Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that social care professionals working with adoptive families receive trauma-informed training.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for South East Cornwall to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102909.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers and pupils are adequately equipped to use artificial intelligence tools safely and effectively in the classroom.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is taking comprehensive action to ensure teachers and pupils are equipped to use artificial intelligence (AI) safely and effectively. Our Generative AI policy position sets clear guidance on the opportunities and risks of AI, and provides practical advice for safe, responsible use by educators. It emphasises that AI should enhance not replace high quality teaching and is informed by extensive evidence from educators, experts, parents and pupils.
We have also introduced updated Generative AI Product Safety Standards, announced at the UK Generative AI for Education Summit on Monday 19 January. These set out the safeguards AI developers must meet, including child centred design, enhanced filtering of harmful content, and protections for pupils’ cognitive and emotional wellbeing, ensuring tools are safe by design.
At Bett 2026 on Wednesday 21 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has committed to a five‑point plan for AI in education, including a strong focus on building the evidence for the safe and effective use of AI and technology tools to support pupils and teachers, and a new digital skills pathway for education staff.
Alongside this, we have published sector-developed support materials and are investing in evidence-based AI tools, helping schools adopt AI confidently, safely and in ways that support teaching and learning.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much revenue has been generated from the application of VAT to private school fees to date and how this revenue has been allocated.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government has estimated that ending tax breaks for private schools will raise £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30. At the Autumn Budget 2025, the re-costing of the measure showed it will raise around £40 million per year more than originally forecast. This will raise essential revenue to help fund public services, including supporting the 94% of children in state schools.
Asked by: Baroness Coussins (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the introduction of the advanced maths premium on take-up of A level maths.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Introduced in 2018, the advanced maths premium (AMP) provides 16 to 19 providers with £900 extra funding per additional student, over a baseline year, studying AS or A level maths and further maths. The AMP, alongside other 16 to 19 provider premiums such as the high value course premium, focuses on subjects that lead to higher economic return, to enable a more productive economy. The AMP aims to support schools and colleges to increase the number of level 3 maths students. Provision of the AMP has coincided with a 23% increase in A level maths entries between academic years 2018/19 to 2024/25 (years since AMP introduction), although entries are driven by a range of factors such as student choice, and we cannot attribute causality.
More details on AMP can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-advanced-maths-premium.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage the introduction of further university level non-academic heritage craft skills courses across the country.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises the importance of heritage craft skills and supports their development through apprenticeships, vocational qualifications and partnerships with sector bodies.
Higher education institutions in England are autonomous and independent, and so they are responsible for determining the courses they offer. The government does not intervene in academic content. However, we encourage collaboration between universities, further education providers and heritage organisations to embed practical craft skills where appropriate, including through vocational and foundation degrees.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the current status is of funding for level 2 and level 3 building crafts and other heritage craft skills diploma courses; and whether they will reinstate level 3 funding for courses including stone masonry and joinery.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 12 January 2026, the department’s consultation on post-16 pathways at level 3 and below closed. We are currently reviewing the responses and will provide a government response in due course and set out how we will transition to the new system.
Asked by: Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of increase in demand for special educational needs and disabilities places in the past 10 years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A greater proportion of our school children are educated in special schools than at any time in the past fifty years.
For the first time in 2023, the school capacity survey asked local authorities to provide data on the capacity of special schools and the capacity of special education needs (SEN) units and resourced provision in mainstream schools, as well as their forecast future demand for specialist provision. This is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/school-capacity-in-england-academic-year-2023-to-2024.
Since 2015/16, the number of children in all types of special schools has increased from 115,000 to 200,000 in 2024/25. The number of specialist placements overall is expected to continue to increase based on current trends.
The department also collects numbers of pupils on roll with SEN through the school census with data from 2025/26 onwards. Data is published by type of provision and can be accessed here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2025.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early intervention support for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The national rollout of Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection and Family Group Decision Making reforms is being delivered through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme.
The programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over the next three years, which is ringfenced for spend on prevention.
Multi-disciplinary Family Help teams will prioritise supporting the whole family, wrapping support around them and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, including for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home. Local partnerships should use population needs assessments to identify agencies, services and practitioners needed in their multi‑disciplinary teams.
The FFP programme team in the department will work closely with all local authorities, including Surrey, to monitor progress and provide support. In 2025/26, Surrey local authority received £5.1 million of ringfenced funding for the delivery of FFP, and based on indicative allocations they will receive £10.1 million in 2026/27.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 1 on children’s wellbeing.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department recognises that moving between key stages can be challenging for some children, and that children’s experience of school can significantly impact their attendance, attainment and wellbeing.
This government is committed to giving every child the best start in life, ensuring they have what they need to achieve and thrive in school. The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework aims to ensure children have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive and make a successful transition to later schooling.
The government is expanding mental health support teams, so all schools can access specialist mental health professionals, supporting their whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, and providing early intervention.
The department will also publish a best practice framework to help schools improve pupil experience and engagement. As part of this work, we will consider the evidence around effective transitions strategies that can promote and support children’s wellbeing.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to require the provision of CCTV in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe.
The EYFS requires providers to have safeguarding policies that address the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about installing and using CCTV are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel will be appointed to inform sector guidance on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices within safeguarding. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations.