Department for Education

The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England.



Secretary of State

 Portrait

Bridget Phillipson
Secretary of State for Education

Shadow Ministers / Spokeperson
Liberal Democrat
Lord Storey (LD - Life peer)
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Education)
Munira Wilson (LD - Twickenham)
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Education, Children and Families)

Conservative
Laura Trott (Con - Sevenoaks)
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Baroness Barran (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Education)
Neil O'Brien (Con - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
Shadow Minister (Education)
Ministers of State
Catherine McKinnell (Lab - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Minister of State (Education)
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Education)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Stephen Morgan (Lab - Portsmouth South)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Janet Daby (Lab - Lewisham East)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Seema Malhotra (LAB - Feltham and Heston)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Thursday 10th July 2025
Select Committee Docs
Thursday 10th July 2025
00:01
Select Committee Inquiry
Thursday 12th June 2025
Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Student

The UK’s higher education sector is in trouble. Dozens of universities are making redundancies and cuts to courses, trying to …

Written Answers
Monday 14th July 2025
Apprentices: Qualifications
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with NHS Employers on planned changes …
Secondary Legislation
Wednesday 11th June 2025
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2025
These Regulations make amendments to secondary legislation in consequence of the coming into force of the Institute for Apprenticeships and …
Bills
Tuesday 17th December 2024
Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill 2024-26
A Bill to make provision about the safeguarding and welfare of children; about support for children in care or leaving …
Dept. Publications
Monday 14th July 2025
17:01

Department for Education Commons Appearances

Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs

Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:
  • Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
  • Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
  • Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.

Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue

Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.

Most Recent Commons Appearances by Category
Jun. 16
Oral Questions
Jul. 01
Written Statements
View All Department for Education Commons Contibutions

Bills currently before Parliament

Department for Education does not have Bills currently before Parliament


Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament

Introduced: 9th October 2024

A bill to transfer the functions of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, and its property, rights and liabilities, to the Secretary of State; to abolish the Institute; and to make amendments relating to the transferred functions.

This Bill received Royal Assent on 15th May 2025 and was enacted into law.

Department for Education - Secondary Legislation

These Regulations make amendments to secondary legislation in consequence of the coming into force of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Act 2025 (c. 14). That Act abolishes the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (“the Institute”) and transfers its functions to the Secretary of State.
These Regulations amend the School Travel (Pupils with Dual Registration) (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1367) (the “2007 Regulations”). The 2007 Regulations modify section 508B(1) and (2) of, and paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Schedule 35C to, the Education Act 1996 in relation to the duties placed on local authorities in England to arrange free home to school travel for children who are registered at more than one school.
View All Department for Education Secondary Legislation

Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Trending Petitions
Petitions with most signatures
Department for Education has not participated in any petition debates
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Departmental Select Committee

Education Committee

Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.

At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.

Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.


