Found: Thankfully a lot has been covered, but I just want to raise the issue that, in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Thankfully a lot has been covered, but I just want to raise the issue that, in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Thankfully a lot has been covered, but I just want to raise the issue that, in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: asked how the Department will monitor and review the impact of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: There is a Bill in Parliament—the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill— that gives the Department for

Found: the Government seeks to establish ‘consistent identifiers’ for children through its Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: In line with the arguments set out in the Sex Education Forum’s Amendment to Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Fran Oram: As the Minister said, the process that led up to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: about this approach and provide additional information to note concerns about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: The new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill includes a clause to set up multi-agency child protection

Found: has already signalled its intention to address these issues with measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: part of a new legal requirement to deliver a kinship local offer as outlined in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Breakfast Partner School, Kingston upon HullSEN0523 Magic Breakfast’s Amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: However, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will bring children in need and kinship children

Found: Public Bill Committees Resolved, That the Committee appoint Members to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Session 2024–25 Number Title Reference 2nd Scrutiny of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill HC

Found: settings.47 We welcome the trialing of Regional Care Cooperatives as proposed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: made by the Minister for Early Years Stephen Morgan MP during Committee stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Fully utilising opportunities that come with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWS), the Law

Found: Education Committee Scrutiny of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Second Report of Session 2024

Found: New policies, such as the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, tackle some of these barriers, yet

Found: . ● The Government amends the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to close any potential loopholes

Found: Written evidence from Family Rights Group (CWS 08) Education Select Committee Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Close’ scheme.18 We welcome the proposed extension of Staying Close to 25 within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Nevertheless, we are concerned that the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a missed opportunity

Found: Written Evidence from Cafcass (CWS0007) Education Committee Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 1.

Found: evidence from the Confederation of School Trusts (CWS 06) Education Select Committee Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many child's rights impact assessments they (1) prepared, and (2) published, in each year from 1 April 2018, broken down by department.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department does not collect information on the number of Child’s Rights Impact Assessments that have been prepared or published.

The department co-produced, with civil society, a Child’s Rights Impact Assessment template with guidance that has been shared with other departments.

We encourage the completion of assessments to ensure policy and legislation does not adversely affect children’s rights and wellbeing. Departments individually determine the use and publication of any assessment.

The department has conducted Child’s Rights Impact Assessments for all measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, analysing the impact on children of the policies and where particular groups of children and young people more likely to be affected than others. These documents are accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local authorities licensing young performers absent from schools for performing engagements; and of how that licensing regime will be impacted under the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that young performers are safeguarded under the proposed registration requirement in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the ability of young performers to request absences from school for performances.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to manage the sharing of information regarding children who perform as part of the process of ensuring compliance with regulatory restrictions.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how safeguarding provisions for young performers absent from school for work will operate following the enactment of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that the provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill do not prevent young performers from contributing to the creative industries.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is concerned with strengthening child employment legislation. The department’s proposed measures will offer children greater opportunities for meaningful, suitable employment whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development and education. It will not change the length of time children are able to work per week, but it will provide greater flexibility on when those hours are taken.

The child employment measures in the Bill will work alongside, but are distinct from, existing legislation related to child performance. The current regulatory framework for child performance ensures that a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding all children in their area and are therefore responsible for licensing. A licence will only be granted once the local authority is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and that the conditions of the licence will be observed.

The requirement in the Bill to introduce compulsory registers of children not in school in every local authority in England and Wales would include young performers if they were not on the school roll, if they were part of a flexi-schooling arrangement, or using unregistered alternative provision. The registers will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas and to take action if they are not receiving a safe or suitable education.

Both existing child performance regulation and the department’s proposed child employment measures in the Bill have children’s needs at their heart and seek to balance access to opportunities, safeguarding and a high-quality education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure that all schools in Sandwell are listing teaching jobs with a (a) main and (b) upper pay scale.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

For maintained schools, the school teachers’ pay and conditions document (STPCD) sets out which pay range would be appropriate for any teaching role advertised in England, including Sandwell, and includes the main and upper pay ranges. The document is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-teachers-pay-and-conditions.

