Department for Education

The kinship allowance pilot will provide financial support to eligible kinship carers with a Special Guardianship Order or a ‘lives with’ Child Arrangement Order where the child would have otherwise been in care. These carers will receive a weekly non-means tested allowance paid at the same rate as the national minimum fostering allowance, if they reside in the pilot local authorities.

The requirements under chapter 2 of the Special Guardianship Regulations 2005 (2005 Regulations) will not apply to the arrangements made under this pilot. Special Guardians receiving financial support under 2005 Regulations are barred from receiving this pilot's allowance to avoid the risk of double public-funding. We believe this will have minimal effect on financial support arrangements under the Special Guardianship Regulations because this pilot is only being run in a select few local authorities and for a specific period of time, so some Special Guardians will continue to prefer receiving financial support under the 2005 Regulations.

Further details of the pilot, including how payments made through the pilot will interact with social security benefits, will be made available when the pilot goes live.

The pilot will be independently evaluated to find out how best to deliver consistent financial support for kinship families. Decisions about future national rollout will be informed by the findings of the evaluation.

The kinship allowance pilot will provide financial support to eligible kinship carers with a Special Guardianship Order or a ‘lives with’ Child Arrangement Order where the child would have otherwise been in care. These carers will receive a weekly non-means tested allowance paid at the same rate as the national minimum fostering allowance, if they reside in the pilot local authorities.

The requirements under chapter 2 of the Special Guardianship Regulations 2005 (2005 Regulations) will not apply to the arrangements made under this pilot. Special Guardians receiving financial support under 2005 Regulations are barred from receiving this pilot's allowance to avoid the risk of double public-funding. We believe this will have minimal effect on financial support arrangements under the Special Guardianship Regulations because this pilot is only being run in a select few local authorities and for a specific period of time, so some Special Guardians will continue to prefer receiving financial support under the 2005 Regulations.

Further details of the pilot, including how payments made through the pilot will interact with social security benefits, will be made available when the pilot goes live.

The pilot will be independently evaluated to find out how best to deliver consistent financial support for kinship families. Decisions about future national rollout will be informed by the findings of the evaluation.

The government is committed to supporting all looked-after children and care leavers. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and public bodies. This includes a new duty on corporate parents to be alert to matters which could adversely affect the wellbeing of these children and young people, when exercising their functions.

The impacts of the policy on child’s rights and equalities have been assessed. The exemption of functions relating to immigration, asylum, nationality and customs only applies to the specific functions, not to young people themselves, so all looked-after children and care leavers, regardless of immigration status, will be in scope of support provided by corporate parents. Secretaries of State, including my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department, will be required to consider the wellbeing of all looked-after children and care leavers when exercising functions other than those relating to asylum, immigration, nationality or customs.

The UK gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in immigration matters that affect children through Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009. This requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to make arrangements for ensuring that immigration, asylum and nationality functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children who are in the UK.

The government published its Industrial Strategy and eight Sector Plans, including for the creative industries, on 23 June.

Skills are central to the strategy, recognising their vital role in enabling young people to succeed regardless of background and in supporting the UK’s future economic success.

Skills England will ensure the UK has the workforce to support growth sectors such as the creative industries by identifying and addressing current and future skills needs.

New shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships will help more people learn new skills at work and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.

From April 2026, short courses in areas such as digital and artificial intelligence (AI) will be funded through the growth and skills levy and will support skills within the creative industries.

The government believes creative subjects are important elements of the rounded, enriching education every child deserves. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is seeking a curriculum that readies young people for life and work, including creative subjects and skills, with the final report due autumn.

We are launching a National Centre for Arts and Music Education in 2026 to support excellent teacher training in the arts and boost partnerships between schools and arts organisations.

I refer the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.

I refer the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.

I refer the hon. member for Ashfield to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.

I refer the hon. member for Ashfield to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for St Helens North to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.

​​I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402. ​

High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest impact on children’s outcomes. This is why the government’s Plan for Change has committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers in secondary and special schools, and in our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

To support this key pledge, we recently announced a 4% pay award for 2025/26, building on the 5.5% pay award for 2024/25, resulting in a near 10% pay award for teachers since this government came to power. We also announced a teacher training financial incentives package worth nearly £233 million, including bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships up to £31,000 tax free. We also announced targeted retention payments worth up to £6000, with 10 schools in the Eastbourne constituency, and 31 schools in East Sussex qualifying for these.

The teaching workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, between 2023/24 and 2024/25, in secondary and special schools. In Eastbourne constituency there are 30 more secondary and special school teachers, with 457 FTE teachers this year.

The department has published independently commissioned insight from the Delivering Better Value programme. This research suggests that, if the system were extensively improved, including using early intervention and better resourcing mainstream schools, tens of thousands more children and young people could have their needs met without the need for lengthy waits and assessments, and have their needs met in a mainstream setting, rather than a specialist placement. Further detail on the research is available here: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63b6e5debb4b0114060dc226/66421eaae18cb50ccc378780_66421a046d5569ec0ad11674_DBV%20-%20Phase%201%20Insights%20Summary_Website%20v1.0_Final.pdf.

