Department for Education

This government is committed to increasing activity levels for all children. Schools have the flexibility to decide on the activities they provide to deliver a rounded and enriching education to suit their pupils’ needs.

The government currently funds a cycling training programme called Bikeability, with the aims to equip more children and families with the skills, confidence, and knowledge needed to cycle safely on roads, while encouraging active travel in everyday life. This investment is part of a broader effort to support local authorities in developing and constructing walking, wheeling, and cycling facilities across England.

The department welcomes the opportunity for continued collaboration with Bikeability to create sustainable improvements in physical activity for young people. For example, through active travel and promoting the overall wellbeing benefits of physical activity, including through cycling.

I refer the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills to the answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77400.

Every child deserves an education that meets their needs, one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

We will set out the full Schools White Paper soon, building on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.

The department regularly publishes statistics on pupils with special educational needs, including information on educational attainment, destinations, absence and exclusions.

The exam timetable is set nationally by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which takes into account a range of complex factors, including the potential needs of different students, to ensure the timetable is fair and manageable for all students. JCQ consults on the provisional timetable a year in advance, giving schools and colleges the opportunity to share any concerns before the timetable is finalised.

Although the national timetable applies uniformly to every student, access arrangements such as extra time or supervised rest breaks, can help ensure that students with disabilities, temporary illness or injuries are not unfairly disadvantaged when taking their exams and assessments. These arrangements are determined on a case-by-case basis according to individual needs.

The income threshold above which repayments are required for Plan 2 loans will remain at its 2026/27 financial year level of £29,385 up to April 2030, and will increase annually with the Retail Price Index thereafter. This change will help to ensure the system remains sustainable in the long term and is able to continue benefitting future generations of students.

Borrowers remain protected as repayments are determined by income, not the amount borrowed. If a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Lower-earning graduates will continue to be protected, with any outstanding loan and interest written off at the end of the loan term.

We have recently closed a consultation on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways. As part of this, we are considering transition arrangements to reach the new qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will set out plans in due course.

The government is committed to ensuring the country develops the skills needed to break down barriers to opportunity and so is introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE). This will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners up to aged 60 studying courses that start on or after 1 January 2027.

The LLE will remove the Equivalent Level Qualification rules meaning more people can train, retrain and upskill flexibly. Also under the LLE, a priority additional entitlement will be available to support graduates who study a second degree in certain courses, including medicine. Courses eligible for priority additional entitlement funding have been chosen based on their alignment to the government’s Industrial Strategy and the UK’s priority skills needs.

Medical students taking a second degree using the LLE will also be able to access standard maintenance support for those years not covered by the NHS bursary.

The department has recently closed the consultation on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways. We are carefully considering transition arrangements to reach the new qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will set out plans in due course.

The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites/land and construction of free schools. A site has not yet been acquired for this project. When a site is secured, details and costs of the acquisition will be set out on the Land Registry website. We also publish details and costs for all free school construction contracts on Contracts Finder.

The department also provides revenue funding (via project development grants) directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening. A one-off project development grant of £30,000 was paid to the trust in July 2017 following the approval of the project.

I refer the hon. Member for Romford to the answer of 28 November 2025 to Question 92868.

Nobody should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in their place of study through the period products scheme. The scheme aims to remove periods as a barrier to accessing education and addresses pupils being unable to afford period products.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.

We will publish further details about plans for SEND reform in a Schools White Paper shortly. Our reforms will be underpinned by five principles: ‘early’, ‘local’, ‘fair’, ‘effective’ and ‘shared’.

To support the reforms, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice and help address variation in provision.

For example, recently published evidence reviews from University College London highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children with different types of needs.

The department also funds a What Works in SEND programme. Their research and effective practice models are included at: https://whatworks-send.org.uk/.

New research delivered by UK Research Innovation will also aim to develop effective approaches to early identification of children needing tailored educational support.

The department recognises the impact of disadvantage on children’s outcomes. The disadvantage gap in attainment at both primary and secondary remains high and persistent. We also know that children eligible for free school meals (FSM) have substantially higher absence rates.

Every child and young person should have the opportunity to achieve and thrive at school, no matter who they are or where they are from, and schools receive the pupil premium grant, worth over £3 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, to support the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.

Our Child Poverty Strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030, including through the expansion of FSM, which will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament and put £500 back in families’ pockets. Providing disadvantaged children with a free lunchtime meal will lead overall to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions.

