Between 2017-18 and the end of May 2019, the department has spent £69 million on pre-opening start-up grants to support local authority schools to convert to become academies. This includes the conversion of failing local authority schools to become sponsored academies in order to improve pupil outcomes. In addition, further capital costs are incurred for some cases where the fabric of school buildings has not been sufficiently well maintained.

Further details can be found in in the table below:

Future years’ spending plans have yet to be determined and will form part of the next Spending Review.

Academy status leads to a more dynamic and responsive education system by allowing schools to make decisions based on local need and the interests of their pupils.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is required by legislation to intervene in underperforming maintained schools rated inadequate by Ofsted and to issue an academy order for the school to become a sponsored academy. Recent research found that sponsored academies, particularly those open longest, have made substantial gains in performance in comparison with similar non-academy schools. The latest figures show that over 7 out of 10 sponsored academies are good or outstanding, replacing schools that were mostly underperforming. 85% of children are now in good or outstanding schools, compared to just 66% in 2010, and this is in part down to our reforms.

Where academies choose to come together in academy trusts, they can take advantage of economies of scale and drive down the costs of procurement and so are able to invest more in teaching. By working in partnership with each other, schools can benefit from sharing staff, curriculum expertise and effective pedagogy.

There are 446 open free schools, including 3 that have opened since 1 April 2019.

The total number of free schools opened in each academic year since 2016/17 is as follows:

The department has approved a further 285 applications from groups that we are now working with to establish free schools. This includes the 22 wave 13 free school applications that we announced on 14 June 2019. Furthermore, local authorities are currently running competitions to find academy trusts to establish an additional 37 special free schools and 2 alternative provision free schools across the country.

The department is determined to give every child, regardless of their background, the very best start in life. Free school meals (FSM) are key to this and we want all parents whose children are entitled to them, to apply for them. Under-registration for FSM runs at around 11% (roughly 100,000 children).

We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their FSM, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. We provide an Eligibility Checking System to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities. We have developed a model registration form to help schools encourage parents to sign up for FSM. We also provide guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisers so that they can make Universal Credit recipients aware that they may also be entitled to wider benefits, including FSM.

The department has published healthy pupils capital fund (HPCF) formulaic allocations for local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs): https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20190212204720/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-allocations. Data on individual project funding is not published by the department. Local authorities and MATs have the flexibility to distribute HPCF funding to meet local priorities and need, in line with the HPCF criteria.

Data on the final funding amounts allocated to individual HPCF projects through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) for single academies and small MATs will be published in due course, once all the projects in the CIF 2018-19 round are complete.

Academy trusts, such as Bright Tribe, may share redacted or unredacted minutes. As the creators of these documents, these are their documents to make available on request. Where they are requested to make them available, a trust can redact confidential information in line with their Articles of Association.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency is working closely with Bright Tribe Trust and investigations are ongoing.

Local authorities and larger multi-academy trusts (MATs) received a formulaic allocation from the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund (HPCF) to improve children’s and young people’s physical and mental health. They have the flexibility to distribute HPCF funding to meet local priorities and need, in line with the HPCF criteria. MAT accounting officers are required to confirm that funding received has been spent in line with the conditions of grants and to submit their accounts for auditing. Data on the use of HPCF funding by local authorities and larger MATs will be collected and published in due course, as part of regular capital spend data collections.

All HPCF projects funded through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) 2018-19 were assessed against the HPCF funding criteria to improve children’s and young people’s physical and mental health by enhancing access to facilities for physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing and medical conditions. Data on the use of HPCF funding through CIF will be published in due course, once the CIF 2018-19 projects are complete.

Referring back to question 261231, we can not comment on ongoing investigations. However, we remain fully committed to ensuring those responsible are held to account where wrongdoing is identified.

The answer to 261231 is available here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-06-06/261231/.

Existing mechanisms for school condition funding are being used to report on healthy pupils capital fund (HPCF) expenditure. Data on HPCF spend collected during 2018/19 will be included in our report on capital spend by local authorities and multi-academy trusts on the school estate, which will be published in 2020.

Successful HPCF projects funded through the Condition Improvement Fund 2018-19 have been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2018-to-2019-outcome.

The department has taken significant steps to further strengthen academies’ accountability. This is reflected in the year on year updates to the Academies Financial Handbook which strengthen accountability and transparency in the sector. The department introduced new rules in April 2019 for the declaration or approval of related party transactions. Our requirements are the most robust processes for related party transactions in any sector in the country.

The level of transparency for academies is higher than for local authority schools. The vast majority of trusts operate with a cumulative surplus and at the same time, over half a million pupils now study in ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ sponsored academies that typically replaced underperforming local authority maintained schools.

