will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years. In 2024/25, we drove forward teacher recruitment and retention, backed by an investment of around £700 million across schools and further education, including targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 after tax to teachers teaching in the most disadvantaged schools.We are already seeing positive signs our investment is delivering. The workforce has grown by 82 full-time employed (FTE) in the North East and 2,346 in England between 2023/24 and 2024/25, in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most.

What steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people classed as NEET in Teesside.

​​I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69622.​

What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

The government is determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all our young people and transform their life chances. A key pillar of the government’s opportunity mission is to ensure there are clear pathways through further and higher education and into employment, including technical training.In the ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper, the government set out its commitment to establish a Youth Guarantee of support to access training, an apprenticeship, or to find work for all 18 to 21 year-olds. £45 million has been allocated to Youth Guarantee trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are working at pace with strategic authorities in initially eight areas, including in the hon. Member for Stockton West’s constituency in the Tees Valley.The Youth Guarantee builds on entitlements that young people have to participate in education and training up to age 18. Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently not in education, employment or training.

What steps she is taking to ensure consistent access to mental health support in secondary schools in the North East.

The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). 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% at the end of March 2025. In the Northeast, 57% of pupils in schools and learners in further education were covered by an MHST in March 2025.Expansion to all schools and colleges by 2029/30 will prioritise rollout based on local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first. The operating principles and core functions of MHSTs ensure consistency in their support offer, whilst also allowing for flexibility in the model to best meet local needs.To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and quality assured resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

How much her Department has spent on pupil premium allocations in (a) Stockton West and (b) Stockton North constituency since 2020.

Pupil premium allocations at constituency level by year since 2020/21 can be accessed using the links below:2020/21: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2020-to-2021.2021/22: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2021-to-2022.2022/23: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2022-to-2023.2023/24: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2023-to-2024.2024/25: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2024-to-2025.2025/26: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026.

What support her Department is providing to schools impacted by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the North East.

All schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have suitable mitigations in place.The department has supported schools and college to put in place mitigations.The government has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Opportunity North East funding.

The funding for Opportunity North East (ONE) ended in 2022. The programme aimed to improve 28 secondary schools in the region through the ONE Vision school improvement programme. ONE also delivered projects that aimed to improve transition from primary to secondary, teacher recruitment, and post-16 outcomes.18 of the 28 schools that were in the ONE Vision programme now have Ofsted judgements with single headline grades of good or better or, where schools have been inspected since September 2024, sub-judgements that are all good or better. However, it is hard to establish the cause and effect of this programme in isolation from other changes and government interventions that have happened over time. Of the remaining ten ONE Vision schools, four schools have not been inspected in their current structure, and six schools that have not yet improved their Ofsted performance are all part of the targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme.

How many new SEND places have been created in (a) Stockton-on-Tees and (b) the North East since 2019.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Stockton-on-Tees has received £2.2 million for 2025/26.As of 1 May 2024, Stockton-on-Tees had 667 specialist places and the North East had 9,873.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure school buildings in the North East are resilient to extreme weather.

I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 12 August 2025 to Question 68739.

What plans her Department has to support apprenticeships in green industries in the Tees Valley.

Upskilling the country’s workforce is vital to meet the government’s clean energy by 2030 mission, with apprenticeships playing a key role in supporting employers to develop the skills they need.Employers across England, including Tees Valley, can benefit from over 40 apprenticeships that directly relate to delivering the government’s clean energy mission. This includes the level 3 low carbon heating technician and the level 4 corporate responsibilities and sustainability practitioner apprenticeships. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August 2025. This includes the level 2 dual fuel smart meter installers apprenticeship, which can be completed in eight months, enabling learners to achieve occupational competence more quickly.In addition, Skills England continues to work with employers to ensure that new and existing apprenticeships reflect green skills.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy rates among pupils in the North East of England.

The most recent data shows that in the 2023/24 academic year, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading at key stage 2 in the North East. This matches the national average in 2023/24.In the 2023/24 academic year, 73% of pupils met the expected standard in mathematics at key stage 2 in the North East. This compares to the national average of 74% in 2023/24.In the 2023/24 academic year, 62.3% of pupils achieved grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs in the North East. This compares to 65.4% of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs in England.