Further details of the government's intended approach to special educational needs and disabilities reform will be set out in a White Paper in the autumn.

The department provides funding to deliver £24 million worth of grants each year to provide support to low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. We have also funded innovative grants that promote best practice for delivering services for short breaks.

To support young people aged 16 to 24 with an education, health and care plan to secure and sustain employment, we are continuing to invest in supported internships by providing up to £12 million to March 2026. This funding will support local authorities to sustain their special educational needs and disabilities Employment Forums, training on employer engagement and training for job coaches. Indicative data from local authorities shows we reached our previous target of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 per year and our continued support will enable areas to sustain this.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.

Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.

The department intends to consult on updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions later this year. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with dyslexia or other types of SEND, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed. From September 2025, Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Teacher induction training must be based on the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) which contains significantly more content on adaptive teaching and supporting and improving inclusivity for pupils with SEND. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of early career teacher training to develop training materials that support the needs of children with SEND.

This academic year, Reading Ambition for All, a continuous professional development programme was launched. The programme explores the appropriate teaching, support and provision for the lowest attaining children in reading, with a particular focus on those with SEND. It is delivered by English Hubs and is primarily aimed at reading leaders, special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinators and senior leaders.

Reading Ambition for All draws on the latest research about how children learn to read and explores effective approaches to teaching those who need specific adaptations to make progress.

State schools that took part in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme in the 2024/25 financial year by (a) local authority and (b) constituency is available in the attached table.

A list of state schools that have taken part in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme up to the end of June 2025 is provided. Please note that as this is a pupil-led and not school-led programme, a small number of schools may have engaged in the programme during the last few weeks of the 2024/25 academic year in July, and we are awaiting an updated list from one of the nine pathfinder areas, the East Midlands, which covers the Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland local authority areas. A further list will therefore be provided by the end of August 2025 capturing this information.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The government confirmed a substantial increase in high needs funding in 2025/26, this includes almost £1 billion which is intended to help local authorities in meeting the costs associated with supporting those children and young people with education, health and care plans. A further £740 million has been made available for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools, paving the way for significant, long-term reform.

The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024/2025. For Shropshire Council, the final Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to 3.8%, making available a total of up to £353.2 million in 2025/26.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter where they are from. However, we know educational inequalities exist across the country. This is not acceptable in the South East or nationally.

The department is tackling inequalities in the system head-on through our plan for change. From September we will be rolling out 30 hours of funded childcare for working parents, saving eligible parents using their full entitlement an average of £7,500 a year. We are also rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded primary school, expanding free school meals to all children on Universal Credit and have delivered the largest ever uplift to early years pupil premium.

We are recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers in our schools and colleges and are making good progress, with over 2,000 more teachers in our secondary and special schools.

The department will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education to begin the hard work needed.

We will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to ensure that children and families who need support the most, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with additional vulnerabilities, can access it. These hubs will be open to all families but will be located in disadvantaged communities where support is most needed, ensuring services are both inclusive and targeted.

​High and rising standards across education, from early years to adulthood, are the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for children and young people. Our new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams are now working closely with schools, including Maths Hubs to sharing best practice and put in place targeted plans to drive-up performance in schools needing extra support.

The department funded, school-led network of Maths Hubs across both primary and secondary schools, focusses on reducing attainment gaps by providing school-to-school support with mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers. In addition, the department funds the Maths Champions programme working with early years settings to boost young children’s basic number skills, and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme supporting disadvantaged students with an aptitude for mathematics to go on to further study.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve, to help us ensure high standards for all. The Review’s interim report, published in March, recognised the need for the curriculum to respond to social and technological change, including to consider what opportunities might be offered around the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information demand.

Please note that in the context of international standings in PISA tests, this response extends only to England as education is a devolved matter.

​High and rising standards across education, from early years to adulthood, are the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for children and young people. Our new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams are now working closely with schools, including Maths Hubs to sharing best practice and put in place targeted plans to drive-up performance in schools needing extra support.

The department funded, school-led network of Maths Hubs across both primary and secondary schools, focusses on reducing attainment gaps by providing school-to-school support with mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers. In addition, the department funds the Maths Champions programme working with early years settings to boost young children’s basic number skills, and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme supporting disadvantaged students with an aptitude for mathematics to go on to further study.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve, to help us ensure high standards for all. The Review’s interim report, published in March, recognised the need for the curriculum to respond to social and technological change, including to consider what opportunities might be offered around the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information demand.

Please note that in the context of international standings in PISA tests, this response extends only to England as education is a devolved matter.

​High and rising standards across education, from early years to adulthood, are the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for children and young people. Our new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams are now working closely with schools, including Maths Hubs to sharing best practice and put in place targeted plans to drive-up performance in schools needing extra support.