Ofsted consider how schools are discharging their statutory duties as part of inspections.

We intend to consult later this year on revising the ‘Supporting pupils at schools with medical conditions’ statutory guidance. This will seek views from schools, parents, health professionals, and other stakeholders on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties. The current guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on the 12 January. The reforms set out in the consultation simplify the level 3 qualifications landscape into 3 pathways: T Levels, V Levels and A levels. They also reform the level 2 landscape so that it better supports students to progress to level 3 or into employment.

V Levels will focus on core knowledge and skills linked with occupational standards, enabling progression to higher education, apprenticeships, or employment. T Levels combine sector-specific core content with a specialist component that develops competence in an occupation.

As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

The department is working with awarding organisations, training providers, Skills England and sector representative organisations to develop these new qualifications, which will go through a series of checks for their quality and appropriateness for learners before being approved for funding.

The UNICEF Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality framework is used primarily in humanitarian, healthcare, gender-based violence, and child protection settings to assess barriers to service access, rather than qualification content design. As with all new policies the department needs to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, and the consultation included an equality and diversity impact assessment.

The information requested on participation and regional access is not held centrally.

On 20 October 2025, alongside the publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, the department published a consultation on Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, which closed on the 12 January. The reforms set out in the consultation simplify the level 3 qualifications landscape into 3 pathways: T Levels, V Levels and A levels. They also reform the level 2 landscape so that it better supports students to progress to level 3 or into employment.

V Levels will focus on core knowledge and skills linked with occupational standards, enabling progression to higher education, apprenticeships, or employment. T Levels combine sector-specific core content with a specialist component that develops competence in an occupation.

As part of our consultation, we have been engaging with the sector on transition arrangements. We will set out our response to the consultation in due course.

The department is working with awarding organisations, training providers, Skills England and sector representative organisations to develop these new qualifications, which will go through a series of checks for their quality and appropriateness for learners before being approved for funding.

The UNICEF Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Quality framework is used primarily in humanitarian, healthcare, gender-based violence, and child protection settings to assess barriers to service access, rather than qualification content design. As with all new policies the department needs to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty, and the consultation included an equality and diversity impact assessment.

The information requested on participation and regional access is not held centrally.

The department does not hold this information.

Where a school may require a pupil to possess a digital device, such devices are covered by existing school charging rules. Sections 449-462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging for school activities in schools maintained by local authorities in England. Academies (including free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges) are required through their funding agreement to comply with the law on charging for school activities.

The department’s school charging advice is clear that schools cannot charge for education provided during school hours, including the supply of any materials. This includes digital devices as well as books, instruments or other equipment. The advice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charging-for-school-activities.

Schools can charge parents for such items where the parent wishes to own them.

The department supports school leaders by providing a range of resources, including commercial resources and benchmarking tools. This includes our school staffing guidance, designed to help employers in all schools with staffing and employment issues, and to inform their decision making. It provides information to relevant legislation and sources of up-to-date guidance and advice that employers need to consider.

We have also made resources available as part of the ‘Maximising Value for Pupils’ programme, including the financial benchmarking and insight tool, which helps schools examine their financial data and benchmark spending against similar schools and trusts, and the ‘Energy for Schools’ pilot, which has identified 36% savings for schools on their energy bills.

The department publishes an annual headcount of those working in schools in the School Workforce Census, with the latest release available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The department is providing grant-in-aid of up to a maximum of £17.412 million for Oak National Academy (Oak) for financial year 2025/26. The level of funding for Oak for financial years 2026/27 to 2027/28, as with other programmes, will be confirmed through the department’s business planning process. Funding from 2028/29 onward will be subject to the 2027 Spending Review.

The department is providing grant-in-aid of up to a maximum of £17.412 million for Oak National Academy (Oak) for financial year 2025/26. The level of funding for Oak for financial years 2026/27 to 2027/28, as with other programmes, will be confirmed through the department’s business planning process. Funding from 2028/29 onward will be subject to the 2027 Spending Review.

Further education colleges have a number of different funding streams, including funding for 16-19 year-olds.

Funding for 16-19 year-olds is through a lagged funding system whereby the funding for each college is based on its student numbers in the previous year. However, for those institutions with a significant growth in students, the department recognises that there are additional costs and provides in-year growth funding to help with these.

