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An overview of arts education in England and across the UK, covering the school curriculum, wider government programmes, funding and recent policy changes.
An overview of arts education in England and across the UK, covering the school curriculum, wider government programmes, funding and recent policy changes.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (i) methodology and (ii) timeframes of (a) housing growth and (b) pupil number growth forecasts did she use when deciding to not to proceed with funding for the proposed Lodge Farm Primary School in Witham.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (i) methodology and (ii) timeframes of (a) housing growth and (b) pupil number growth forecasts did she use when deciding to not to proceed with funding for the proposed Lodge Farm Primary School in Witham.
Mainstream Free School projects were evaluated against consistent criteria on the need for places, value for money, and whether they would provide a distinctive or innovative education offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. As part of the decision-making process, the department carefully assessed all available evidence, with a particular focus on the evidence of need for additional school places within the relevant planning areas, factoring in housing growth. To inform the decision we used the latest School Capacity survey data and took account of the local authority's longer-term projections. For Lodge Farm Primary and Nursery, the review found that current evidence does not show sufficient need for a new school.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper published 23 February 2026, by which policies and mechanisms free schools will form part of the move to a system where all schools will be part of school trusts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper published 23 February 2026, by which policies and mechanisms free schools will form part of the move to a system where all schools will be part of school trusts.
Free schools, as academies, are already able to join or form multi-academy trusts and will continue to do so through both expansion of existing high‑quality trusts and the establishment of new trusts.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the delivery of new free schools approved in principle, including the (a) key stages from approval to opening, (b) typical duration of each stage and (c) factors impacting delivery times; and what the status is of...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the delivery of new free schools approved in principle, including the (a) key stages from approval to opening, (b) typical duration of each stage and (c) factors impacting delivery times; and what the status is of...
New free school projects that are centrally delivered by the department typically progress through six key stages: pre‑feasibility (including finding a suitable site), feasibility, procurement, design and planning, construction and handover, and post‑completion use. Utilising delivery data from the past 5 years, average durations are up to a year for feasibility, 18 months for procurement, and 18-24 months for construction. Delivery timelines can be impacted by a number of factors such as securing a suitable site and constraints, planning or environmental issues, and market conditions affecting costs and materials.
For Lime Academy March, a site off Kingswood Road has been identified and lease terms are under negotiation. The school is planned to provide 210 places for pupils aged 2–19. Capital costs are not yet confirmed at this stage. Current assumptions indicate an opening date no earlier than September 2029.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated to the construction of the Frankley Hill specialist school in New Frankley, Birmingham.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated to the construction of the Frankley Hill specialist school in New Frankley, Birmingham.
Frankley Hill School in Birmingham is currently at an early stage of development. At this stage, a specific project budget has not yet been confirmed. A feasibility study is underway, including site surveys and initial design work, which will inform the overall project budget.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to (a) her confirmation of 24 March 2026 that her Department accepts Surrey County Council’s decision to continue with FS0756 Betchwood Vale Academy, (b) the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 27008 on Free Schools, Dorking, and (c) the...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to (a) her confirmation of 24 March 2026 that her Department accepts Surrey County Council’s decision to continue with FS0756 Betchwood Vale Academy, (b) the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 27008 on Free Schools, Dorking, and (c) the...
The department confirmed Surrey County Council’s decision to continue with Betchwood Vale Academy on 24 March. Officials are working on a new delivery programme and will be in contact with Surrey County Council and the Trust to discuss next steps. A review of all planning documentation will be required before a new or revised planning application can be submitted.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 109084, on Free Schools, what information her Department holds on the reasons for Walsall Council's payment of £1million to the Department for Education; and whether this formed part of her criteria for...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 109084, on Free Schools, what information her Department holds on the reasons for Walsall Council's payment of £1million to the Department for Education; and whether this formed part of her criteria for...
The payment represents a contribution towards the capital costs of developing the school site, as has happened with a number of free school projects. It is included within an agreement with the local authority, signed prior to the commencement of the pipeline review. This contribution did not form part of the decision-making process.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, When she will complete her review of the representations sent in relation to her Department’s cancellation of funding for Lodge Farm School in Witham.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, When she will complete her review of the representations sent in relation to her Department’s cancellation of funding for Lodge Farm School in Witham.
Representations sent in by trusts and local authorities are currently being considered. Final decisions taken by ministers on individual projects will be communicated by letter as soon as possible.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish (a) the the consultation timetable on the Eton Star Oldham free school and (b) the expected date for the publication of its findings.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish (a) the the consultation timetable on the Eton Star Oldham free school and (b) the expected date for the publication of its findings.
Mainstream free school projects were evaluated in line with consistent criteria focusing on assessing the need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer and whether they would risk negatively impacting other local schools or colleges.
As part of one of the largest city regions outside London, Oldham benefits from a large pool of potential learners. Well developed transport links will allow the school to attract learners from across a broad geographical area.
Conditions attached to the school will ensure both Eton and Star work with local schools and colleges to ensure the new school sits coherently within the existing local offer, with a focus on improving GCSE outcomes and progression rates into post-16 provision across the local area, as well as into top universities.
The responsibility for undertaking a Section 10 consultation prior to the school opening sits with the Academy Trust. The Secretary of State will take the findings into account when considering whether to enter into a funding agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish (a) the analysis identifying the need for additional 16 to 19 places in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham and (b) the impact assessment on existing providers that was used to support the approval of the Eton Star Oldham...
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish (a) the analysis identifying the need for additional 16 to 19 places in the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham and (b) the impact assessment on existing providers that was used to support the approval of the Eton Star Oldham...
Mainstream free school projects were evaluated in line with consistent criteria focusing on assessing the need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer and whether they would risk negatively impacting other local schools or colleges.
