Monday Volume 618 19 December 2016 No. 84 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 19 December 2016 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2016 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1155 19 DECEMBER 2016 1156 Caroline Dinenage: That is a rather churlish comment, House of Commons if you do not mind my saying so, Mr Speaker. We are investing more money in this policy than any Government have ever spent on it before, some £6 billion. The hon. Monday 19 December 2016 Gentleman needs to be a little more appreciative. Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): I assure the The House met at half-past Two o’clock Minister that working parents in my constituency very much welcome 30 hours of free childcare for their PRAYERS children. Will she set out for them, and in particular for those with disabled children, how she will make sure there will be sufficient funding to give disabled children [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] the best start in life through that 30 hours scheme? Caroline Dinenage: My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. I was at Sheringham Nursery School in Newham Oral Answers to Questions last week, which is an early implementer and is already seeing the massive difference the scheme is making to working families. There is an inclusion fund that will go to children with special educational needs and disabilities. EDUCATION Angela Rayner (Ashton-under-Lyne) (Lab): I hope the Minister agrees that the early-years pupil premium The Secretary of State was asked— provides vital support to some of our most disadvantaged children. Like the hon. Member for High Peak (Andrew Free Childcare Bingham), we know that nurseries are facing financial pressure now, and many worry that they will not be able 1. Andrew Bingham (High Peak) (Con): What progress to care for the most vulnerable children when the 30 hours her Department is making on the provision of 30 hours scheme is introduced. Will she therefore guarantee that of free childcare to working parents. [907938] all of the £50 million early-years pupil premium money will go to our most vulnerable children, and that that The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education vital resource will not be cut this Parliament? (Caroline Dinenage): We are committed to ensuring that we have the high-quality, affordable childcare that families Caroline Dinenage: Yes. The pupil premium, which need, and are on track to deliver 30 hours of childcare we introduced, will continue and will continue to go to to working parents. We are investing record funding of the most vulnerable children. £1 billion per year by 2020 and have announced a fairer early-years funding system. Eight early implementer Good and Outstanding Schools: Places areas are already providing nearly 4,000 places one year early. 2. Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con): What steps the Government are taking to improve the number of available places in good and outstanding schools. Andrew Bingham: I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Last week I visited Hadfield Nursery School in [907939] my constituency. That excellent and very well respected The Secretary of State for Education (Justine Greening): local nursery is a maintained nursery. It is concerned We are committed to making sure that as many children about the level of funding it will receive when the as possible have a good place at school. The latest 30 hours provision comes in. Will she give us some Ofsted annual report clearly shows that standards have reassurance on that, and would she like to visit Hadfield risen compared with 2010, with almost 1.8 million more Nursery School, because it does a great job and everyone pupils now taught in good or outstanding schools. there would be delighted to see her? Proposals on additional measures to increase the supply of good new school places are set out in the “Schools Caroline Dinenage: I thank my hon. Friend for that that work for everyone” consultation. very kind invitation. I would be more than happy to visit both him and the Hadfield Nursery School in his Wendy Morton: I welcome that very encouraging beautiful High Peak constituency.He is right to highlight reply from the Secretary of State. One issue raised with the importance of maintained nursery schools. We have me by constituents and school governors is securing committed to providing local authorities with an additional school places for siblings so that brothers and sisters £55 million per year for nursery schools until at least the can attend the same school. Will my right hon. Friend end of this Parliament. look at that as part of her plans to improve the number of places available? Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab): On the same subject, is it not really the case that the 30 hour promise Justine Greening: Any changes to the overall operation is being funded by stealing resources from state-run of the code would of course be scrutinised by this nurseries that employ fully qualified headteachers and House. My hon. Friend will probably be aware that staff? Will the Secretary of State tell us what analysis admissions authorities are responsible for setting their she has undertaken of the damage that will be done by own admissions arrangements, but the code already the cuts she is making to the funding of state-run allows them to prioritise siblings, and some admissions nursery schools? authorities already choose to do so. 1157 Oral Answers 19 DECEMBER 2016 Oral Answers 1158 Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab): Headteachers Justine Greening: As the hon. Lady recognises, I very in my constituency tell me that their efforts to get their much enjoyed living in Acton. It is important to raise schools to become good or outstanding are sometimes standards in Acton schools. I will look very carefully at stymied by changing expectations from Government the particular issue she raises and perhaps write to her and changes that they feel are not evidence-based. Will to find out what we can do to speed things up. the Secretary of State reassure headteachers in Bristol West that expectations will not keep changing without a Kevin Hollinrake (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): Easingwold very good reason? school in my constituency—I must declare an interest as two of my children attend this school, but so do Justine Greening: I had a chance to visit a Bristol 1,000 other children—has been placed in special measures school last week, which was a fantastic opportunity. and will now, of course, become an academy, which I That school is working with Bristol University. On our support. The choice of academy has been announced continued reforms, we want to make sure that we see and subsequently retracted, pending surveys of the improvements in classrooms. The hon. Lady will no school. Clearly, either the process is flawed or the way doubt welcome our recent launch of the strategic school this has been handled is flawed. Will the Secretary of improvement fund. That fund is about making sure we State look at this matter urgently to resolve these problems? can get the investment to schools that need to improve quickly and effectively. Justine Greening: I am aware of this matter, because my hon. Friend has played his role as a fantastic local Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con): Good and outstanding MP and already raised it with me. The Department is secondary school provision must include the provision looking to see whether we can make sure the barriers of technical and professional education, which is essential preventing the school from getting a great sponsor that for our skills base for the future. Does the Secretary of will help to improve it, not just for his own children but State agree that university technical colleges play a for all the children, can be quickly removed. really important role in that and can and should be good or outstanding? Special Needs Schools Multi-academy Trusts Justine Greening: I agree. As with all schools, we expect them to deliver high standards. I had the chance 3. James Duddridge (Rochford and Southend East) recently to go to Didcot UTC, which provides a fantastic (Con): What assessment she has made of the potential education—a very different education perhaps, but one merits of special needs schools multi-academy trusts. that works for them and their interests. It is getting very [907941] good results because of that. The Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East) (Lab): It is my (Edward Timpson): Multi-academy trusts enable the understanding that in the past two years, over 60 schools sharing of staff and expertise that can help to foster have been rated inadequate where an academy order truly excellent special educational needs provision. Special has been issued but a sponsor has yet to be identified. schools can be successful both in multi-academy trusts How does that uncertainty help to improve standards in that specialise wholly in supporting children with special those schools? education needs, as well as in multi-academy trusts that offer special provision alongside mainstream provision. Justine Greening: We are committed to ensuring, Some examples of multi-academy trusts that offer special when we see schools not achieving the results they need provision can be found in our new good practice guidance, for their children, that we have a strong approach that published on 9 December. steadily improves the schools and works with them to improve. Where they cannot improve, we want to ensure James Duddridge: I was going to ask the Minister to that, through academisation, changes take place in terms issue further guidance.