The department funded, school-led network of Maths Hubs across both primary and secondary schools, focusses on reducing attainment gaps by providing school-to-school support with mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers. In addition, the department funds the Maths Champions programme working with early years settings to boost young children’s basic number skills, and the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme supporting disadvantaged students with an aptitude for mathematics to go on to further study.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve, to help us ensure high standards for all. The Review’s interim report, published in March, recognised the need for the curriculum to respond to social and technological change, including to consider what opportunities might be offered around the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information demand.

Please note that in the context of international standings in PISA tests, this response extends only to England as education is a devolved matter.

The department’s strategy, ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ set out that we will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education.

Over the next three years, the department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services to ensure all babies, children and families have access to the early intervention and support they need.

The department is making big investments in early education and childcare. Government spending on funded hours will reach £9 billion next year and will continue to rise over Parliament. And we are setting aside £400 million over the next three years to improve quality in early years settings and reception classes and drive better outcomes for children.

The department has allocated close to £1.5 billion over the next three financial years on improving family services and early years education. This funding includes both programme and capital funding, and is separate from the additional funding being provided for early years entitlements.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

We have published data on the number of children who could benefit from expanded provision by constituency/region/local authority here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.

The government has given a long-term commitment for funding through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England.

The department is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding the School Rebuilding Programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.

Details of schools currently in the School Rebuilding Programme are published on GOV.UK, including the following schools in the constituency of Birmingham Edgbaston: Welsh House Farm Community School and Special Needs Resources Base, and Baskerville School. The department plans to set out further details about the selection process for the additional 250 schools to be selected for the programme later this year.

In addition, the department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. Details of annual capital funding are made available on GOV.UK.

The Best Start digital service is still in the early stages of development. The department is currently exploring how best to design, position and deliver the service to meet the needs of parents and families. As this work progresses, we will consider how to raise its profile and encourage take-up as part of the wider implementation approach.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend, the Member for St Helens North directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.

The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.

The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.

The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

• Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
• Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period.
• A new safer eating section.
• A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
• New requirements to support whistleblowing.

The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.

Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.

The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.

Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.

From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:

• Amendments to promote safer recruitment.
• Creation of new requirements for providers to follow up if a child is absent for a prolonged period.
• A new safer eating section.
• A safeguarding training annex and a requirement for safeguarding training to be repeated every two years.
• New requirements to support whistleblowing.

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.

As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.

Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.

We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life.

Despite tough decisions to get public finances back on track, the government is continuing to prioritise and invest in supporting early education and childcare providers, including social enterprise nurseries, with the costs they face.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the department plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, rising to over £9 billion in 2026/27. We are also providing the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45%, equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. The department is also providing £25 million in respect of additional National Insurance contributions (NICs) costs through the Early Years NICs and Teachers Pay Grant, for public sector employers in the early years. This is in addition to a further £75 million through the early years expansion grant to support the sector as it prepares to deliver the final phase of expanded childcare entitlements from September 2025.

Access to healthcare services is based on the clinical needs of the individual. The type of school a child attends does not affect their eligibility for access to NHS healthcare services. Parents or carers with concerns about their child’s health can speak to their GP who can make a referral to the relevant healthcare services. The NHS will consider referrals based on clinical need.

It remains the case that the NHS is free at the point of use and provides care to anyone who needs it.

The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding mental health support teams (MHSTs) by the end of 2029/30, so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. ​As well as providing targeted, low intensity support directly to young people and their parents or carers, MHSTs work in schools and colleges to reduce barriers to accessing mental health services and support a holistic approach to mental health and emotional wellbeing.

In April 2025, around five million pupils and learners were covered by an MHST. We estimate an additional 900,000 pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by April 2026, which is around six million in total, or 60% of all pupils and learners.

In Sutton Coldfield, all but one of the seven secondary schools were reported to be receiving support from an MHST in April 2025, with cover representing 39% of all pupils and learners in schools and colleges in the constituency. No primary schools are yet covered by an MHST. Further expansion is underway in the Birmingham and Solihull integrated care system this financial year.

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life.

The department will review early years funding, including the early years national funding formulae, consulting on a set of changes by summer 2026.

We will review how funding is distributed nationally and locally to ensure the funding system remains fair and effective at reflecting the costs of delivery and supporting those children and parts of the country that have higher levels of additional need.

On 7 July, the department published its Best Start in Life Strategy, which sets out how we will make real change happen for families across the country.

We are delivering more support to working families than ever before with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare from September 2025. This is expected to save eligible families using their full entitlement an average of £7,500 a year.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area.

There is no requirement that childcare providers must deliver funded hours at particular times of the day or on particular days of the week. Providers are free to choose when to deliver funded hours, as long as they comply with the terms of their arrangements with the local authority.

Local authorities should actively support partnership working between providers to ensure that funded places are high-quality, flexible and accessible to give parents choice about how and where they take-up their child’s free hours. Local authorities should also support providers to establish parental declarations setting out their hours and patterns of hours during which free places are offered.