Non-maintained schools, including academies and free schools, are responsible for determining the pay and conditions of their staff. Such schools are therefore not currently obliged to follow the statutory arrangements set out in the STPCD, although they may still choose to do so if they wish.

However, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department will require academies to have regard to the STPCD, ensuring an established starting point for all state schools while giving confidence that existing or future changes which benefit teachers and pupils, will be able to continue.

Taken together, the Bill measures and the changes we make through secondary legislation following this Bill will create a pay floor with no ceiling, ensuring all state school teachers can rely on a core pay offer and all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best teachers.

For either maintained or academy schools, it would be for the individual school to determine for themselves, when advertising vacant posts, whether the requirements of the post are more suited to the main or upper pay range, depending on the school’s budget and the range of experience and skills that applying candidates demonstrate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to reintroduce a safeguarding database for children.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Keeping children safe is a priority for this government. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is taking a range of steps to improve safeguarding. We are introducing a new information sharing duty, making provision for a Single Unique Identifier, strengthening the role of education in local safeguarding arrangements and introducing multi-agency child protection teams.

There are presently no plans to re-introduce a national safeguarding database for children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic right to home educate under the Children and Wellbeing Bill on parents home schooling their children.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest.

There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations her Department has received from parents who home school their children about the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest.

There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet with parents who home school their children to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest.

There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the well-being of children returning to school following a period of home education in South Suffolk constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Supporting the wellbeing of children in schools is central to their ability to achieve and thrive. That is why the department encourages schools to ensure a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment where all pupils want to be are ready to learn. The department also provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ wellbeing, including a resources hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

The information that local authorities will collect through the Children Not in School statutory registers, which the department are introducing under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, will help to build a clearer picture of the child’s individual needs and circumstances and enable the local authority or school to provide the tailored support required to best meet those needs.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also introduces a duty on local authorities to provide advice and information to parents of children on their registers, should the parents request it.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of support for children in kinship care.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is taking a number of steps to ensure that children in kinship care get the support that they need to thrive. This includes promoting their educational and mental health needs and supporting the people who care for them.

From September 2024, the department expanded the role of virtual school heads on a non-statutory basis to include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care, ensuring that more children in kinship care receive the help they need to thrive at school. The department is now mandating this through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

In addition, the department is providing over £3 billion of pupil premium funding to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England, including looked after and previously looked after children. Schools can direct pupil premium spending where the need is greatest, including to pupils with other identified needs, such as children in kinship care. Schools can also use pupil premium on whole class approaches that will benefit all pupils, such as on high quality teaching.

Some children in kinship care will be able to access the adoption and special guardianship support fund, which helps adoptive and special guardianship order children and their families access therapeutic interventions related to trauma and attachment.

Children in kinship care will also benefit from this government’s commitment to improving mental health support for all children and young people. The government will deliver on this commitment through providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. We will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

The steps the government is taking to improve support for kinship carers will also improve the support children living in kinship care receive. In October, the department announced £40 million to trial a new kinship allowance in up to ten local authorities. This pilot will test whether paying an allowance will help support more children to live and thrive with a kinship carer.

In addition, the government has provided over 140 peer support groups and a package of training and support for all kinship carers to access across England. The increased financial support, emotional support and training kinship carers receive should help them in their role as carers and enhance the support they give the children in their care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children in kinship care receive adequate (a) education and (b) mental health support.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to ensuring that children in kinship care get the support that they need to thrive. There are a number of ways in which we support their educational and mental health needs.

From September 2024, the department expanded the role of virtual school heads on a non-statutory basis to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care, ensuring that more children in kinship care receive the help they need to thrive at school. The department is now mandating this through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This will ensure that all children in kinship care, regardless of whether they spent time in local authority care, will ensure they receive consistent support to improve their educational outcomes. This will also give kinship carers better access to and understanding of educational resources and support, which will increase visibility of these children in education and ensure they are not overlooked.