Ofsted is responsible for regulating and inspecting settings that provide both care and accommodation, such as children’s homes (including secure children’s homes) and fostering services, in which the majority of children in care are accommodated.

Where it is judged to be in the child’s best interests, local authorities are also permitted to accommodate children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17 in ‘other accommodation’. This includes a range of settings such as semi-independent units, supported accommodation, hostels, foyers and supported lodgings. These settings provide accommodation with either on-site or floating support. ‘Other accommodation’ settings can provide a useful stepping-stone for young people who are increasingly able to make decisions for themselves but are not fully ready for the challenges of maintaining an independent tenancy. As these settings provide support, rather than care, Ofsted does not regulate them.

Where a local authority places a young person in unregulated provision, it must ensure that the accommodation is ‘suitable’. Suitable accommodation is defined in regulations, which state that, with regard to settings used to accommodate children in care the responsible authority should ensure that:

• the accommodation is suitable for the child in light of their needs, including their health needs;
• it has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider;
• the accommodation complies with health and safety requirements relating to rented accommodation; and
• it has taken into account the child’s wishes, feelings and education, training or employment needs in respect of the responsible authority, so far as reasonably practicable.

Further advice on suitable accommodation is provided in the Children Act Volume 2 statutory guidance, a copy of which is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf.

Where a local authority places a young person out of area in unregulated provision there are additional safeguards in place. These require the placing authority to inform the host authority of their intention to place a young person with a provider in the host authority’s area, before confirming the placement. This provides an opportunity to check whether the host authority is aware of any concerns about the setting. This requirement is designed to ensure that poor quality providers are identified and exporting local authorities stop placing children in them.

It is a long-standing principle that the local authority that took the child into care is responsible for supporting them, whether they are placed in that authority or outside the area. This enables the local authority to take into account the full range of needs of the young person and to ensure that if meets all of those needs. Moving to a system of shared accountability could create confusion about who is responsible for providing which services and runs the risk that young people placed out of area are not properly supported by either local authority.

Ofsted is responsible for regulating and inspecting settings that provide both care and accommodation, such as children’s homes (including secure children’s homes) and fostering services, in which the majority of children in care are accommodated.

Where it is judged to be in the child’s best interests, local authorities are also permitted to accommodate children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17 in ‘other accommodation’. This includes a range of settings such as semi-independent units, supported accommodation, hostels, foyers and supported lodgings. These settings provide accommodation with either on-site or floating support. ‘Other accommodation’ settings can provide a useful stepping-stone for young people who are increasingly able to make decisions for themselves but are not fully ready for the challenges of maintaining an independent tenancy. As these settings provide support, rather than care, Ofsted does not regulate them.

Where a local authority places a young person in unregulated provision, it must ensure that the accommodation is ‘suitable’. Suitable accommodation is defined in regulations, which state that, with regard to settings used to accommodate children in care the responsible authority should ensure that:

• the accommodation is suitable for the child in light of their needs, including their health needs;
• it has satisfied itself as to the character and suitability of the landlord or other provider;
• the accommodation complies with health and safety requirements relating to rented accommodation; and
• it has taken into account the child’s wishes, feelings and education, training or employment needs in respect of the responsible authority, so far as reasonably practicable.

Further advice on suitable accommodation is provided in the Children Act Volume 2 statutory guidance, a copy of which is available at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441643/Children_Act_Guidance_2015.pdf.

Where a local authority places a young person out of area in unregulated provision there are additional safeguards in place. These require the placing authority to inform the host authority of their intention to place a young person with a provider in the host authority’s area, before confirming the placement. This provides an opportunity to check whether the host authority is aware of any concerns about the setting. This requirement is designed to ensure that poor quality providers are identified and exporting local authorities stop placing children in them.

It is a long-standing principle that the local authority that took the child into care is responsible for supporting them, whether they are placed in that authority or outside the area. This enables the local authority to take into account the full range of needs of the young person and to ensure that if meets all of those needs. Moving to a system of shared accountability could create confusion about who is responsible for providing which services and runs the risk that young people placed out of area are not properly supported by either local authority.

Bright Tribe Trust has submitted site inspection reports for Alde Valley Academy, Castle Hill Primary School, Colchester Academy, The Whitehaven Academy and Werneth Primary School since 1 July 2018.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Trusts have completed their initial review work to establish the facts surrounding existing concerns about Bright Tribe and Adventure Learning Academy Trusts, including those aired in the BBC Panorama programme of 10 September 2018. The results of the investigations are sensitive and cannot be shared at this time.

