Department for Education

The current mean average level of student loan balance of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 to the nearest £100, as of 9 February, is £52,100 for England domiciled borrowers.

We do not hold a forecast for this average balance in 2029/30 on a consistent basis to the above figure provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC), as we forecast loan balances at the course level rather than borrower level, so cannot calculate the average balance by borrower.

The total level of student loan balances of Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 is £213 billion (to the nearest billion, as of 31 March 2025), for England and EU domiciled borrowers, as published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025/student-loans-in-england-financial-year-2024-25.

Our modelled forecast of estimated total loan balance at the end of 2029/30 is £249 billion (rounded to the nearest billion, estimate for 1 April 2030), as published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2024-25#explore-data-and-files.

The 2029/30 total loan balance figure is forecasted and not certain. More details on the methodology are here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/methodology/student-loan-forecasts-for-england.

The actual repayments for plan 2 are published in Figure 14 on this page:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025/student-loans-in-england-financial-year-2024-25#income-contingent-loan-borrower-repayment-status.

The forecasts for Plan 2 are published here:

2020/21: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/537c9923-1dee-4dd7-03b6-08de802d14ab.

2021/22: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/72cb044b-3268-42b8-2298-08de802e40a1.

2022/23: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/63aca262-3422-41f2-03b4-08de802d14ab.

2023/24: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8be5221a-77a1-4544-2297-08de802e40a1.

2024/25: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8b17045b-d933-4ac1-03af-08de802d14ab.

Forecasts are always likely to deviate from actuals due to uncertainty around many factors. Forecasts are based on the most up to date inputs available. Even looking only a year into the future, factors affecting repayments are likely to deviate from model inputs, especially in times of greater economic uncertainty. Over time, improvements to modelling methodology also affect accuracy of forecasts.

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education. We must, therefore, reform the higher education system to better support disadvantaged students.

Maintenance grants will support students studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and the Industrial Strategy at Levels 4 to 6 under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, including technical qualifications and degrees. The new grants will provide disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing the cash in student’s pockets without increasing their debt.

It is vital that the list of subjects that will be eligible for maintenance grants is informed by the best and most up-to-date evidence available on future employment and skills priorities. The full list of eligible subjects will be confirmed in advance of maintenance grant introduction in the 2028/29 academic year.

The department is taking actions to strengthen the recruitment and retention in further education (FE) colleges across the country, including coastal and island communities, as outlined in the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.

Across the spending review period we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This will support colleges to recruit and retain excellent teachers. Delivery of this funding is weighted to account for levels of disadvantage.

Our national recruitment campaign promotes careers in FE, and retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax are offered for early career teachers, with higher payments for providers with a higher proportion of disadvantaged learners. Bursaries of up to £31,000 are available for teacher training. With reference to pay, FE colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting pay.

The department will continue to monitor workforce recruitment and retention trends through the FE Workforce Data Collection.

The department is taking actions to strengthen the recruitment and retention in further education (FE) colleges across the country, including coastal and island communities, as outlined in the recent Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.

Across the spending review period we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029. This will support colleges to recruit and retain excellent teachers. Delivery of this funding is weighted to account for levels of disadvantage.

Our national recruitment campaign promotes careers in FE, and retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax are offered for early career teachers, with higher payments for providers with a higher proportion of disadvantaged learners. Bursaries of up to £31,000 are available for teacher training. With reference to pay, FE colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting pay.

The department will continue to monitor workforce recruitment and retention trends through the FE Workforce Data Collection.

There are 330 people with contact postcodes held by the Student Loan Company (SLC) indicating they live in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency who have repaid their plan 2 Student Loan.

There are 6,530 people in the constituency who currently have outstanding plan 2 student loans; of which 5,700 borrowers have loans that have become liable to repay as they are beyond the statutory repayment due date.

In the 2024/25 financial year, 2,100 plan 2 borrowers with loans that had become liable to repay made regular repayments but saw their outstanding balance increase as the total interest added exceeded the total amount repaid over the year. Outstanding debt, including interest, is cancelled at the end of the loan term, with no detriment to the borrower.

For this analysis, a borrower is deemed to have made regular repayments if they have made at least four repayments in the 2024/25 financial year. This may include borrowers who stopped their regular repayments or ceased being liable to repay part-way through the year.