In addition, the department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England, including looked after and previously looked after children. Schools can direct pupil premium spending where the need is greatest, including to pupils with other identified needs, such as children in kinship care. Schools can also use pupil premium on whole class approaches that will benefit all pupils, such as on high quality teaching.

This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education. The government will deliver on this commitment through providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

As of April 2024, NHS-funded mental health support teams covered 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England, and are expected to cover at least 50% by the end of March 2025. The department will also be putting in place new young futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. For example, a resources hub for mental health leads, and a toolkit to help schools choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund also helps adoptive and special guardianship order children and their families access therapeutic interventions related to trauma and attachment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve the terms and conditions of teachers in the public sector.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

There is a statutory process for making revisions to the pay and conditions of teachers, and any change must first be referred by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).

The department’s written evidence for the 2025/2026 pay round asks the STRB to consider how schools can support teachers from all backgrounds and promote flexible working, which will improve the experience of teaching and help deliver the best possible education for students.

The department is also asking the STRB to consider how additional responsibility payments can be more fairly managed for part-time teachers.

The department will also use the new powers in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to make changes to the teacher pay and conditions framework to create a pay floor with no ceiling, to enable healthy competition and innovation beyond a core framework, which will help to improve all state schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support care leavers after the age of 21 to help ensure that they have stable living arrangements.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Supporting care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this government.

Housing and concerns about accommodation rank as one of the highest worries for care leavers, and for professionals trying to support them.

The department is introducing, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a new duty for local authorities to consider whether former relevant children, up to age 25, require support to find and keep suitable accommodation, and support to access services relating to health and wellbeing, relationships, education and training, employment and participating in society. If support is required, the local authority should then provide this in the form of a ‘staying close’ arrangement.

The Bill also introduces an additional requirement on local authorities to publish the arrangements they have in place for the purpose of supporting and assisting care leavers in their transition to adulthood. This information in the local authority’s local offer will aid care leavers to look at all the options open to them and help them make informed decisions when deciding upon accommodation and other support they might wish to access.

The Bill also includes a measure to ensure that where a council is their corporate parent, no care leaver can be found to have become homeless intentionally.

All care leavers are entitled to support from a Personal Adviser (PA) until they are 25. PAs help care leavers to access services like housing, health and benefits, as well as providing practical and emotional support for independent living. PAs also work with care leavers to create a mandatory pathway plan outlining the support provided by the local authority.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of local authority employees working with home educating families that are only employed during school term time; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the working hours these staff will need to undertake in the future.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information on the number of local authority employees working with home-educating families that are only employed during term time. Local authorities determine their own approaches to staffing.

Additional local authority resource will be required to undertake the new duties created by the Children Not in School measures detailed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We are considering these additional requirements and will conduct a full new burdens assessment as is required.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will apply to armed forces initial training establishments that accept under-18-year-olds.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will strengthen multi-agency working between local authorities, health, police and education and childcare settings, and those settings will be designated in regulations. The department expects safeguarding partners to work together with relevant agencies to promote the welfare of children in their local area regardless of what type of education or training establishment they are attending.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for care leavers in rural areas.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department knows that care leavers have some of the worst outcomes in society and we are committed to ensuring that all young people leaving care, irrespective of where they live, have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong loving relationships, and are engaged in education, employment and training.

While many of the issues that care leavers face will be common to all young people leaving care, the department knows that those who live in rural areas can face additional challenges, such as fewer employment opportunities, limited public transport and increased risk of loneliness and isolation, which can make their transition to independence more difficult.

All local authorities are required to publish their ‘local offer’ for care leavers, which provides information about the statutory support that all care leavers are entitled to, and any discretionary services the local authority provides, to support care leavers in their transition to adulthood. Each local authority’s local offer should reflect the particular circumstances faced by its care leavers, including those that arise due to the fact that they live in a rural location.

