“Tough choices” around the country’s finances are behind a decision to scrap an academy conversion grant, Bridget Phillipson has said.
The education secretary also said schools would be compensated “at a national level” for increases to employers’ national insurance contributions, suggesting some individual settings may not get what they need.
Here’s what we learned from the new government’s second bout of education questions in the House of Commons.
1. ‘Tough choices’ behind scrapping of academy conversion grant
The government announced on Friday that it will scrap grants of up to £25,000 for schools that choose to become academies. It has also cancelled trust capacity and growth funding.
Laura Trott, the new shadow education secretary, pointed to England’s improvement in international rankings, and asked Phillipson if she agreed that academisation “was one of the driving forces behind this very good school improvement”.
The education secretary insisted the new government was focused on “driving up standards”.
Asked why the government was scrapping the academy conversion grant, Phillipson said: “We were faced with some very tough choices. A £22 billion hole in the public finances.”
2. Schools compensated ‘at a national level’ for NI
Phillipson was asked by new shadow education minister Neil O’Brien whether schools would be “fully compensated” for the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions, including increased costs from external suppliers.
The education secretary replied that schools and colleges “will be compensated at a national level”.
The wording here is important, because when funding is distributed to schools, there are often winners and losers, so there is still no guarantee each school will receive all the funding is needed.
3. Could closed schools become SEND provision?
Meg Hillier, the former chair of the public accounts committee and a London MP, pointed to school closures in the capital, driven in part by falling pupil numbers.
She asked Phillipson “what strategic oversight is the secretary of state taking to make sure that we get the best value for our children from these properties”.
The education secretary accused the previous government of a “lack of thinking…about how we do this properly and seriously”.
“There are challenges that come with demographic change, but there are also opportunities too.
“It’s why we have announced more primary based nurseries in empty classrooms, and why I think there is more that we can think to do around additional support in terms of provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities in particular.”
4. Minister dodges question on making getting EHCPs ‘harder’
Ministers have said they are looking to reform the system of support for pupils with SEND. One of the issues is that the number of education, health and care plans has risen substantially.
Alison Griffiths, a Conservative MP, asked schools minister Catherine McKinnell to “confirm whether her SEND reforms will include measures that could make it harder to get an EHCP, potentially making it hardcer for children to qualify for special school places?”
McKinnell replied with a jibe about “14 years of letting down children needing the education that is clearly wanting in so many parts of the country”, but did not answer the question directly.
“The honorable lady would do well to reflect on the record of the past 14 years. We are changing the situation as fast as we can, but it will take time.”
5. Ministers expect SEND funding to fund provision ‘directly’
Pushed on whether the extra £1 billion in funding “will go to new expenditures in SEND”, Phillipson said ministers expected “the additional funding to go directly to providing provision for children and young people”.
This marks a departure from Treasury documents, which stated that although councils would have “discretion”, “it is very likely that they will use the funding to reduce their in-year deficit”.
The documents even suggested the investment would clear £865 million from SEND deficits in 2025-26.
Ministers also told MPs that national funding formula allocations would be published later this month.
6. DfE looking at ‘scope’ of rebuilding programme
The new administration has re-committed to the previous government’s school rebuilding programme, with £1.4 billion allocated for the scheme next year.
Education minister Stephen Morgan was asked if he would “prioritise” Hornsea School and Language College in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which is not currently one of the projects selected.
“I note the honourable member’s point on this specific college. As he will know, at the budget, the chancellor committed £1.4 billion for next year to drive the delivery of the current school rebuilding programme.
“Over the coming weeks and months ahead we will work with trusts and local authorities to identify which schools will be in scope.”
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