This will include borrowers who were resident in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, including at parental addresses, when they applied for the loan and have not informed the SLC of a subsequent change of address.

(Borrower numbers rounded to the nearest 10).

There are 330 people with contact postcodes held by the Student Loan Company (SLC) indicating they live in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency who have repaid their plan 2 Student Loan.

There are 6,530 people in the constituency who currently have outstanding plan 2 student loans; of which 5,700 borrowers have loans that have become liable to repay as they are beyond the statutory repayment due date.

In the 2024/25 financial year, 2,100 plan 2 borrowers with loans that had become liable to repay made regular repayments but saw their outstanding balance increase as the total interest added exceeded the total amount repaid over the year. Outstanding debt, including interest, is cancelled at the end of the loan term, with no detriment to the borrower.

For this analysis, a borrower is deemed to have made regular repayments if they have made at least four repayments in the 2024/25 financial year. This may include borrowers who stopped their regular repayments or ceased being liable to repay part-way through the year.

This will include borrowers who were resident in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, including at parental addresses, when they applied for the loan and have not informed the SLC of a subsequent change of address.

(Borrower numbers rounded to the nearest 10).

There are 330 people with contact postcodes held by the Student Loan Company (SLC) indicating they live in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency who have repaid their plan 2 Student Loan.

There are 6,530 people in the constituency who currently have outstanding plan 2 student loans; of which 5,700 borrowers have loans that have become liable to repay as they are beyond the statutory repayment due date.

In the 2024/25 financial year, 2,100 plan 2 borrowers with loans that had become liable to repay made regular repayments but saw their outstanding balance increase as the total interest added exceeded the total amount repaid over the year. Outstanding debt, including interest, is cancelled at the end of the loan term, with no detriment to the borrower.

For this analysis, a borrower is deemed to have made regular repayments if they have made at least four repayments in the 2024/25 financial year. This may include borrowers who stopped their regular repayments or ceased being liable to repay part-way through the year.

This will include borrowers who were resident in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, including at parental addresses, when they applied for the loan and have not informed the SLC of a subsequent change of address.

(Borrower numbers rounded to the nearest 10).

Education plays a vital role in preparing our children and young people for life in a modern and diverse Britain. Accordingly, the department plays a key role in the government’s efforts to strengthen social cohesion, as outlined in the recently published social cohesion action plan ‘Protecting What Matters’.

As part of these actions to strengthen social cohesion, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has launched an independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges in England, led by Sir David Bell.

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward, as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

As of 18 March 2026, 73,913 Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) have been issued to retired members, and there are 68,126 remaining to be issued. There are currently no plans to publish RSS statistics on the website. However, the scheme administrator keeps affected members informed of general progress through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.

Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.

Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

Further education colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating terms and conditions and managing their industrial relations.

Based on engagement with the sector, we know colleges affected by recent strikes have generally implemented measures to ensure the impact on learners is minimised as far as possible. This has included rearranging classes, providing online learning where possible, and keeping libraries and learning centres open to allow the opportunity for independent study.

We encourage colleges to continue to adopt these and other appropriate mitigations where that is necessary. We encourage colleges and unions to remain engaged in open and constructive dialogue for the best interests of staff and students.

We all have a shared goal in ensuring our young people gain the best education during this critical transition period, advancing their opportunities and supporting economic growth.

Further education colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating terms and conditions and managing their industrial relations.

Based on engagement with the sector, we know colleges affected by recent strikes have generally implemented measures to ensure the impact on learners is minimised as far as possible. This has included rearranging classes, providing online learning where possible, and keeping libraries and learning centres open to allow the opportunity for independent study.

We encourage colleges to continue to adopt these and other appropriate mitigations where that is necessary. We encourage colleges and unions to remain engaged in open and constructive dialogue for the best interests of staff and students.

We all have a shared goal in ensuring our young people gain the best education during this critical transition period, advancing their opportunities and supporting economic growth.

The department recently announced £26 million investment to train at least 200 new educational psychologists per year, starting in 2026 and 2027. This is set to be followed by further investment from 2028 to train more educational psychologists than we currently do, subject to future spending reviews. This builds on £31 million invested to train around 200 educational psychologists annually since 2023.

