Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed cap on branded uniform items on curricular and extracurricular PE participation; and whether her Department has considered allowing a longer implementation period for changes to school uniform policy.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The assessments made in relation to the limit on branded school uniform and PE kit contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including consideration of implementation timings, have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.
In order to support schools to implement the proposed limit by September 2026, we published our statutory guidance ‘Cost of school uniforms’ and have committed to updating it following Royal Assent for the Bill. This guidance is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce bullying in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensuring that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.
Where bullying is reported, it is important that schools take prompt action to support the pupil and prevent the bullying from happening again. Ofsted’s renewed Education Inspection Framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area.
To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers to guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying, and actions to focus on prevention.
Asked by: Adrian Ramsay (Green Party - Waveney Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the Kinship Allowance Pilot will commence; and when she plans to publish the list of the ten selected local authorities participating in that pilot.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department announced on 27 February that the Kinship Allowance pilot will be delivered through the new Kinship Zones programme, which will operate in seven local authority areas: Bexley, Bolton, Newcastle, North East Lincolnshire, Medway, Thurrock and Wiltshire.
Delivery of support through the Kinship Zones will begin on 1 April 2026, with local authorities leading engagement with eligible kinship families ahead of the rollout.
The seven participating local authorities were selected following last year’s expression of interest process. The final seven were selected because they provided the strongest conditions for generating robust evidence across a diverse range of local contexts and helping the maximum number of children while remaining within budget constraints.
Details of the participating areas have already been published, and further information about the wider Kinship Zones programme is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-launches-investment-in-support-for-kinship-carers.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of distribution of Best Start Family Hubs across local authorities; and how much funding is expected to be allocated to Eastleigh.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department has set a clear ambition for 70% of hubs to be in the 30% most disadvantaged areas. From April we will be rolling out hubs nationally meaning that they will be in every single local authority by 2028. We are setting a clear expectation that support to families and neighbourhoods under the greatest pressure should be prioritised. Councils know their communities best, and we will work closely with them to make sure this happens.
Provisional funding allocations were shared with Hampshire County Council for the programme during the 2026/29 financial years on 7 November 2025. Payments are subject to local authorities meeting the expectations of the programme.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure children from disadvantaged backgrounds can access private tutoring.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out plans to build on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience to ensure every child has what they need to get on in life.
We know that many schools use their pupil premium to fund tuition. Schools can use their pupil premium to provide peer tutoring and one-to-one or small group tuition when choosing support that will most improve progress, using the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.
Through our AI Tutoring Tools Programme, we will be co‑creating and trialling curriculum‑aligned, safe‑by‑design AI tutoring tools with teachers, pupils and experts. This will support teaching, build evidence of impact on attainment and inclusion to ensure pupils, including those who often cannot access private tuition, benefit from high quality individual learning support.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department offers to state schools to ensure the provision of adequate tutoring for pupils.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out plans to build on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience to ensure every child has what they need to get on in life.
We know that many schools use their pupil premium to fund tuition. Schools can use their pupil premium to provide peer tutoring and one-to-one or small group tuition when choosing support that will most improve progress, using the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.
Through our AI Tutoring Tools Programme, we will be co‑creating and trialling curriculum‑aligned, safe‑by‑design AI tutoring tools with teachers, pupils and experts. This will support teaching, build evidence of impact on attainment and inclusion to ensure pupils, including those who often cannot access private tuition, benefit from high quality individual learning support.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact on local authority finances of accumulated high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the statutory override ending in 2027-28.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has set out plans for a reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in the recent Schools White Paper. The department's assessment of future SEND spending will be updated following the SEND consultation.
We have set out plans to address high needs deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that we will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited.
From 2028/29, SEND spending will be covered by the overall government DEL budget, meaning local authorities are not expected to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027/28.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to expand access to practical trade-based qualifications within mainstream secondary schools before the age of 16, including through partnerships with further education colleges and local employers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There are 46 key stage 4 Technical Awards, which pupils can take alongside GCSEs. These qualifications cover broad sector areas such as health and social care, building and construction and support the development of knowledge and practical skills.
In 2024/25, 45% of students in state-funded schools took at least one Technical Award. The Curriculum and Assessment Review emphasised maintaining stability to allow these qualifications to embed fully in the system and did not propose significant reforms to change delivery or uptake at this stage.
School careers programmes introduce pupils to technical and trade occupations early. Under Provider Access legislation, schools must provide at least six opportunities for pupils in years 8 to 13 to meet technical education or apprenticeship providers. The Schools White Paper also sets out the department’s commitment to broadening pupils’ horizons by ensuring access to high quality careers advice and two weeks’ worth of work experience for every secondary pupil.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce regional inequalities in the ability to access private tutoring.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out plans to build on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience to ensure every child has what they need to get on in life.
We know that many schools use their pupil premium to fund tuition. Schools can use their pupil premium to provide peer tutoring and one-to-one or small group tuition when choosing support that will most improve progress, using the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.
Through our AI Tutoring Tools Programme, we will be co‑creating and trialling curriculum‑aligned, safe‑by‑design AI tutoring tools with teachers, pupils and experts. This will support teaching, build evidence of impact on attainment and inclusion to ensure pupils, including those who often cannot access private tuition, benefit from high quality individual learning support.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what projection she has made of the deficit in the High Needs block budgets of English councils between now and the start of FY 2028/9.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has set out plans for a reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in the recent Schools White Paper. Our assessment of future SEND spending will be updated following the SEND consultation. From 2028/29, SEND spending will be covered by the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limit budget.