The Condition Improvement Funded works at The Whitehaven Academy and Fowey River Academy were undertaken by independent, externally appointed consultants. An official from the Department for Education was present at the technical inspection which took place at Fowey River Academy on 23 August 2018, but was not present at the Whitehaven Academy technical inspection, which took place on 17, 18 July and 30 August. However, officials had previously visited the academy on a number of occasions.

Our current policy is that reports into such reviews are published and we will do so once due process has been completed.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Trusts have completed their initial review work to establish the facts surrounding existing concerns about Bright Tribe and Adventure Learning Academy Trusts, including those aired in the BBC Panorama programme of 10 September 2018. The results of the investigations are sensitive and cannot be shared at this time.

The Condition Improvement Funded works at The Whitehaven Academy and Fowey River Academy were undertaken by independent, externally appointed consultants. An official from the Department for Education was present at the technical inspection which took place at Fowey River Academy on 23 August 2018, but was not present at the Whitehaven Academy technical inspection, which took place on 17, 18 July and 30 August. However, officials had previously visited the academy on a number of occasions.

Our current policy is that reports into such reviews are published and we will do so once due process has been completed.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency and the Trusts have completed their initial review work to establish the facts surrounding existing concerns about Bright Tribe and Adventure Learning Academy Trusts, including those aired in the BBC Panorama programme of 10 September 2018. The results of the investigations are sensitive and cannot be shared at this time.

The Condition Improvement Funded works at The Whitehaven Academy and Fowey River Academy were undertaken by independent, externally appointed consultants. An official from the Department for Education was present at the technical inspection which took place at Fowey River Academy on 23 August 2018, but was not present at the Whitehaven Academy technical inspection, which took place on 17, 18 July and 30 August. However, officials had previously visited the academy on a number of occasions.

Our current policy is that reports into such reviews are published and we will do so once due process has been completed.

We require a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trusts’ status as companies, charities and public sector bodies, means they have a more rigorous tri-partite framework and are held up to greater scrutiny. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has worked closely with the Trusts and investigations are ongoing.

The results of the investigations are sensitive and cannot be shared at this time. Investigations are by nature complex and can take time to achieve the desired outcome. The ESFA is pursuing several avenues to ensure that matters are resolved in the public interest.

In addition, the department is working with the sector to continue building capacity and expertise in financial management, supporting effective school resource management with specialist advisers, three-year financial forecasting and developing buying hubs, and recommended deals for all schools.

All of this is reflected in the compliance of the sector, with fewer than 2% of academy trusts subject to an active financial notice to improve and 98% of academy trust accounts receiving unqualified opinions in both 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Yes, the Department holds copies of minutes of Bright Tribe Trust Limited board meetings.

​Good schools understand the benefits of healthy eating. They actively want to meet the standards, and the vast majority of parents support them in this.

Governing boards are legally responsible for meeting the School Food Standards. If they do not, they should be supported to address the issues and there are a number of organisations that can provide this support. If there are still concerns, the matter can be raised with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education who can issue a direction to the school if necessary.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Information on the placements of children looked-after is collected annually and published in the statistical release “Children looked after in England (including adoptions): 2017 to 2018”. The latest release is available on the department’s statistical web page at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. Previous releases can be located here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

Any child specifically placed in unregistered provision could be reported across a number of placement categories, but not exclusively in any, so we can not estimate the number of children placed within unregistered homes.

Unregulated accommodation can be the right option for some older children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17, providing a stepping-stone towards moving into an independent tenancy.

However, I want a better understanding of the use of this type of provision and have commissioned a piece of research to understand the issues related to the use of unregistered and unregulated provision. Sir Alan Wood, in his role as chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board, will oversee this work, which will develop our understanding of the reasons for local authorities placing children in these settings and their quality. I visited some unregulated provision on 23 May to further my knowledge of this type of accommodation.

In May, I wrote to all Directors of Children’s Services asking them to ensure that the accommodation they use is suitable; and to ensure that young people are getting the support they need.

I take providing appropriate support to young people in care and leaving care very seriously. That is why the government is funding local authorities to implement ‘Staying Put’, which allows care leavers to stay with their foster carer up to the age of 21, and piloting ‘Staying Closer’ in 8 local authorities, which provides an enhanced support offer for young people leaving residential care.

Social mobility is one of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s top priorities. We welcome the thorough analysis in the Social Mobility Commission’s State of the Nation 2018-19 report, and the important work that Dame Martina Milburn and her commissioners are doing to promote social mobility across the United Kingdom.

We are going through the recommendations in the report carefully, however in keeping with previous reports, we do not plan to publish a formal government response.