To qualify, trainees are required to undertake a three year doctorate training course. The department funds the tuition fees and year one bursary payment. In years two and three, trainees are based on placements across England, with placement providers funding a bursary or salary for these years.

Following graduation, department-funded trainees are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period (three years for trainees who began in September 2024).

This investment in the training scheme will help to grow local authority workforces, so that more educational psychologists are available to provide a variety of support, including identifying and supporting needs earlier and bolstering capacity to deliver assessments.

We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.

The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.

We are aware that some higher education (HE) providers are making difficult decisions about course consolidation and closures. As autonomous institutions, HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances. It is therefore right that they focus on ensuring their courses are financially sustainable.

The Office for Students (OfS) is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the HE sector’s financial sustainability. The department works closely with the OfS to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and level of risk.

The government recognises that the sector's financial environment is challenging. This is why tuition fee caps were uplifted in line with forecast inflation for 2025/26, with further uplifts planned for 2026/27 and 2027/28. We will then legislate to increase tuition fee caps automatically for future academic years. The department has also appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening its commitment to financial sustainability.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is committed to revitalising arts education in schools, including changes to the curriculum, qualifications, accountability and enrichment.

We are consulting on an improved Progress 8 model, which balances a strong academic core with breadth and student choice. The current structure has hampered progress in subjects that strengthen our economy and society, including the arts. The improved version recognises the value of these subjects.

The department is supporting arts in schools through a £13 million investment in the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, which will launch in September 2026 to provide strategic national leadership, support excellent teaching, and promote arts opportunities, ensuring every child can access a high‑quality arts education.

The department provides significant funding for the Music Hub network, Music Opportunities Pilot, Music and Dance Scheme, and Dance and Drama Awards, all designed to improve equity in the arts, mainly in schools and colleges.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committed £22.5 million enrichment in up to 400 schools, across all types of enrichment activity, including arts and culture.

Arts Council England, an arm’s-length body of DCMS, provides funding to a range of programmes that support arts in schools. As part of the government’s recent response to the independent review of Arts Council England, the department has committed to enabling all children across the country to have access to excellent culture in both schools and communities.

In the 2020/21 financial year, a total of £2.48 billion was paid by members into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), and £6.15 billion was paid by employers over the same period. £9.41 billion was paid to retired members of the TPS within this financial year.

In the 2021/22 financial year, a total of £2.57 billion was paid by members into the TPS, and £6.357 billion was paid by employers over the same period. £9.563 billion was paid to retired members of the TPS within this financial year.

In the 2022/23 financial year, a total of £2.65 billion was paid by members into the TPS, and £6.58 billion was paid by employers over the same period. £9.93 billion was paid to retired members of the TPS within this financial year.

The department is aware of the response written on behalf of the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 to the change made from March 2025 to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances. The department keeps all support funded through DSA under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Since October 2025, the department has received one formal request for a meeting regarding recent DSA policy changes from a disability sector organisation.

The department’s policy change to remove DSA funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances applied only to DSA applicants whose needs assessments took place from 17 March 2025. Students who had already been awarded this software had their awards left in place. It is therefore not the case that software has been removed from students' part-way through their courses. While it is too early to collect any post-implementation data on the academic performance or withdrawal rates of students previously supported with specialist assistive software, given that the policy change came into effect less than a year ago, the department is continuing to monitor the participation, attainment, and completion rates for disabled students in higher education.

The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of DSA changes on demand for Access to Work or other employment support schemes. DSA is designed to address disability related barriers to study, while Access to Work provides support in employment-related barriers to study. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact.

The department is aware of the response written on behalf of the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 to the change made from March 2025 to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances. The department keeps all support funded through DSA under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Since October 2025, the department has received one formal request for a meeting regarding recent DSA policy changes from a disability sector organisation.

The department’s policy change to remove DSA funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances applied only to DSA applicants whose needs assessments took place from 17 March 2025. Students who had already been awarded this software had their awards left in place. It is therefore not the case that software has been removed from students' part-way through their courses. While it is too early to collect any post-implementation data on the academic performance or withdrawal rates of students previously supported with specialist assistive software, given that the policy change came into effect less than a year ago, the department is continuing to monitor the participation, attainment, and completion rates for disabled students in higher education.