The department is strengthening the local offer through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to drive forward our manifesto commitments on children’s social care. The Bill will provide ‘Staying close support’ across the country, including in rural areas, for care leavers up to the age of 25. Staying close will increase support for young people leaving residential care through move-on accommodation and ongoing support from a keyworker.

The Bill will also require each local authority to publish the arrangements it has in place to support and assist care leavers, particularly around accommodation and joint working between local authority care leaver and housing teams.

Local housing authorities owe various duties to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In certain circumstances local housing authorities have a duty to secure settled accommodation for them, but this is only the case where, in addition to other criteria, the person is not found to have become homeless intentionally. Through the Bill, we are removing intentional homelessness decisions for eligible care leavers to further strengthen support for this vulnerable cohort.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating care leavers as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of that designation on opportunities for care leavers.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is committed to enabling all children and young people to achieve and thrive. To ensure we are providing the best support for children in care and care leavers we have tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which introduces corporate parenting responsibilities on government departments and relevant public bodies to ensure that services and support to children in care and care leavers better take account of the challenges these young people face.

Whilst we currently have no plans to update the Equality Act, we believe our corporate parenting proposals will serve to tackle the stigma and discrimination that we know children in care and care leavers experience.

The department knows that care leavers have some of the worst outcomes in society across all aspects of their lives and we are committed to ensuring that young people leaving care have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong, loving relationships and are engaged in education, employment and training.

To support these ambitions, the department has re-established a Care Leaver Ministerial Board, chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which brings together ministers from key departments to improve support for care leavers across government.

The department has also introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to drive forward our reforms on children’s social care, including placing new duties on local authorities to provide ‘Staying Close’ support to care leavers up to the age of 25 and requiring each local authority to publish information about the arrangements it has in place to support care leavers in their transition to independent living.

We are determined to tackle the stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced young people, by creating a culture where all those who play a role in the lives of children in care and care leavers are ambitious for their outcomes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the guidance entitled Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 in preventing children from being returned to abusive parents.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Local authorities have a duty to protect all children, including those returning home from care.

The statutory 'Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations volume 2: care planning, placement and case review' is clear that where the plan is for a child to return to the care of their family when they cease to be looked-after, there should be a robust planning and decision-making process to ensure that this decision is in the best interests of the child and will safeguard and promote their welfare.

The multi-agency statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023’ reinforces the legal obligations for individuals and organisations to ensure the safety of children, including those returning home.

Local statutory safeguarding partners, such as local authorities, integrated care boards and police chiefs have responsibility for the delivery and monitoring of multi-agency priorities and procedures to protect and safeguard children in the local area, and are required to publish an annual report on the effectiveness of their arrangements.

Internal analysis of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements’ annual reports and on the impact of how the ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023' statutory guidance was strengthened in 2023 is encouraging, especially regarding how safeguarding partners are implementing its requirements.

Ofsted also has a vital role to play in ensuring that the settings and services that support children are safe and effective, and that children leaving care are given the right support to achieve and thrive, with 100 local authorities now rated Good or Outstanding for children’s services.

Protecting children at risk of abuse and stopping vulnerable children falling through cracks in services are at the heart of the government’s landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced on 17 December 2024.

The department’s investment in reforms includes over £500 million for Family Help and child protection services. We expect Family Help to provide support where children in care may be able to return safely to their families.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that chairs of family group conferences are fully trained.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department knows that many local authorities have an existing family group decision making (FGDM) service in place, including many who use the family group conference model. In some local authorities, independent coordinators are recruited to facilitate or ‘chair’ FGDM meetings and, in other areas, social workers are trained to deliver the service.

Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is seeking to place a duty on local authorities to offer an FGDM meeting to all parents and those with parental responsibility whose children are on the edge of care, unless this is not in the best interests of the child. This will ensure that families have the opportunity to participate in planning and decision-making at this critical point.

