Department officials and Ministers continue to meet regularly with education and childcare sector leaders, unions and other representative bodies to discuss a wide range of early years, school, further education and higher education policy issues.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with head teachers of schools to discuss issues including funding regularly. Our records show that on average, from February 2018 to date, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met nine head teachers each month. This figure includes head teachers that he has met in formal meetings, visits and reference groups, but does not include the many other occasions where my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has met head teachers in this time, including meetings, roundtable discussions, conferences, and events, nor does it reflect the other teachers and school staff he will have met during visits and meetings, so the actual figure is likely to be much higher.

Ministers and officials from the Department regularly meet head teachers and representatives of head teachers, including the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the primary head teacher reference group, and the secondary head teacher reference group. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education attended NAHT’s annual conference in May 2018, ASCL’s national conference in March 2018 and again last week. Department officials meet all the head teacher unions every month. School funding is frequently discussed as part of these meetings. Additionally, all education ministers regularly visit schools and spend time with head teachers and staff.

The Department recognises the pressures that parts of the school system are facing. The Government continues to invest in the school system, with school funding at a record high. The Department is also providing the sector with more than half a billion pounds to fund teacher pay increases. Alongside this, the Department will be putting a strong case to Her Majesty's Treasury for the next spending review.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State meets regularly with head teachers of schools to discuss issues including funding.

Officials from the Department have met with head teachers from across the country to discuss school funding, as part of our consultation on a schools and high needs national formulae.

We received over 25,000 responses to the consultation. We are grateful to all those who expressed their views on school funding and the proposed formula as part of this process. We will publish the response to the consultation in due course.

The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010 and will be £41bn in 2017-18. We recognise, nevertheless, that schools are facing cost pressures and we will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways. This includes tools, information and guidance to support improved financial health and efficiency in schools, including School Workforce Planning Guidance to help schools make well-informed decisions about their staff structures. These can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-financial-health-and-efficiency.

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

The Department’s White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere stated that we would launch an Excellence in Leadership Fund to encourage the best Multi-Academy Trusts and other providers to develop innovative ways of boosting leadership, particularly in areas of most need. The Fund will help to better support schools to develop a strong and diverse set of school and system leaders, through specific activity aimed at groups that are still under-represented in leadership positions. Further information about the timing and budget for the Excellence in Leadership Fund will be made available in due course.

The Department’s White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere stated that we would launch an Excellence in Leadership Fund to encourage the best Multi-Academy Trusts and other providers to develop innovative ways of boosting leadership, particularly in areas of most need. The Fund will help to better support schools to develop a strong and diverse set of school and system leaders, through specific activity aimed at groups that are still under-represented in leadership positions. Further information about the timing and budget for the Excellence in Leadership Fund will be made available in due course.

The Department’s White Paper Educational Excellence Everywhere stated that we would launch an Excellence in Leadership Fund to encourage the best Multi-Academy Trusts and other providers to develop innovative ways of boosting leadership, particularly in areas of most need. The Fund will help to better support schools to develop a strong and diverse set of school and system leaders, through specific activity aimed at groups that are still under-represented in leadership positions. Further information about the timing and budget for the Excellence in Leadership Fund will be made available in due course.