11 Members of the Education Committee
Helen Hayes Portrait
Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Education Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Marie Tidball Portrait
Marie Tidball (Labour - Penistone and Stocksbridge)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Mark Sewards Portrait
Mark Sewards (Labour - Leeds South West and Morley)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Darren Paffey Portrait
Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Amanda Martin Portrait
Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Caroline Johnson Portrait
Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Sureena Brackenridge Portrait
Sureena Brackenridge (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Jess Asato Portrait
Jess Asato (Labour - Lowestoft)
Education Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Caroline Voaden Portrait
Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Education Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Manuela Perteghella Portrait
Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Education Committee Member since 28th October 2024
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Education Committee Member since 30th June 2025
Education Committee: Upcoming Events
Education Committee - Private Meeting
15 Jul 2025, 9:15 a.m.
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Education Committee - Private Meeting
22 Jul 2025, 9:30 a.m.
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Education Committee: Previous Inquiries
The impact of COVID-19 on education and children’s services Support for Home Education Behaviour and discipline in schools Careers Guidance for Young People The role of School Governing Bodies School sports following London 2012 School Partnerships and Cooperation School Direct Recruitment 2013-14 Great teachers-follow up The role and performance of Ofsted Services for young people Participation in education and training for 16-19 year olds English Baccalaureate Residential children's homes Underachievement in Education by White Working Class Children School Places Ofsted Annual Report in Education 2012-13 Child Well-Being in England 16 Plus Care Options Academies and free schools Children First follow-up PSHE and SRE in schools Fairer Schools Funding 2015-16 one-off Exams for 15-19 year olds in England - follow up Foundation Years: Sure Start children’s centres – Government response Department for Education Annual Report 2012-13 Extremism in Birmingham Schools Careers guidance for young people: follow-up Apprenticeships and traineeships for 16 to 19 year olds Pre-appointment hearing: Children's Commissioner Ofsted Schools and Further Education and Skills Annual Report 2013-14 Evidence check: National College for Teaching and Leadership inquiry Sure Start children’s centres: Follow up Evidence check: Starting school inquiry The work of the Committee in the 2010-15 Parliament Priority Schools Building Programme inquiry The work of Ofsted inquiry The role of Regional Schools Commissioners inquiry Responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Education The work of Ofqual Purpose and quality of education in England inquiry Supply of teachers inquiry Holocaust education inquiry Mental health and wellbeing of looked after children inquiry The Children's Commissioner for England Education in the north inquiry Fourth Industrial Revolution Life chances inquiry Special educational needs and disabilities inquiry School and college funding inquiry The future of the Social Mobility Commission inquiry Nursing apprenticeships inquiry Appointment of the Chair of the Social Mobility Commission Knife crime inquiry Opportunity areas inquiry Children’s social care workforce inquiry Adult skills and lifelong learning inquiry Appointment of the Chair of the Office for Students inquiry Alternative provision inquiry Fostering inquiry Integrity of public examinations inquiry The quality of apprenticeships and skills training inquiry Accountability hearings Value for money in higher education inquiry Post-16 education area reviews inquiry School funding reform inquiry Adult skills and lifelong learning Appointment of the Ofsted Chief Inspector inquiry Fostering inquiry Primary assessment inquiry The impact of exiting the European Union on higher education inquiry Selective education inquiry Narey review of children's residential care inquiry Social Work Reform inquiry Financial management at the Department for Education Appointment of the Ofqual Chief Regulator Multi-academy trusts inquiry Left behind white pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds Home Education Support for childcare and the early years Persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils Teacher recruitment, training and retention Ofsted’s work with schools Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing Financial Education Impact of industrial action on university students Children’s social care Boys’ attainment and engagement in education International students in English universities Reform of level 3 qualifications Solving the SEND Crisis Further Education and Skills Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Student Accountability hearings Adult skills and lifelong learning Children’s social care workforce Education in the north Fourth Industrial Revolution Integrity of public examinations Knife crime Life chances Opportunity areas School and college funding Special educational needs and disabilities

50 most recent Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department

4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the most common causes of school absences were in the 2024-25 academic year.

The department publishes figures on pupil attendance using daily data submitted by state-funded schools. The latest data for the 2024/25 academic year to date is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools/2025-week-24.

According to the absence codes recorded by schools, the most commonly used code is ‘authorised illness absence’, followed by ‘unauthorised other absence’. A full breakdown of absence codes used is available at the aforementioned link.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of disabled children not reinstated in school when an independent review panel has quashed a permanent exclusion.

The department does not collect the pupil characteristics data for reinstated when an Independent Review Panel (IRP) has quashed a permanent exclusion.

The department is taking action to strengthen the oversight and monitoring of all exclusion data collected through the school census, particularly for pupils who may be disproportionately affected by exclusion. This includes strengthening the monitoring of IRP decisions, with a stronger focus on the reinstatement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
9th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to make changes to the collection of data in relation to (a) suspensions and (b) permanent exclusions in England.

The department does not collect the pupil characteristics data for reinstated when an Independent Review Panel (IRP) has quashed a permanent exclusion.

The department is taking action to strengthen the oversight and monitoring of all exclusion data collected through the school census, particularly for pupils who may be disproportionately affected by exclusion. This includes strengthening the monitoring of IRP decisions, with a stronger focus on the reinstatement of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
23rd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that children in poverty receive early years support.

