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Further Education: Student Wastage

Asked by Mark GarnierConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 31 October 2025UIN 83275

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to provide pathways for students who have been withdrawn from further educations due to their absence from Maths and English GCSE lessons.

Answered by Josh MacAlister

Further education colleges can decide to retain students who have been absent from their maths or English lessons, but they will have their future funding allocations reduced by half the national funding rate for every eligible student who is not offered the minimum planned teaching hours. This demonstrates the importance of supporting all students to make progress towards and attain level 2 in English and maths. A provider is permitted to opt out up to 2.5% of their 16- to 19 cohort from this requirement without financial penalty, where it is not appropriate to offer a student the minimum planned teaching hours.

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