As part of this, the department will be developing guidance about best practice in delivering FGDM. This will include guidance on how to ensure that facilitators of the FGDM process have the appropriate skills and training. We are conscious of the additional resources that local authorities will require to fulfil this measure, which may include recruiting or training extra staff. That is why this government has committed to an uplift of £13 million for the Children’s Social Care Prevention Grant for 2025/26, which will be used to support the rollout of FGDM across the country for all families on the edge of care. This money can be used to expand a local authority’s existing service, including training additional facilitators for FGDM.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues on timings schools will be expected to run free breakfast clubs to and from on a given day.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

From the start of the summer term, early adopter schools will be expected to deliver a free, universal breakfast club providing childcare and food for at least 30 minutes, immediately before the start of the compulsory school day. This will also be a requirement for all schools with primary aged children under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce the divide in attainment between the north and south of England; and what the barriers are to reducing that divide.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they are from. However, we know that too many children and young people face barriers to learning. This is not acceptable, which is why the Opportunity Mission will break down barriers and the unfair link between background and success, helping all children achieve and thrive wherever they are in the country.

High and rising standards in every school are at the heart of this mission. The department aims to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, and a system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back.

To ensure all children and young people have expert qualified teachers driving high and rising standards across our schools and colleges, the department is committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers.

Teaching School Hubs have been established across the country, which provide approved high-quality professional development to teachers at all stages of their careers. These Hubs play a significant role in delivering initial teacher training, the Early Career Framework, national professional qualifications and Appropriate Body services. Three Rivers Teaching School Hub is a centre of excellence which delivers teacher training and development across Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

We have also launched the Curriculum and Assessment Review that will look closely at key challenges to attainment, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

The department is strengthening our tools for faster and more effective school improvement by launching the new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams. Supported by over £20 million, these teams will provide both mandatory, targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve, and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system for all schools.

The department has also introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to give every family the certainty that they will be able to access a good local school for their child, where they can achieve and thrive, regardless of where they live.

Absence is one of the biggest barriers to success for children and young people. Missing school regularly is harmful to a child’s attainment, safety and physical and mental health, which limits their opportunity to succeed. This government is determined to tackle this and have a comprehensive strategy in place.

This includes our attendance mentoring programme, which multiple areas in the north, including Middlesborough, Blackpool and Hartlepool, are benefiting from. Backed by over £15 million investment, the programme provides targeted one-to-one support for students who are persistently absence.

To enable the sharing of good practice across the sector, we also have a network of Attendance Hubs led by a school with good attendance practices. Each hub has a broad geographical spread, and schools are clustered with similar schools. There are currently 31 hubs across England working with 2,000 schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the School Attendance Order process in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on local authority staff time.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is legislating through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to make School Attendance Orders a more efficient remedy to ensure that children are in receipt of suitable education. This includes making it an offence for parents to withdraw a child subject to a School Attendance Order from school without following the proper procedure. This means that parents convicted of breaching a School Attendance Order can be prosecuted again if they continue to breach it without local authorities having to restart the process from the beginning, which will save resources.

Other measures which will impact on local authority staff time include additional statutory timelines on parts of the process, a new requirement for local authorities to consider the home and other learning environments, and a new power for local authorities to request to see the child in their home(s).

Where additional local authority resources will be required to undertake new duties created by these School Attendance Order changes, the department is considering these additional requirements and will conduct a full new burdens assessment as is required.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of children who will be lifted out of (1) poverty, and (2) deep poverty, as a result of free school breakfast clubs.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a key step towards delivering the government’s opportunity mission to break the link between young people’s background and their future success. It will put in place a package of support to drive high and rising standards throughout our education and care systems so that every child can achieve and thrive.

We are taking action to break the unfair link between background and success by rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school which will offer all children, regardless of their background, a settled start to the day, improving their attendance, behaviour and attainment. It will also help with the costs of living and mean many more pupils are fed and ready to learn at the start to the school day. This will be of particular benefit to the most disadvantaged families.

By providing parents with a free half hour breakfast club each morning, the department estimates this will save parents up to £450 a year in paid for before-school childcare. Being able to drop children off at school earlier may also offer parents greater opportunities in terms of the timing, nature, and location of employed roles open to them.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when draft guidance on the Children Not In School measures in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be published for consultation.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.

The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.

In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.

The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's Children Not in School Registers: regulatory impact assessment for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, if she will publish the statistics on School Attendance Order fines for the last 10 years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.

The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.

In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.

The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many School Attendance Orders were issued by each local authority in England for each of the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.

The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.

In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.

The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's Children Not in School Registers: regulatory impact assessment for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, published on 30 January 2025, for what reason (a) higher and (b) lower numbers of School Attendance Orders would be seen as measures of success for the Children Not In School measures.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.

The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.

In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.

The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether home educating parents will have to update the local authority within 15 days each time there is a change to the arrangements on record.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.

The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.

In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.

The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.

In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the New Burdens Assessment will be completed before the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill receives Royal Assent.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department has conducted initial new burdens impact assessments, in line with normal practice, for measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Once the new burdens assessments have been finalised, where it is assessed there is a new burden on local government, all additional net costs will be funded by central government in line with the New Burdens Doctrine.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the further impact assessments for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will be added to the main bill page.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The full suite of impact assessments of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with relevant authorities to support parents who educate their children at home.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

While parents who choose to home educate assume full responsibility for their child’s education, the department believes that parents, educational providers and local authorities should work together to deliver the best educational outcomes for every child.

As part of the Children Not in School measures included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is introducing the first ever duty on local authorities to provide support for home educating families. This support duty will ensure that parents who choose to home educate their children will receive a minimum level of support from their local authority should they request it.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also includes measures for the introduction of statutory Children Not in School registers in every local authority in England, and an accompanying duty on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for these registers. The information provided will enable local authorities to identify all children who are not in school in their area, including children who are home educated, as well as any specific support needs that they might have. Collecting this information will ensure that local authorities are better able to provide appropriate support in the form of advice and information to those children and their families should they request it.

The department continues to work with local authorities to collect information from existing voluntary registers of children not in school through the department’s mandatory termly elective home education data collection. This helps further build the national picture as to what support home educating parents may need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the number of child sexual assault cases brought forward.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced in Parliament on 17 December, will protect children at risk of abuse, stopping vulnerable children falling through cracks in services.

To keep children safe, the department plans to improve the sharing of information across and within agencies by enabling the use of a Single Unique Identifier. To better protect children from harm, we also plan to strengthen the delivery of a local decisive multi-agency child protection model through integrated multi-agency child protection teams, put a new duty on safeguarding partners to ensure education is sufficiently involved in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, and ensure parents have consent from local authorities to home educate children where there are safeguarding concerns.

Beyond the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, it is paramount the department acts to protect children from all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation. To that end, on 16 January, my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary made clear that, before Easter, the government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the 20 recommendations from the final Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse report.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a (a) regulatory and (b) governing body to (i) oversee home-educated students and (ii) ensure access to appropriate (A) resources, (B) support and (C) examination facilities.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to financially support independent candidates (a) sitting A-Level exams and (b) requiring multiple resits.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to establish a system of designated (a) schools and (b) colleges offering practical science support for external candidates.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with exam boards on ensuring adequate provision of practical science assessments for private candidates.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that home-schooled students have access to laboratory facilities for required practical assessments in A-Level science subjects.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of private examination centres offering full practical assessments for A-Level science students.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.

The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).

Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.

The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.

Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.

Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to clause 25 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, what the means is for appealing to the Secretary of State.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.

As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether the references in the Bill to education otherwise than at school refer to the form of schooling commonly known as education otherwise than at school (EOTAS).

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.

As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to clause 25 8(b) of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether guidance will be issued as to what would count as exceptional circumstances.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.

As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether the new rules on a maximum number of branded school uniform items are intended only to apply to new entrants to the school in the normal year of entry to the school.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.