The government’s Plan for Change commits to giving children the best start in life. From age 2, children from low-income families, those with education, health and care plans, and looked-after children are eligible for 15 hours of funded early education. Disadvantaged children may also receive the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), which supports high quality early education. In December 2024, EYPP funding was increased by 45%.

As part of the Opportunity Mission, £37 million has been awarded to 300 primary schools to create or expand nurseries, opening from September 2025.

From September 2026, all pupils in school-based settings whose families receive Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals. This will benefit over 500,000 children, lift 100,000 out of poverty, and support families ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy.

Additionally, £126 million will be invested in 2025/26 to expand the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. Already, 75 local authorities have opened over 400 family hubs in some of the country’s most deprived areas.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the post- (a) 16 and (b) 18 support for young people raised in kinship.

This government is committed to ensuring more children are supported in a strong kinship care arrangement, avoiding care where possible, because we know that this leads to better outcomes.

We are legislating through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to require local authorities to publish a local offer for children and families in kinship arrangements and requiring local authorities to offer family group decision making to families with children on the edge of care. These measures will ensure more children are supported within their family networks, and with kinship carers instead of entering care.

Some children in kinship care, such as those placed with kinship foster carers, are entitled to leaving care support if they have been in care for a minimum of 13 weeks, some of which was after they reached age 16, when they cease to be looked after. This includes support from a Personal Adviser up to the age of 25, and support to engage in education, employment or training, including a £2,000 bursary if they attend higher education.

This support will also include providing continuity of support and relationships when care leavers reach age 18 through the ‘Staying Put’ programme and investing in family-finding, mentoring and befriending programmes.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered opening new specialist SEND schools, in the context of trends in the number of education, health and care plans.

We recognise the vital role that special schools play catering to children and young people with the most complex needs.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities. The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.

This funding can be used to improve access to schooling for children and young people with a variety of SEND. It is intended to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

We also want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are already committed to delivering specialist provision locally, including through Resourced Provision and special educational needs units.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to make a further announcement on the future of the Bedford Free School.

The review of mainstream free schools has focused on ensuring that government funding is targeted where it is most needed.

We understand that trusts and local authorities want to have certainty about their projects as soon as possible. We will provide an update on next steps to trusts and local authorities in due course.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce waiting times for the completion of Education and Health Care Plans.

The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. Plans must be issued within twenty weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need.

The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help them to identify the barriers to this and put in place an effective recovery plan. This includes, where needed, securing a specialist special educational needs and disabilities adviser.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of people working for state schools who possess a Level 7 apprenticeship qualification.

The requested information is not collected centrally.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with NHS Employers on planned changes to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

From January 2026, the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level, except for young apprentices under the age of 22. This will enable apprenticeship opportunities to be rebalanced towards young people, whose rate of apprenticeship starts has fallen by almost 40% over the last decade.

This decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including Skills England’s analysis of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including NHS employers.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on costs to the public purse in each of the next five years.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

From January 2026, we will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level, except for young apprentices under the age of 22. This will enable government funding to be rebalanced towards young people and training at lower levels.

Apprenticeship spend is dependent on employers choosing to offer apprenticeships and learners choosing to take them.

The department does not publish information on projected apprenticeship spend.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring schools to (a) implement (i) individual healthcare plans for pupils at risk of anaphylaxis and (ii) other allergy policies and (b) provide regular staff training on allergy management.

Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
4th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is she taking to improve the use of technology to support inclusion for children with SEND in schools in Bournemouth.

Assistive technology has the potential to improve early intervention and enable more children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in a mainstream setting, by supporting both confidence and independence.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. Local authorities can use this to create new places, but also to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, including through investment in assistive technology interventions to support pupils in mainstream settings. Of this £740 million, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council has been allocated over £4 million in 2025/26.

We will continue to build our evidence base on the potential for assistive technology to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, including testing a pilot of assistive technology lending libraries through the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme. This will allow up to 4,000 mainstream schools in participating local authorities to borrow and trial technology on a temporary basis, to identify the right products to support their pupils.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department considers future demographic changes when planning school funding.

