Every parliamentary written question tabled by Matt Vickers this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–52 of 52 · Department for Education
What estimate she has made of school attendance levels by region.
The department publishes figures on pupil attendance using daily data submitted by state-funded schools. The latest data for the 2024/25 academic year to date, including regional breakdowns, is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools/2025-week-29.
What steps her Department is taking to support skills development aligned with advanced manufacturing industries in Teesside.
The government is evolving apprenticeships into a new growth and skills offer to provide greater flexibility for employers and learners, aligned with the Industrial Strategy. In response to business needs, the offer will boost skills in the manufacturing sector through key initiatives such as:The engineering skills package: Over £100 million will be invested to grow skills through further and higher education, apprenticeships and the launch of technical excellence colleges focused on critical sectors such as advanced manufacturing.Foundation apprenticeships: Launching August 2025, employment-based programmes will help young people gain vital skills and paid experience in key sectors like engineering.Shorter apprenticeships: Launching August 2025, early adopters will include green energy.Short Courses: Starting April 2026, new digital, artificial intelligence, and engineering courses funded via the growth and skills levy will support priority sectors like advanced manufacturing.The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, published in June, is addressing skills gaps through a range of targeted programmes, such as the Upskilling and Reskilling Programme, which is being co-developed with industry to ensure training provision aligns with sector needs. The Department of Business and Trade is working closely with Skills England on the development of these programmes to ensure alignment with national skills priorities.
What steps she is taking to improve post-16 education pathways for students not choosing higher education.
As announced in the spending review, the department is making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/29. This will support and grow the wide range of technical routes and work-based training available for people of all ages across the country. This includes:Widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, which will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.T levels, which are a high quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work.Higher Technical Qualifications, which are occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.Skills Bootcamps, giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion and free courses for jobs, giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications.The department has also strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have multiple opportunities for meaningful encounters with providers of technical education and apprenticeships.
What progress she has made on expanding T-level course availability in colleges in the Tees Valley.
The department is investing in the future of T Levels, boosting their expansion through £28 million of capital funding in 2025 so that students have access to industry-standard equipment. We are increasing industry placement provision with a targeted Employer Support Fund and changes to delivery approaches to unlock opportunities for students and employers.Nationally over 25,500 students started a T Level in the 2024/25 academic year, a significant increase of nearly 60% from the previous year, and 21 T Levels are now available. A new T Level in marketing launches this September.Further education colleges across Tees Valley, including those in Middlesbrough, Darlington and Hartlepool, are now delivering T Levels in a range of subjects, from construction to health and engineering and manufacturing to accounting.
What recent estimate she has made of the number of unqualified teachers working in maintained schools.
Information on the school workforce in England, including numbers of teachers with and without qualified teacher status (QTS) by school type, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
When she plans to send the allocation towards the operation of free breakfast clubs to primary schools.
The government is committed to offering a free and universal breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Breakfast clubs support children’s attendance and attainment, enabling them to thrive academically and socially, and supporting working families.From this summer term, we are funding 750 early adopter schools to test and learn our new free breakfast clubs, ahead of national rollout. Early adopter schools have already received their first payments and will continue to receive termly fixed payments, plus attendance-based payments based on the number of children who attend, over the course of the scheme.Funding for breakfast clubs beyond the current financial year will be confirmed through the next phase of the spending review. Payment schedules and allocations for the next academic year will be confirmed in due course.
If she will protect apprenticeship funding for (a) SMEs and (b) young people when the Growth and Skills Levy is introduced.
I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49739.
Whether she has made an assessment of the causes of the recent improvement in the apprenticeship achievement rate.
The apprenticeship achievement rate for apprenticeship standards increased by 6 percentage points to 60.5% for the 2023/24 academic year.There are a range of drivers of non-achievement, and the department worked in partnership with providers, employers and apprentices to understand and directly address these.The Apprenticeship Accountability Framework has supported and challenged providers to take proactive steps to improve the quality of their provision. Where performance falls short, the framework enables targeted challenge and intervention. As a result, most providers with an Accountability Framework Improvement Plan significantly improved their achievement rates between 2021/22 and 2023/24.In addition, the support and guidance available to employers and apprentices has been enhanced and the department has worked with the Learning and Work Institute to produce a number of guides to support apprentices’ on-programme experience, including a line manger guide to apprenticeships.The department has also introduced tools to provide timely feedback on quality and reasons for withdrawal so that we can continue to drive forward progress in the coming years, in partnership with the sector.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of fully funding apprenticeships for under-22s in SMEs on apprenticeship starts.
I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 42594.
What discussions she has had with small businesses on their needs from the apprenticeship system.
Small businesses are a vital part of our economy and apprenticeship system. They provide valuable opportunities in priority sectors for young people and apprentices from disadvantaged areas.This is why the department will continue to provide an effective levy-funded training offer for learners and employers. Our new growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, represents a positive step towards better meeting the skills needs of employers, delivering greater flexibility for learners and employers in England.The department engages with small employers regularly to promote apprenticeships. During National Apprenticeship Week 2025, we held a round table with small and medium employers and other key partners to better understand the challenges they are facing in recruiting apprentices. This insight allows us to better target engagement activities with small businesses.Moreover, Skills England will play a key role in engagement with businesses and will be establishing effective forums for collaboration, ensuring that employer voices shape the skills agenda and drive meaningful outcomes. It will work with large and small businesses in the delivery of its functions to identify and tackle skills needs.
What steps she plans to take to encourage a greater emphasis on developing skills for work in (a) schools and (b) colleges.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work.The Review is being undertaken in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, and other stakeholders such as employers, universities and trade unions. The Review has consulted employers and further education (FE) providers through events and meetings and has received call for evidence submissions from a variety of employers, colleges and representatives.FE colleges already prepare people of all ages for the skills they need for work, delivering on wide range of technical education and training. This includes the following:T Levels which also include an industry placement to prepare young people for work.Apprenticeship training linked to an actual job.Skills Bootcamps giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion.Free Courses for Jobs giving eligible learners the chance to access high value Level 3 qualifications for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.A wide range of FE provision and qualifications to prepare learners for their chosen career.
What support her Department is providing to (a) Egglescliffe School and (b) all schools damaged by Storm Éowyn.
Egglescliffe school is a member of the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) and as a result of significant damage to the school roof during storm Éowyn the RPA team are working closely with the school to reinstate the damaged areas. Initial works to waterproof the affected buildings are underway and the permanent reinstatement plan is being developed.Any RPA members impacted by storm Éowyn who have made claims within the rules of the scheme will be similarly supported in the restoration of the affected part of the estate.Responsibility for ensuring the safety and condition of school buildings lies with the responsible bodies, such as local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided bodies.Where the department is alerted to significant safety issues with a building that cannot be managed with local resources, it will provide additional support on a case-by-case basis. The department will provide support and advice to responsible bodies to minimise impact on pupils and prioritise the continuity of face-to-face education.All other schools that notified us of building related incidents due to Storm Éowyn have received advisory support and all pupils have returned to face-to-face education.