The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of DSA changes on demand for Access to Work or other employment support schemes. DSA is designed to address disability related barriers to study, while Access to Work provides support in employment-related barriers to study. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact.

The department is aware of the response written on behalf of the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 to the change made from March 2025 to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances. The department keeps all support funded through DSA under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Since October 2025, the department has received one formal request for a meeting regarding recent DSA policy changes from a disability sector organisation.

The department’s policy change to remove DSA funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances applied only to DSA applicants whose needs assessments took place from 17 March 2025. Students who had already been awarded this software had their awards left in place. It is therefore not the case that software has been removed from students' part-way through their courses. While it is too early to collect any post-implementation data on the academic performance or withdrawal rates of students previously supported with specialist assistive software, given that the policy change came into effect less than a year ago, the department is continuing to monitor the participation, attainment, and completion rates for disabled students in higher education.

The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of DSA changes on demand for Access to Work or other employment support schemes. DSA is designed to address disability related barriers to study, while Access to Work provides support in employment-related barriers to study. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact.

The department is aware of the response written on behalf of the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 to the change made from March 2025 to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances. The department keeps all support funded through DSA under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Since October 2025, the department has received one formal request for a meeting regarding recent DSA policy changes from a disability sector organisation.

The department’s policy change to remove DSA funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances applied only to DSA applicants whose needs assessments took place from 17 March 2025. Students who had already been awarded this software had their awards left in place. It is therefore not the case that software has been removed from students' part-way through their courses. While it is too early to collect any post-implementation data on the academic performance or withdrawal rates of students previously supported with specialist assistive software, given that the policy change came into effect less than a year ago, the department is continuing to monitor the participation, attainment, and completion rates for disabled students in higher education.

The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of DSA changes on demand for Access to Work or other employment support schemes. DSA is designed to address disability related barriers to study, while Access to Work provides support in employment-related barriers to study. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact.

The department is aware of the response written on behalf of the National Association of Disability Practitioners in December 2025 to the change made from March 2025 to remove Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances. The department keeps all support funded through DSA under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Since October 2025, the department has received one formal request for a meeting regarding recent DSA policy changes from a disability sector organisation.

The department’s policy change to remove DSA funding for non-specialist spelling and grammar software other than in exceptional circumstances applied only to DSA applicants whose needs assessments took place from 17 March 2025. Students who had already been awarded this software had their awards left in place. It is therefore not the case that software has been removed from students' part-way through their courses. While it is too early to collect any post-implementation data on the academic performance or withdrawal rates of students previously supported with specialist assistive software, given that the policy change came into effect less than a year ago, the department is continuing to monitor the participation, attainment, and completion rates for disabled students in higher education.

The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of DSA changes on demand for Access to Work or other employment support schemes. DSA is designed to address disability related barriers to study, while Access to Work provides support in employment-related barriers to study. The department and the Department for Work and Pensions are in regular contact.

As set out in special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first, the breakdown of our £4bn investment package, over the next three years, is as follows:

• £1.6 billion on Inclusive Mainstream Fund
• £1.8 billion on Experts at Hand
• Over £200 million on Best Start Family Hubs
• Over £200 million on national training package
• Over £200 million on local authority transformation
• Over £40 million on specialist training (including educational psychologists and speech and language therapists)

The government will publish breakdowns by programme area for this coming financial year as part of publishing allocations in the coming months.

We are engaging with the higher education sector to shape the design of the International Student Levy (ISL) to make delivery as easy as possible for providers. A technical consultation on the delivery of the ISL was open for responses until 18 February 2026. The government will publish its response in Summer 2026.

We have listened to concerns raised by the sector. The levy will not be introduced until 2028/29 to give providers time to plan for its introduction. Providers will also pay the ISL one year in arrears, to help with their financial planning and will also be given an allowance for the first 220 international students per year. This is to mitigate the ISL having a disproportionate impact on smaller providers, particularly those operating specialist and resource intensive models with limited other means of cross-subsidisation.

The International Student Levy will require higher education providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year. The income raised by the levy will be reinvested into skills.