School funding will increase by £4.2 billion over the Spending Review period, meaning core school funding will total £65.9 billion by 2028/29. This additional funding will provide an above real terms per pupil increase on the core schools budget.

The majority of school funding is allocated on a per pupil basis through the National Funding Formula (NFF) on a lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census. This arrangement helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels and is particularly important in giving individual schools time to adjust to demographic change before experiencing the funding impact.

Local authorities are also allocated funding through the NFF for growth and falling rolls, which they can use to support schools experiencing significant growth in pupil numbers, to support schools facing a temporary drop in pupil numbers, or to help meet the revenue costs of removing or repurposing surplus places.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire are able to offer high quality music education through (i) the national curriculum and (ii) in music education.

As part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, the department wants to widen access to music education.

Music Hubs continue to play a vital role across England, with grant funding of £76 million for the 2025/26 academic year. This includes nearly £2.2 million for the Hub partnership led by The Music Partnership, covering Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, and includes support for schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme and wider Staffordshire.

The department is also investing £2 million to support the Music Opportunities Pilot over four years, helping disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities learn to play instruments or sing to a high standard in schools across 12 pilot areas. This includes Sir Thomas Boughey Academy in Newcastle-under-Lyme. The government established the Curriculum and Assessment Review to seek to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum, including music. The final report and government response will be published this autumn. Following this, we will legislate so that academies will teach the reformed national curriculum, alongside maintained schools. This will ensure music is an entitlement for pupils in every state-funded school.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote digital literacy education in schools to encourage the responsible use of mobile technology.

Within the computing curriculum pupils are taught to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, to keep personal information private, to recognise unacceptable behaviour, and to understand where to seek support.

Within citizenship and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), pupils learn how to identify misleading and malicious information and to counter the effects of negative and harmful news, events and information online.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report states a renewed focus on digital literacy is key to responding to the rise of artificial intelligence. The department will consider how best to implement the Review’s recommendations following the final report.

The department’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day to prevent disruption to pupils’ learning.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether appointments to the School Support Staff Negotiating Body will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the chair appointment will be classified as a Significant Appointment.

The Chair of the School Support Staff Negotiating Body will be appointed in line with normal practice and the Governance Code on Public Appointments with guidance from the department’s Public Appointments Team.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether funding for family hubs will be included in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce meeting in January focused on the crucial role of local services, including family hubs, in reducing the impact of poverty.

Our new publication ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ sets out that we are making a significant investment of over £500 million which will build back crucial family services and provide high quality support to parents and children from pregnancy to age five. Proposals include:

  • A new Best Start Family Hub programme that will take the best of the Sure Start, Family Hub and Start for Life programme approaches to create Best Start Family Hubs, bringing together the trusted advice and guidance all parents need in one place, and linking families to their local services.
  • Funding for Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, so these services will reach the children and families who will benefit most from this support including those from lower-income families and with additional vulnerabilities.

This publication is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

The Hubs will help tackle the stain of child poverty ahead of our ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, due to be published in the autumn.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the introduction of more vocational education pathways for students in Lincolnshire.

As announced in the Spending Review, the department is making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/29.

This will support and grow the wide range of technical routes and work-based training available for people of all ages, across the country including in Cambridgeshire. This includes:

  • Widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, including new foundation apprenticeships, which will give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life.
  • T levels, a high-quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work.
  • Higher Technical Qualifications, occupation-focussed level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers.
  • Skills Bootcamps giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion and Free Courses for Jobs giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications.

We have also strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have multiple opportunities for meaningful encounters with providers of technical education and apprenticeships.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure adequate provision of apprenticeships in Ashfield constituency.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Ashfield, and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department will be introducing seven new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, including construction and the built environment, digital, and health and social care. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 years old who have an education, health and care plan or have been in local authority care. We will also provide £2,000 payments to employers for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to 25 when they earn less than £50,270 a year.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the uptake of apprenticeships in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex.