As part of one of the largest city regions outside London, Oldham benefits from a large pool of potential learners. Well developed transport links will allow the school to attract learners from across a broad geographical area.
Conditions attached to the school will ensure both Eton and Star work with local schools and colleges to ensure the new school sits coherently within the existing local offer, with a focus on improving GCSE outcomes and progression rates into post-16 provision across the local area, as well as into top universities.
The responsibility for undertaking a Section 10 consultation prior to the school opening sits with the Academy Trust. The Secretary of State will take the findings into account when considering whether to enter into a funding agreement.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of free schools compared with maintained schools and academies in terms of educational outcomes.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of free schools compared with maintained schools and academies in terms of educational outcomes.
Many free schools, run by strong trusts, have contributed to raising standards and achieved strong outcomes for their pupils. However, too many children and young people are still being left behind due to their educational needs or their background.
The department is proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, and raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges. We are backing new schools that offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it. For example, we will open two new maths schools, to give talented students in the North and the Midlands a fairer chance to pursue advanced mathematics.
The department has also announced that we are investing at least £3 billion to create 50,000 new specialist places. To support this investment, we are not proceeding with some mainstream free school projects.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was originally made available for the provision of the planned 92 new special and AP free schools that were commissioned by the previous Government and were subject to a value for money review by this Government.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding was originally made available for the provision of the planned 92 new special and AP free schools that were commissioned by the previous Government and were subject to a value for money review by this Government.
For the 18 schools where no trust had been appointed and which were in the earliest stages of development local authorities will receive funding for 2487 school places in Summer 2026, equivalent to places the school would have provided.
For local authorities with the choice between accepting the alternative funding offer or continuing with the free school, the deadline to confirm their choice is 27 February 2026. After this date, we will know how many local authorities have accepted the alternative funding offer and the total funding amount.
Funding for delivery of free school projects are provided at different stages of a project’s development, in line with key delivery milestones. Most of the projects in scope of the alternative funding offer are at the earliest stages of development and therefore have not received any funding. Where sites have been secured for these schools, details and costs of acquisitions will have been set out on the Land Registry website. Additionally, the department will have published contract details and costs for all free school construction contracts on Contracts Finder.
Lords report stage fifth day. Amendment 199 agreed to on division (295 to 180). Amendments 202 and 204 agreed to. (Part 1 of 2).
Lords report stage fifth day. Amendment 199 agreed to on division (295 to 180). Amendments 202 and 204 agreed to. (Part 1 of 2).
Moved by
Baroness Barran
198: After Clause 56, insert the following new Clause—
“Reasonableness and safeguards in the exercise of local authority powers
(1) In exercising powers under sections 54 to 56, a local authority must act reasonably and proportionately, having regard to—
(a) the needs of the child,
(b) the needs of other pupils at...
Moved by
Baroness Barran
198: After Clause 56, insert the following new Clause—
“Reasonableness and safeguards in the exercise of local authority powers
(1) In exercising powers under sections 54 to 56, a local authority must act reasonably and proportionately, having regard to—
(a) the needs of the child,
(b) the needs of other pupils at...
My Lords, this group contains some important amendments, including my Amendments 198 and 199.
Amendment 198 deals with the duty to co-operate that all schools are required to respect, which I raised in Committee. I questioned whether there really was a problem that needed solving—namely, that academies were routinely refusing to...
My Lords, this group contains some important amendments, including my Amendments 198 and 199.
Amendment 198 deals with the duty to co-operate that all schools are required to respect, which I raised in Committee. I questioned whether there really was a problem that needed solving—namely, that academies were routinely refusing to...
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 201 in my name, which deals with the issue of faith-based selection in school admissions. This speaks to the missing data that the Schools Minister raised in Committee in the other place. The Department for Education currently does not collect data on how...
My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 201 in my name, which deals with the issue of faith-based selection in school admissions. This speaks to the missing data that the Schools Minister raised in Committee in the other place. The Department for Education currently does not collect data on how...
My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 199, to which I have added my name. In this, I am channelling my inner Baroness Wolf of Dulwich—the noble Baroness sends her apologies that she cannot be in her place. This amendment attempts to rectify another example in the Bill in which...
My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 199, to which I have added my name. In this, I am channelling my inner Baroness Wolf of Dulwich—the noble Baroness sends her apologies that she cannot be in her place. This amendment attempts to rectify another example in the Bill in which...
My Lords, my Amendment 230 in this group is on off-rolling. Whatever the good points of academisation, there has been a strong suspicion—a fact, in some cases—that certain schools are off-rolling pupils who are seen to be a problem. The best of the academies are probably dealing with this. I...
My Lords, my Amendment 230 in this group is on off-rolling. Whatever the good points of academisation, there has been a strong suspicion—a fact, in some cases—that certain schools are off-rolling pupils who are seen to be a problem. The best of the academies are probably dealing with this. I...
My Lords, I will talk to Amendments 198 and 199, to which I have added my name. Inclusion is very important but, at the moment, some children—too many, frankly—who should not be in maintained education are being admitted to maintained schools because of their parents’ wishes. Those parents are making...
My Lords, I will talk to Amendments 198 and 199, to which I have added my name. Inclusion is very important but, at the moment, some children—too many, frankly—who should not be in maintained education are being admitted to maintained schools because of their parents’ wishes. Those parents are making...
My Lords, I will make a few comments on this group of amendments. On Amendment 230, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Addington, I have great sympathy with what he says, and I hope that it may be an issue that the Minister will address when the SEND...
My Lords, I will make a few comments on this group of amendments. On Amendment 230, in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Addington, I have great sympathy with what he says, and I hope that it may be an issue that the Minister will address when the SEND...