Providers will be given an allowance for the first 220 international students per year. This is to mitigate the levy having a disproportionate impact on smaller providers, particularly those operating specialist and resource intensive models with limited other means of cross-subsidisation. The levy will not be introduced until 2028/29 to give providers time to plan for its introduction. Providers will pay the levy one year in arrears, to help with their financial planning.

We inherited the student loans system, including Plan 2, which was devised by the previous government. Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.

Borrowers on Plan 5 student loans only accrue interest at Retail Price Index, currently 3.2%. This means graduates will not repay more than they borrow in real terms.

Interest accrues on loan balances from the first day the loan is paid to the learning provider, and/or to the student, until the loan has been repaid in full or cancelled. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by borrowers.

The recently published consultation draft of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ does not say that schools should accept requests for pupils to join sports teams for the opposite sex. The guidance is absolutely clear that some sports may need to be played in single sex sports to ensure children’s safety, and that where this is the case there should be no exceptions.

Where there are other reasons for providing single sex sports, the guidance sets out that schools should take into account all the relevant factors, including the best interests of the child, as well as considering the impact on other children.

Schools should be informed by advice from national governing bodies on what is appropriate for individual sports.

Schools, further education colleges and higher education institutions are responsible for their own decisions on employment issues. The department expects schools, colleges and universities, like all employers, to follow all relevant employment law, statutory guidance and abide by their obligations under the Equality Act.

Guidance for schools and colleges on gender-questioning children can be found in ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The guidance is clear that a school or college must also be conscious of the rights of pupils and staff in relation to their religion or belief as protected characteristics. Alongside this, the guidance also states that schools or colleges will appropriately sanction any cases of bullying or harassment and take a strong stand against bullying.

​I refer the noble Lady to the answer of 31 March 2026 to Question HL14644.

The 2023/24 academic year is the most recent year for which data is published on placements completed using Turing Scheme funding and the associated costs. In 2023/2024, 32,714 UK students took part in international placements through the Turing Scheme, travelling to 153 countries. The most popular destinations were Spain (4,728), France (3,178), Italy (1,841), the United States (2,468), Australia (1,002) and Japan (750).

Across all sectors, the scheme spent £82.8 million of funding in that year on placements for students in higher education, further education and vocational training, and schools. The department does not hold information on the cost of placements by individual destination country.

A full breakdown of destinations and funding is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/turing-scheme-funding-outcomes-2023-to-2024.

The department does not hold analysis of the impact on the number of additional years of repayment for Plan 2 borrowers attributable to the level of interest charged.

The Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) charge, the government subsidy anticipated on student loans issued in any particular financial year, is calculated as the present value of student loan outlay less expected future repayments. This is in accordance with relevant International Financial Reporting Standards and guidance from HM Treasury’s's Government Financial Reporting Manual.

In the 2024/25 financial year, the RAB charge was £6.2 billion, or 29.6% of the £20.7 billion of the student loans issued.

As stated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence on 1 March, Ayatollah Khamenei ran an oppressive and brutal regime, murdering thousands of his own citizens and exporting terror, including to Britain. It is horrifying to see his death mourned publicly in this country.

We condemn all extremist intimidation, harassment and incitement to hatred in our universities. Where public mourning involves this sort of unacceptable behaviour, it should not be tolerated. The department’s Prevent Coordinators engage with universities on concerns relating to students’ union activity and student conduct, to ensure that the correct policies and procedures have been followed. Students’ Unions, where they are registered charities, are regulated by the Charity Commission for compliance with charity law, which assesses and manages them through its regulatory framework.

As stated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence on 1 March, Ayatollah Khamenei ran an oppressive and brutal regime, murdering thousands of his own citizens and exporting terror, including to Britain. It is horrifying to see his death mourned publicly in this country.

We condemn all extremist intimidation, harassment and incitement to hatred in our universities. Where public mourning involves this sort of unacceptable behaviour, it should not be tolerated. The department’s Prevent Coordinators engage with universities on concerns relating to students’ union activity and student conduct, to ensure that the correct policies and procedures have been followed. Students’ Unions, where they are registered charities, are regulated by the Charity Commission for compliance with charity law, which assesses and manages them through its regulatory framework.