This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Eastbourne and East Sussex, and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department will be introducing seven new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, including construction and the built environment, digital, and health and social care. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 years old who have an education, health and care plan or have been in local authority care. We will also provide £2,000 payments to employers for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to 25 when they earn less than £50,270 a year.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by Barnardo's entitled Building Families, Building Futures, published on 24 June 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing family hubs to support families.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Family Hubs programme is available across England.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing a national outcomes framework for family hubs.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to oblige local authorities to provide family hubs.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding has been allocated to family hubs for each year of the Spending Review 2025.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to roll out integrated family hubs.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure a wide roll out the Family Hubs programme.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that that integrated family hubs are available to support families in local communities.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that family hubs are available in all areas.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding was allocated to family hubs in the Spending Review 2025.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to develop a national outcomes framework for family hubs.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
3rd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will require local authorities to provide family hubs in communities.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.

This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory prison sentences for people operating unregulated care homes for children.

This government is clear that all providers of children’s social care accommodation such as children’s homes should register with Ofsted as per the Care Standards Act (CSA) 2000.

Ofsted has existing powers to prosecute persons carrying on a children’s home or supported accommodation (formally an unregulated placement) without registering.

Where a person is found guilty of running an unregistered children’s home or supported accommodation, the court can issue an unlimited fine, and for a second or subsequent conviction for the same offence, or where the person’s registration has been suspended and they continue to carry on the provision, imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months and/or an unlimited fine.

The government is further strengthening Ofsted’s powers, via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to enable them to issue monetary penalties for breaches of the CSA, including an unlimited fine for operating a children’s home without being registered. This will allow Ofsted to take action at pace and act as a significant deterrent.

Taken together, the set of powers that will be in place after the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is passed will allow Ofsted and the courts to take the appropriate enforcement action according to each circumstance.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
7th Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which children's centres closed in England between May 2010 and July 2024 by (a) name, (b) postcode and (c) date of closure.

Data on children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.

Based on the information supplied by local authorities, the attached document provides details of the name and postcode and date of closure of Sure Start children’s centres that closed in England between May 2010 and July 2024.

The list of children’s centres closed since May 2010 and July 2024 is based on information supplied by local authorities as of 8 July 2025. These figures may be different to previous answers, and could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve online safety education in schools to help children (a) recognise and (b) respond to online grooming.

As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The statutory guidance emphasises that schools should be alive to issues such as grooming and sexual exploitation, including coercive and controlling behaviour, and that these should be addressed sensitively and clearly. The statutory guidance for primary schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary.

The statutory guidance for secondary schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.

The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.

In 2023, the department published guidance on teaching online safety in schools, which sets out how to teach about all aspects of internet safety. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Schools and colleges must also have regard to the department’s robust safeguarding framework ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The guidance makes clear that all staff should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety. The training should be regularly updated. In addition, all staff should receive safeguarding and child protection updates as required, and at least annually, to continue to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) guidance and (b) training is provided to (i) teachers and (ii) school staff to help ensure they are (A) confident and (B) equipped to (1) educate pupils about online grooming and (2) respond appropriately to disclosures.

As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The statutory guidance emphasises that schools should be alive to issues such as grooming and sexual exploitation, including coercive and controlling behaviour, and that these should be addressed sensitively and clearly. The statutory guidance for primary schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary.

The statutory guidance for secondary schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.

The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.

In 2023, the department published guidance on teaching online safety in schools, which sets out how to teach about all aspects of internet safety. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Schools and colleges must also have regard to the department’s robust safeguarding framework ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The guidance makes clear that all staff should receive appropriate safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety. The training should be regularly updated. In addition, all staff should receive safeguarding and child protection updates as required, and at least annually, to continue to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to ensure improved access to schooling for children with (a) visual and (b) hearing impairments in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities. The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.

Of this £740 million, Lincolnshire Council has been allocated £10.3 million. This funding can be used to improve access to schooling for children and young people with a variety of SEND, including visual and hearing impairments. It is intended to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
2nd Jul 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.

