Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's announcement of 11 February 2026 entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, how many and what proportion of secondary schools do not have an inclusion base, SEN units or pupil support unit.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The number of state-funded secondary schools with resourced provision or special educational needs units, as of January 2025, was 485. This represents 14% of all state-funded secondary schools.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 88737 on Special Educational Needs: Finance, tabled on 10 November 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Questions 88735, 88736 and 88737 was published on 18 March 2026.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 88736 on Special Educational Needs, tabled on 10 November 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Questions 88735, 88736 and 88737 was published on 18 March 2026.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 88735 on Schools: South Suffolk, tabled on 10 November 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Questions 88735, 88736 and 88737 was published on 18 March 2026.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to promote teaching as a career path for young people and current teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Since July 2024, this government has taken targeted action to boost teacher supply. This work started with our reset of the relationship with the sector, to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession, making it one that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join. We have published our delivery plan for 6,500 new expert teachers, focusing delivery across three key themes:
We are offering recruitment incentives in the subjects where they are needed most, with significant investment in tax-free teacher training bursaries and scholarships of up to £31,000 for school and college teachers.
We have recognised the importance of teachers with a pay rise for school teachers and leaders of nearly 10% since this government took power.
Our approach is already starting to pay-off, with the secondary and special school workforce growing by 2,346 teachers between 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve educational opportunities in former coalfield areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed. Our mission is to make this a reality across the country, including in former coalfield areas.
We’re investing £9.5 billion into early years next year to help families access affordable high-quality childcare places all over the country including those in former coalfield areas. We are also taking bold action to lift 550,000 children out of poverty, tackling the high levels of deprivation seen in many former coalfield areas.
Our “Every Child Achieving and Thriving” white paper sets out our plan to provide a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience for every child. We are consulting on funding reforms to reflect different lengths and depths of disadvantage that children may be experiencing including the persistent challenges faced in former coalfield areas.
The department is also strengthening routes into post-16 education, employment and training so every young person can progress into secure, well-paid work. We recognise that former coalfield areas face some of the biggest barriers to opportunity and this government will ensure those Children and Young People benefit from the landmark reforms we are making to education and beyond.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has issued guidance to early years educational settings on the use of screens in nurseries.
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 children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. Details about the framework are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c024cb8c6d992f23edd79c/Early_years_foundation_stage_statutory_framework_-_for_group_and_school-based_providers.pdf.pdf.
The department has published guidance to inform practitioners about online safety and appropriate device usage in early years settings, including an ‘Internet safety’ page on the Help for Early Years Providers platform here: https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/internet-safety. This includes information on how device use affects development, outlining both benefits and challenges.
Following the publication of new screen time guidance for parents, we will update this page to provide further emphasis on screen time and outline considerations around adult use of technology within settings. We will also incorporate updated guidance into the EYFS frameworks and review Development Matters to include information on screen time and digital literacy.
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 ensure all secondary schools offer a wide range of GCSE subject options.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of their duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, schools are expected to offer a range of subject options to help meet the aspirations of all pupils.
On 23 February, the department published a consultation which includes proposals to improve the Progress 8 model to maintain a strong academic core and ensure breadth and choice for every child. The consultation is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/key-stage-4-performance-measures-and-targeted-rise-extension. We want to recognise the value of subjects that strengthen our economy and society, for example the arts and sciences, and the importance of a broad pre-16 curriculum.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to work with local authorities to improve safeguarding standards in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department works closely with local authorities to strengthen safeguarding standards across early years settings, including nurseries and childcare centres.
Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are seeking to require the automatic involvement of education and childcare settings in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, ensuring their participation and that their views are represented at both strategic and operational levels. These measures strengthen the role of education and childcare providers in safeguarding and support effective information sharing through statutory guidance.
As part of wider safeguarding reforms, in September 2025 we strengthened safeguarding requirements through changes to the early years foundation stage statutory framework, including enhanced expectations on safer recruitment, child absences, safer eating, safeguarding training and whistleblowing.
In addition, we have appointed an expert panel to inform the development of guidance for the early years sector on the use of digital devices and CCTV within safeguarding. This guidance is due to be published in the autumn and will set out best practice, technical information and clear expectations for providers.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) availability and (b) consistency of guidance offered to parents of children with communication difficulties.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our new investment, schools will be able to access support, advice, training and specialist expertise from professionals such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers. These experts will work directly with school staff to equip them with the skills and strategies to better meet need, including delivering group‑level interventions to address needs early and effectively.
We will also set out guidance on inclusive, evidence-based ordinarily available provision through the National Inclusion Standards, to support all mainstream settings to meet the needs of all children and young people effectively. Schools will be required to produce an Inclusion Strategy, encouraging effective cohort-level planning for common and predictable needs and the meaningful implementation of inclusive education.
We also continue to involve and engage with families and special educational needs and disabilities stakeholders through our Participation and Family Support programme.