I support National Education Union members at Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, who are taking strike action from today to defend their pay and conditions, including reversing job losses, class size increases and cuts to teaching time and curriculum provision.

We currently have a £700 million funding shortfall in Post-16 education, which affects both staff and students, and is threatening the future of our sixth form colleges. Sixth form colleges had been hit particularly hard within the education sector, with pupils losing out more in per head funding.

The Government must act to provide the funding that our colleges urgently need.