Unless undertaking work in an official capacity, the department only permits overseas working in limited circumstances and for short periods of time. The department’s international remote working policy considers any country outside of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as overseas including all British Overseas Territories.

In line with Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office guidance, the department has currently granted temporary permission to 24 staff to work outside the UK in the following countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Morocco, Spain, South Africa, and Turkey.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of therapeutic sessions available to a child who has undergone a specialist assessment funded by the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

The number of therapeutic sessions available to a child after a specialist assessment funded by the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) is dependent on a variety of factors. This includes the cost of the specialist assessment, the cost of the therapy and in which financial year the specialist assessment was completed. It is also important to note that additional funding may be made available by the local authority or Regional Adoption Agency beyond that provided by the ASGSF, therefore increasing the amount of therapy available, should the specialist assessment recommend this.

The department estimates that £3,000 of funding will fund an average of 19 to 20 hours of therapy. This is a significant package of support, which may be tailored to meet a child’s individual needs.

Outcomes measurement tool data enables the efficacy of ASGSF-funded support to be monitored at local and national level. The department started to collect data from outcomes measurement tools for ASGSF-funded therapies in December 2023. As therapy treatment comes to an end, this data will give an overall picture of the impact and adequacy of individual ASGSF-funded therapies. We are currently developing tools and methods for assessing this emerging information.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
26th Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of therapeutic packages that can be funded through the adoption and special guardianship support fund limit of £3,000 per child per year.

The number of therapeutic sessions available to a child after a specialist assessment funded by the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) is dependent on a variety of factors. This includes the cost of the specialist assessment, the cost of the therapy and in which financial year the specialist assessment was completed. It is also important to note that additional funding may be made available by the local authority or Regional Adoption Agency beyond that provided by the ASGSF, therefore increasing the amount of therapy available, should the specialist assessment recommend this.

The department estimates that £3,000 of funding will fund an average of 19 to 20 hours of therapy. This is a significant package of support, which may be tailored to meet a child’s individual needs.

Outcomes measurement tool data enables the efficacy of ASGSF-funded support to be monitored at local and national level. The department started to collect data from outcomes measurement tools for ASGSF-funded therapies in December 2023. As therapy treatment comes to an end, this data will give an overall picture of the impact and adequacy of individual ASGSF-funded therapies. We are currently developing tools and methods for assessing this emerging information.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
23rd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the per-pupil funding when taking into account increased National Insurance contributions costs and increased eligibility for free school meals in each year of the Spending Review 2025 (CP1336); and what assessment they have made the level of per-pupil funding in those years compared to (1) 2023–24, and (2) 2024–25.

​​The department is providing schools with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support schools with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025. This funding will be rolled into the schools national funding formula from 2026/27, ensuring that this additional funding forms an on-going part of schools’ core budgets. Total schools funding will increase by a further £4.2 billion, by the end of the Spending Review period.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
23rd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide support to families with (1) children in early years, and (2) school-age children, in poverty.

The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a fully funded strategy this autumn, tackling the root causes of poverty across four themes: increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, boosting financial resilience, and strengthening local support, especially in the early years.

Family hubs offer vital services from birth to age 19, or to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities; supporting health, education, and wellbeing, particularly for families in poverty. In 2025/26, £126 million will be invested through family hubs and Start for Life to give every child the best start in life.

An additional £57 million for the Start for Life services was announced in January, covering mental health, infant feeding, breastfeeding, and access to local services.

Early education support includes 15 funded hours for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and all 3 and 4-year-olds. A 45% uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium was announced in December 2024 to improve outcomes.

Through the Spending Review, the government is expanding free school meals, which are expected to lift 100,000 children out of poverty, and has committed to free breakfast clubs and limiting branded school uniform requirements specifically for school aged children.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
23rd Jun 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to boost (1) literacy, and (2) communication skills, of children aged 0–5 years old.

Giving young children the best start in life is the foundation of the government’s Opportunity Mission. The department has set a milestone of a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn. We will measure progress through 75% of children at the end of reception reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028.