As stated by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence on 1 March, Ayatollah Khamenei ran an oppressive and brutal regime, murdering thousands of his own citizens and exporting terror, including to Britain. It is horrifying to see his death mourned publicly in this country.

We condemn all extremist intimidation, harassment and incitement to hatred in our universities. Where public mourning involves this sort of unacceptable behaviour, it should not be tolerated. The department’s Prevent Coordinators engage with universities on concerns relating to students’ union activity and student conduct, to ensure that the correct policies and procedures have been followed. Students’ Unions, where they are registered charities, are regulated by the Charity Commission for compliance with charity law, which assesses and manages them through its regulatory framework.

This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. Under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, the department is not the prescribed person for whistleblowing concerns in higher education (HE) and does not receive whistleblowing complaints related to HE.

The department’s Plan for Change commits us to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

In 2023/24, just 17% of the postgraduate initial teacher training target for physics trainees was met. In 2025/26, this increased to 78%, with 1,095 new entrants, reaching the highest number for physics since comparable statistics began in 2014/2015.

Additionally, full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in the West Midlands increased by 353 to 52,658 per the latest census, and across the country the workforce has grown by 2,346 FTE in secondary and special schools, which are the schools where they are needed most.

We are continuing to support physics teacher recruitment with bursaries worth £29,000 and tax free scholarships worth £31,000. We are also supporting retention alongside increased recruitment, with a targeted retention incentive, worth up to £6,000 after tax, for teachers in years 1-5 of their career who choose to work in the most disadvantaged schools.

Children’s social care is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is taking forward a comprehensive programme of major reforms, including a focus on early help, family support and stronger safeguarding, as set out in the ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’ statement and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Our measures will strengthen multi‑agency child protection, expand kinship and foster care support, and enhance Ofsted’s powers to tackle unregistered or substandard provision.

The department is also delivering the Families First Partnership programme to keep families together and reduce reliance on high-cost residential placements. Placement quality, financial transparency and workforce capacity are being improved through significant investment and new oversight measures.

Through the Best Start in Life strategy, the department is focused on reforming the childcare system and delivering on our Plan for Change. This government continues to prioritise and protect investment in the early years, which is why we are investing over £1 billion more in early years entitlements next year compared to 2025/26. The school-based nursery programme is a £400 million capital investment to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to create or expand thousands of additional school-based nurseries across England, increasing access to childcare for families.

The department is providing £82 million of capital funding to over 600 primary and maintained nursery schools across phases 1 and 2 which will create over 11,000 new nursery places by September 2027, of which over 5,000 places were available from September 2025.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract. There are currently no sufficiency challenges reported.

Up to £2,500 of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) funding may still be used for children to access a specialist assessment. ASGSF-funded assessments are not intended as an alternative to the specialised mental health services available through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

The current consultation ‘Adoption support that works for all’ includes proposals for a higher quality approach to assessing the needs of adoptive and eligible kinship families. This includes improved multi-disciplinary assessments and greater linkages between social care, health, and education practitioners to ensure every child gets the right support.

For 2026/27, NHS mental health spending will rise to £16.1 billion, a real terms increase of around £140 million, to support service improvements, including CAMHS. The mental health investment standard means spending must at least keep pace with inflation, supporting local systems to maintain and improve specialist services for children.

We have worked with the British Overseas Territories to clearly set out our position on eligibility for student finance.

Persons who have settled status in the UK, and who have come to the UK from specified British Overseas Territories, are eligible for home fee status if they meet the requirement of three years’ ordinary residence in the UK, and/or the specified British Overseas Territories.

Eligibility for student support is based on residency and immigration status, not nationality, targeting resources on students who are likely to stay in the UK indefinitely and contribute to the economy.

The essential skills entitlements, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF), support adults without a GCSE maths grade 4 or higher, or equivalent qualification, or are assessed at working below this level, to undertake a range of free courses including maths GCSEs and functional skills qualifications.

As part of the ASF, Tailored Learning funding can also be used to fund provision supporting learners to address specific needs such as financial education.

Currently, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.

The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.

Alongside, there is a range of apprenticeships available which provide training in occupationally specific financial knowledge and skills, for example, in payroll, investment or financial services-related roles. We also continue to fund apprentices to secure up to a L2 maths qualification as part of their apprenticeship.