The department currently has the highest number of teachers on record. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000, or 6%, since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

Last year, the department accepted in full the School Teacher Review Body’s recommendations for the 2023/24 pay award, which is the highest pay award for teachers in over thirty years. This means that over two years, teacher pay is increasing by more than 12% on average and means the department has delivered its manifesto commitment of a minimum £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country.

The department has put in place a range of measures, including increased bursaries worth up to £28,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £30,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.

The department is also offering a Levelling Up Premium worth up to £3,000 after-tax for eligible mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their career who work in disadvantaged schools. For the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, the department is doubling the rates of the Levelling Up Premium. Six schools in Wellingborough are eligible for payments of up to £5,000 after-tax under this scheme.

The department has also established three Teaching School Hubs near Wellingborough: the Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub, the Chiltern Teaching School Hub and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub. More information can be found at the following web addresses: https://www.northamptonshireteachingschoolhub.org/, https://www.teaching-school.co.uk/, and https://www.cptshn.co.uk/. More information can be found at the following web addresses: https://www.northamptonshireteachingschoolhub.org/, https://www.teaching-school.co.uk/,

These school-based centres of excellence deliver Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Early Career Framework, National Professional Qualifications and provide Appropriate Body services for the induction of early career teachers. More information on the induction of early career teachers can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/induction-for-early-career-teachers-england . Together, these ensure that new teachers in Wellingborough will benefit from at least three years of evidence-based training, across ITT and into their induction.

The department has published a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing and support schools to introduce flexible working practices.

On flexible working in particular, the department has established a series of Flexible Working Ambassador Multi-Academy Trusts and Schools (FWAMSs) throughout the country which support school leaders to implement and embed flexible working in their schools. Wellingborough’s named FWAMS is Lapal School of Hales Valley Trust. Further information can be found on the ‘Flexible Working in Education’ website, here: https://www.flexibleworkingineducation.co.uk/about-fwams.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The National Funding Formula (NFF) is used to calculate notional funding for maintained schools and academies in England. Average funding per pupil, including premises-related funding, for Wellingborough constituency, North Northamptonshire and England can be found in the table below. Constituency figures are calculated by combining the notional NFF school-level allocations for all maintained schools and academies which sit within the constituency. Local authority and national funding figures are based on the Dedicated Schools Grant allocations.

​​​​The department recognises the importance of oracy, which is why spoken language is part of the national curriculum for English for 5 to 16 year olds.

In early years, the department is investing up to £17 million in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, improving the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. In addition, the department have secured over £28 million to support the speech and language of young children worst affected by the pandemic, today’s 3 and 4 year olds, delivered through the new Family Hubs network.

In secondary schools, the GCSE English Language qualification ensures that students are able to listen to and understand spoken language and use spoken Standard English effectively. 2023 data published by Ofqual shows that overall entries to GCSE English Language increased by 4.9% in summer 2023, compared to summer 2022. This data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series/provisional-entries-for-gcse-as-and-a-level-summer-2023-exam-series#gcse-entries.

The department funds the National Poetry Recitation Competition, which encourages both primary and secondary schools to participate to improve pupils’ knowledge and enjoyment of poetry and to improve oracy through poetry recitation and recall. The competition provides an opportunity for pupils to enjoy sharing poems aloud.

The £67 million English Hubs Programme, launched in 2018, is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Since its launch, the English Hubs Programme has provided appropriate and targeted support to several thousands of schools across England.

Wellingborough’s local English Hub, Roade English Hub, is working hard to engage and support primary schools across the region. Currently, 45 schools are receiving intensive partner school support from Roade English Hub. This is in addition to the 32 schools that have already graduated from the programme.

Arts Council England is responsible for collecting and publishing information about each of the Music Hubs. This information is about the music education activity the Hubs provide or support and does not include information on what schools provide without the support of the hub.

The Wellingborough constituency is served by Northamptonshire and Rutland Music Education Hub, including providing opportunities to learn an instrument, including through whole class ensemble teaching.

In 2022/23, 59.4% of schools were supported with whole class ensemble teaching and the Hub delivered or supported lessons to 8,205 pupils in small group tuition, 568 pupils in individual lessons, and 710 pupils as part of large group lessons. In addition, 2,367 pupils participated in Hub-led or Hub-supported ensembles and group activity, and instruments were loaned to 219 schools during 2022/23.

The 2022/23 data was published on Monday 20 May and can be accessed on their website. The link to the website is: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/MusicEducationHubs/music-education-hubs-survey-and-data#t-in-page-nav-2.

​​Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are now in place in around nearly 8,500 schools and colleges across the country, with 498 expert teams offering support to children experiencing anxiety, depression, and other common mental health issues. MHSTs have achieved their NHS Long Term Plan coverage ambition a year early and more teams are coming. By March 2025, there will be over 600 MHSTs up and running. Further information regarding this can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6641f1e1ae748c43d37939a3/Transforming_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_implementation_programme_2024_data_release.pdf.

​Data from NHS England shows that since 2018/19, when the first wave of MHSTs were commissioned, there are currently nine MHSTs in Northamptonshire and 99 MHSTs for the London integrated care system region. A link to the data can be found here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/cyp/trailblazers/#_Mental_Health_Support.

Data on the number of MHSTs by constituency is not currently available.​

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils at state-funded schools in England who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). The most recent figures are for January 2023, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.

21.7% of pupils at state-funded primary schools and 19.0% of pupils at state-funded secondary schools in Wellingborough were eligible for FSM as of January 2023.

The latest available Pension Credit take-up statistics cover the financial year 2021 to 2022 and are available at: Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year ending 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, these statistics are only available at Great Britain level and cannot be broken down to smaller geographical areas.

The information requested is not available.

The information requested is published and is available here: Move to Universal Credit statistics, July 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which is a blight on our local communities and the environment and damages legitimate businesses. We have strengthened regulators' powers, are tightening the law and have increased the Environment Agency's budget by £10 million per year to make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. We are also providing grants to councils across the country to help them purchase equipment to tackle fly-tipping. North Northamptonshire council has been awarded £25,176 in the recently announced third round of the Fly-tipping Intervention Grant scheme.

Waste crime in the constituency is addressed at several partnerships, the Northants Waste Enforcement Group, North Northamptonshire Community Safety Partnership and the Acquisitive and Rural Crime Group. All partnerships are linked on serious waste crime and fly-tipping by attendance of the same Environment Agency officer. This ensures information and intelligence is shared effectively.

Engagement and information sharing directs where collaboration is most needed at any time in the county. Wellingborough is also covered by the Northants Project Plutus Partnership, the first in England to identify waste crime as a priority for cash-based money laundering. Project Plutus information sharing led directly to an Environment Agency-led intervention with Police and North Northants Council stopping a large-scale illegal waste operation that had potential to impact neighbouring Wellingborough. This is a significant investigation due to go to trial.

The highly effective Operation Clean Sweep multi-agency days of action have been taking place in the Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire Environment Agency area. The intention is for the Environment Agency to extend this into North Northamptonshire and, when required, into Wellingborough.