To support early language and literacy skills, the department is:

  • Funding the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme (NELI), which is an evidence-based programme targeting reception aged children needing extra support with their speech and language development.
  • Funding the Early Years Evidence Store, which includes a theme on Communication and Language and supports educators to put evidence-informed approaches into practice.
  • Working with NHS England to deliver the Early Language Support for Every Child pathfinders.
  • Working with partners to deliver the Early Language Local Innovation and Excellence programme, which includes implementation of Speech and Language Communication pathway guidance and an early language identification measure.
  • Funding the English Hubs Programme, which is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. The reading framework provides guidance for schools to help improve reading for all pupils.
  • Investing £10.7 million in 2025/26 to deliver home learning environment services through Family Hubs. These services help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings that support early communication, confidence, and literacy. The Little Moments Together campaign complements this by providing free, accessible resources that encourages parents to chat, play and read with their children, simple, everyday actions that support early development.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress her Department has made on the Mainstream Schools Review; and when she expects to announce the outcome.

The review has focused on ensuring that government funding is targeted where it is most needed. In the past, a significant proportion of spending on free schools has created surplus capacity, resulting in subsequent closure of new schools. Some of that funding could have been put to better use by improving the deteriorating condition of our existing schools and colleges.

The department understands that trusts and local authorities want to have certainty about their projects as soon as possible. We will provide an update on next steps to trusts and local authorities in due course.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools reported finding students in possession of illegal drugs.

The department does not collect such information centrally.

The Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance emphasises the importance of the school’s duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils. Searching can play a critical role in ensuring that schools are safe environments. Authorised members of school staff have the statutory power to search a pupil when they have reasonable grounds to suspect them to be in possession of prohibited items, such as illegal drugs. At all times, schools must ensure they continue to adhere to their statutory safeguarding duties as outlined in the Working Together to Safeguard Children and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance documents.

The relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance states that, in both primary and secondary school, pupils should be taught the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks, including drug-taking. To support schools to deliver this content, the department has published a suite of teacher training modules, including one on drugs, alcohol and tobacco.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that multi-academy trusts maintain education standards.

Multi-academy trusts play an important role in our schools system, both supporting school improvement and driving forward high-quality education for our children.

Working with schools we will drive excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, robust accountability and faster school improvement, and an inclusive system which removes barriers to learning to ensure every child can achieve and thrive in education. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will help deliver this by providing a core guarantee of quality education in every school, no matter where children live or what school they attend. To ensure all parts of our system are focused on delivering these excellent outcomes, the government will in future bring multi-academy trusts into our inspection system.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
26th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) teaching bodies on using vapes in school settings.

In the UK, it is against the law to sell nicotine vaping products to under 18s or for adults to buy them on their behalf. Young people should not have these products in schools.

Schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what is expected of all pupils, including which items are banned from school premises. School staff can search pupils for banned items as outlined in the department’s Searching, Screening and Confiscation guidance.

Schools have an important role in educating pupils about the dangers of harmful substances. Primary pupils should be taught about legal and illegal harmful substances while secondary pupils are also taught about the associated legal and psychological risks. The relationships, sex and health education curriculum is currently being reviewed and will consider vaping as part of the review of the statutory guidance.

FRANK, the government-funded national drug and alcohol advisory service, has also been updated with relevant information on vapes, including the risks, physical effects and addictiveness of nicotine vapes.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
30th Jun 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years providers are not disadvantaged by restrictions on charging flexibility for funded childcare hours.

It is this 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 and delivering on our Plan for Change.

Government funding for the entitlements does not cover consumables like meals, nappies or sun cream or additional activities, such as trips, so providers are able to ask parents to pay for these things.

However, in line with a recent high court judgment, these charges must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place. The high court judgement is accessible here: https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2025/224. The government’s guidance sets out requirements for the delivery of the early education and childcare entitlements in line with the law.

The statutory guidance emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed on to parents, including that any costs should be clearer on invoices and websites. Providers have until January 2026 to update their information in line with transparency requirements.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)