This system allows funding for colleges to respond to changes in their delivery and give them confidence on 16-19 funding in the year ahead. Colleges are informed of their allocations several months before the start of the academic year to help them finalise their financial and workforce planning. Ensuring that funding directly reflects the number of students recruited enables institutions to recruit with confidence, whereas a fixed multi-year funding allocation would not. The department keeps the effectiveness of the funding system under review.

The Mandarin Excellence Programme is operating this academic year, and we are developing options for next and subsequent academic years, which we will set out in due course.

Academy trusts play a central role in our education system, but accountability hasn’t kept pace with their growth. The government is delivering on its manifesto commitment by legislating to introduce Ofsted inspection of academy trusts, and intervention powers for the Secretary of State where inspection identifies that a trust is failing.

The department’s published guidance on Financial Support and Oversight for Academy Trusts sits alongside the Academy Trust Handbook and sets out the regulatory approach for the sector and how the department will engage with trusts in financial difficulty. Both of these documents can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts/financial-support-and-oversight-for-academy-trusts-guidance, and: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

Where there are concerns about the financial compliance or governance of a trust, the department will intervene and can issue a notice to improve setting conditions that the trust must meet to address concerns and avoid further action. The Secretary of State also has the power to terminate a trust's funding agreement in the most serious cases.

This government recognises that independent students including care leavers, care experienced students and estranged students may require additional support to access higher education.

As announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, we will increase student loan support in line with inflation and re-introduce targeted maintenance grants. We will also provide extra support for care leavers, ensuring all are automatically eligible to receive maximum student loan support, irrespective of their household income or living circumstances. In addition, care leavers will continue to receive a £2000 non-repayable bursary, to support with their living expenses.

We will work in collaboration with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and relevant external stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the Renters’ Rights Act and explore the accommodation needs of independent students studying in higher education. The department will soon be publishing a Statement of Expectations for the higher education sector, which will urge higher education providers to plan strategically for the supply of suitable accommodation for their students and include guidance on how providers can support the needs of vulnerable students.

This government recognises that independent students including care leavers, care experienced students and estranged students may require additional support to access higher education.

As announced in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, we will increase student loan support in line with inflation and re-introduce targeted maintenance grants. We will also provide extra support for care leavers, ensuring all are automatically eligible to receive maximum student loan support, irrespective of their household income or living circumstances. In addition, care leavers will continue to receive a £2000 non-repayable bursary, to support with their living expenses.

We will work in collaboration with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and relevant external stakeholders to monitor the impacts of the Renters’ Rights Act and explore the accommodation needs of independent students studying in higher education. The department will soon be publishing a Statement of Expectations for the higher education sector, which will urge higher education providers to plan strategically for the supply of suitable accommodation for their students and include guidance on how providers can support the needs of vulnerable students.

As set out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the government will fund more evidence-based parenting and home learning offers through Best Start Family Hubs to achieve the 75% good level of development milestone, and bridge the critical gap before children enter school. We will set clearer rules to ensure that funding is used on high-quality parenting programmes.

The publication 'Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies – Preparing for implementation April 2026' sets out a number of relevant programme requirements around evidence, and the department will set out further information in the coming months, including on the online elements of the parenting offer. The publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-guidance-for-local-authorities.

The government is committed to supporting a broad and balanced curriculum that is inclusive and accessible to all pupils. Classical education, including classical studies and the study of ancient languages, offers valuable insights into history, language development, politics and art, and can enrich pupils’ understanding of the world today. All schools are free to include Classics within their curriculum, and GCSEs and A levels are available in this subject.

The department continues to work with organisations such as Classics for All, The Classical Association and Hands Up Education to ensure schools are aware of the free resources and support available to teach this subject.

To further strengthen subject expertise, we provide bursaries for trainee language teachers, including those training to teach ancient languages. For the 2026/27 academic year, this will be £20,000.

Universities in England are autonomous, and as such it is for each provider to determine the nature and extent of the services they offer to their students and alumni, including any careers guidance or ongoing support after graduation.

The government encourages all higher education providers to offer high‑quality careers advice that supports students to progress into successful employment or further study. Whilst the Office for Students, the regulator for Higher Education in England, does not prescribe detailed careers guidance requirements to meet certain registration conditions, providers must ensure students can progress successfully into employment or further study. Doing so requires providers to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and information necessary for effective career decision-making.