These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.

Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.

Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether (a) scarves, (b) hats and (c) other optional items of clothing count towards the limit for branded items of uniform.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.

These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.

Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.

Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether a badge (a) sewn onto or (b) otherwise affixed to a generic blazer will count towards the limits for branded items of school uniforms.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.

These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.

Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.

Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve educational opportunities for young people in the Forest of Dean.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

All young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they’re from. Through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, the department will improve opportunities and life chances across the country, including for young people in the Forest of Dean, breaking the unfair link between background and success.

The department is committed to helping all young people to achieve and thrive at school and to build skills for opportunity and growth, ensuring that every young person can follow the pathway that is right for them.

High and rising standards in every school are at the heart of this mission. The department aims to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high- quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back.

As one of our first steps for change, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers. Additionally, we have launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review which seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and maths. The Review also seeks to deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, readying young people for life and work, reflecting the diversities of our society.

The department has also introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to give every family the certainty that they will be able to access a good local school for their child, where they can achieve and thrive, regardless of where they live.

The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce in all areas, including the Forest of Dean, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.

This includes the establishment of Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade. It will ensure that the skills system is clear and navigable for individuals, for both young people and older adults, strengthening careers pathways into jobs across the economy.

The Forest of Dean benefits from colleges such as ​Hartpury College, which is delivering ​£16.7 million​ of FE and skills provision. The college is delivering T Levels in agriculture related subjects.

The Autumn Budget 2024 provided an additional £300 million revenue funding for further education (FE) for the 2025/26 financial year to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. £50 million of this funding has been made available to FE colleges and sixth-form colleges for the period April to July 2025. This one-off grant will enable colleges, such as Hartpury College, to respond to current priorities and challenges, including workforce recruitment and retention. Schools and academies will also continue to get grant funding for their 16 to 19 provision over this period.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) support the department’s long term priority to drive local economic growth by reshaping the skills system to better align provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.

The Gloucestershire LSIP, which includes the Forest of Dean, recognises local challenges, such as the net exportation of young people and a declining working-age population, and identifies key skills needs in priority local sectors, including agriculture, agritech and land management, construction, and digital industries. The plan proposes a range of actions to resolve issues, such as enhancing careers advice for young people in education and developing new provision through quality apprenticeships, T Levels and full time 16 to 19 study programmes, as well as via routes including Boot Camps and adult education budget programmes. The LSIP also advocates better signposting and guidance for employers to increase awareness of local existing provision which may already meet skills needs.

The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth and could benefit young people in the Forest of Dean. This signals an important step towards realising a youth guarantee, which brings together a range of existing and new entitlements and provision so that 18 to 21-year-olds can access training, an apprenticeship, or support to find work in England. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are developing the guarantee with mayoral authorities to provide local, tailored support and will work with local areas on future expansion.

Found: committee’s report. 1.3 Recent parliamentary debate During Committee Stage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill: HL Bill 84 of 2024–25

Found: finding homes for looked after children and section 6.1 of the Library briefing on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: progress of the bill 7 Commons Library Research Briefing, 4 March 2025 Summary The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Overlap with The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 5.1.

Found: finding homes for looked after children and section 6.1 of the Library briefing on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: In the 2024/5 Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, home educators' children's

Found: In the 2024/5 Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, home educators' children's data will for the first

Found: Through the Opportunities mission, and the measures being taken through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: Academies Trust To discuss school system measures that will be introducted as part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: The measures build on the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to better support vulnerable

Found: The plans come alongside wider measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to deliver high-quality

Found: And much of our vital action is delivered by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

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Found: the abolition of the overall effectiveness grades and the expected reforms in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: The new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is currently going through parliament should support

Found: That is why, through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are introducing compulsory Children

Found: The new Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which is currently going through parliament should support

Found: members, We are deeply concerned to note the acceptance of the Parliamentary Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: 1 LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 1.

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Found: This is being brought about through proposals in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced

Found: Written Statement: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill (10 March 2025)