Many universities already choose to provide career support to their graduates as part of their wider employability strategies, but decisions on the scope and duration of this provision remain a matter for individual providers.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.

We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.

School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.

We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.

School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.

Under European Commission communication and visibility rules, managing authorities and implementing partners of EU funding are required to use the EU emblem in their communications. This requirement therefore applies to the National Agency responsible for delivering the Erasmus+ programme for the UK.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.

We intend to consult later this year on revised statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’. This will seek views from schools, parents, health professionals, and other stakeholders on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties, including improvements to allergy safety and broader medical condition management. Our aim is to ensure that every child can access education safely and confidently, regardless of their health needs or allergy.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The UK provides a world-leading education system, especially in teaching and research in high-growth sectors. We welcome high-quality students from across the world, including from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

We are committed to challenging extremist narratives, disrupting radicalising groups, and tackling the causes of radicalisation. We have some of the strongest laws in the world to protect citizens from hatred and terrorism. The ‘Prevent duty’ guidance, recently updated to address evolving threats, and the government’s consistent review and proscription of extremist organisations, demonstrates our commitment to student welfare and safety.

The education sector plays a vital role in safeguarding learners from radicalisation and remains the highest contributor of referrals to the Prevent programme. We provide resources through the ‘Educate Against Hate’ website, helping pupils and staff understand terrorism risks and challenge extremist views.

The UK and UAE have a long-standing relationship. We will continue to discuss this matter with their government.

The new UK’s International Education Strategy sets a clear ambition to grow the value of education exports to £40 billion a year by 2030.

We are backing UK providers, at all levels, to deliver British education overseas in new and expanding markets, while driving growth at home.

By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers from all regions can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more students access to a world-class UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home.

The new strategy urges UK providers to take advantage of the UK’s unique position and meet rising global demand for high-quality education.

The new UK’s International Education Strategy sets a clear ambition to grow the value of education exports to £40 billion a year by 2030.

We are backing UK providers, at all levels, to deliver British education overseas in new and expanding markets, while driving growth at home.

By expanding overseas, our universities, colleges and education providers from all regions can diversify income, strengthen global partnerships and give millions more students access to a world-class UK education on their doorstep, all whilst boosting growth at home.

The new strategy urges UK providers to take advantage of the UK’s unique position and meet rising global demand for high-quality education.

It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to children who meet the free school meal criteria.

We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals putting £500 back in families’ pockets.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multi-year spending review period to cover additional meal costs. This includes milk. This is on top of £1.5 billion we already spend annually supporting schools to deliver free school meals and milk.

We have now concluded negotiations with the European Commission on the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027. This commitment covers the 2027/28 academic year. Any participation in Erasmus+ into the next Multiannual Financial Framework from 2028/34 will need to be agreed in the future and be based on a fair and balanced contribution.

We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027.

We will have detailed information on the UK’s Erasmus+ beneficiaries after our first year of participation.

Sector stakeholders will be central to the successful delivery of the new International Education Strategy. The reformed Education Sector Action Group (ESAG), chaired by Ministers, will bring together industry, government, and representative bodies from across the education sector to tackle key concerns and identify opportunities for partnerships. Each representative will lead on an action plan, published within the first 100 days of appointment to ESAG, outlining how their members will support delivery of the strategy.

The early years foundation stage profile assessment (EYFSP) is undertaken by teachers at the end of the academic year in which children turn five, usually reception year. No fee is charged per child for the EYFSP. Any costs incurred by schools would primarily relate to staff time in connection with undertaking the assessment and submitting the data to their local authority. The department does not collect data on the time spent to complete the assessment at school level or time spent processing the data by local authorities.

The number of children assessed under the EYFSP in the last five years is available alongside further details on GOV.UK at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cf4c5896-b574-421b-70de-08de5e4c1b9a.

The 2020/21 EYFSP data collection was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, so the department does not hold information for that year.

The new International Education Strategy has confirmed the government's continued commitment to welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. They join one of the world’s most vibrant, diverse and inclusive learning communities, form lifelong friendships and professional networks, and earn qualifications respected around the globe. Higher education providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development.

Future international student numbers are inherently uncertain. The international student market is highly competitive, and inflows depend on a range of factors, including recruitment strategies from international competitors, exchange rates and other economic variables. The International Education Strategy will continue to support the sustainable recruitment of high-quality international students to the UK’s world-class higher education institutions from a diverse range of countries.