Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what capital funding is available to increase the number of childcare places in settings that are already at capacity, including those operating within primary schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
High-quality early years education is central to our mission to break down barriers to opportunity, give every child the best possible start in life, and is essential to our Plan for Change. This government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, supporting school-led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers and childminders operating from school sites.
The department recently announced that we are investing £45 million to support 331 additional schools to establish or grow their nurseries as part of Phase 2 of the School-Based Nursery scheme, creating more than 6,000 further places. This includes a school-based nursery in North Northumberland. Phase 3 of the programme is backed by up to £325 million of additional funding and will invite local authorities to develop multi-year funding proposals that outline plans for new or expanded school-based nurseries in their area. This will enable eligible schools, including those working in partnership with PVIs and childminders operating from school sites, to increase the number of childcare places available or establish new nursery provision. Local authorities may also use the grant funding to expand or create provision for maintained nursery schools, or on Best Start Family Hub sites.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The total value of severance payments is set out in the department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring nurseries to use monitoring or recording equipment, including cameras; and whether her Department has issued guidance to early years providers on the use of such technology to support safeguarding.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The ‘Early years foundation stage’ 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. Providers are required to have safeguarding policies addressing the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about using monitoring and recording equipment 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 has been appointed and is working at pace to inform guidance for the sector on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations. It will be published in summer 2026.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she will introduce a maximum 5 per cent threshold for ultra-processed foods (Nova Group 4) in the updated School Food Standards, in line with the successful 2025 implementation by the Isle of Man Government; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Chelsea and Fulham to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question 121632.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific nutritional and processing specifications are included in contracts for the National Breakfast Club programme to help ensure that the £100m+ of annual public spend is not directed toward ultra-processed cereals and breads.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The National School Breakfast Programme is an inherited scheme from the previous government and the contract will end in July 2026. The contract with the supplier, Family Action, stipulates that all food available for schools to purchase must meet the School Food Standards.
The School Food Standards already restricts foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. However, to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.
This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering seven million meals so far. We are moving into national rollout, investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Schools delivering free breakfast clubs have autonomy in how they procure their breakfast food, which must meet the School Food Standards.
Asked by: Beccy Cooper (Labour - Worthing West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a maximum five per cent threshold for ultra-processed foods (Nova Group 4) in the updated School Food Standards.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has considered the impact of processed foods on health in 2023 and 2025, and recommends that on balance, most people are likely to benefit from reducing their consumption of processed foods high in energy, saturated fat, salt and free sugars and low in fibre.
The School Food Standards already restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low-quality reformed or reconstituted foods, but to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 24 February (HL Deb col 565), whether the £4 billion increase over the spending review period that has been allocated to fund special educational needs and disabilities reform is additional funding that increases the spending allocation to the Department for Education above that set out in the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The £4 billion in funding over the spending review period (2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29) is newly allocated funding from existing departmental budgets. This investment is additional to the core funding allocations for 2026/27 for early years, schools and post-16 funding that have already been announced.
The department confirmed an additional £3.5 billion of new funding for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in 2028/29, to support reforms to improve outcomes and experiences for children, young people and their families, as outlined in ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’.
Asked by: Baroness Shawcross-Wolfson (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what the £3.5 billion of funding allocated to the Department for Education for 2028–29, additional to the previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025, will be spent on.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The £4 billion in funding over the spending review period (2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29) is newly allocated funding from existing departmental budgets. This investment is additional to the core funding allocations for 2026/27 for early years, schools and post-16 funding that have already been announced.
The department confirmed an additional £3.5 billion of new funding for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in 2028/29, to support reforms to improve outcomes and experiences for children, young people and their families, as outlined in ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage median salary increase for primary school deputy head teachers in England between 1996–97 and 2025–26 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Median pay is published for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. The percentage median salary increase is not published but can be calculated from the published median pay. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately.
Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census. The most recent data currently available is for 2024/25 and the 2025/26 pay data will be published in June 2026.
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads in Cash Terms
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
39.5% | 38.2% | 41.6% | 36.2% |
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads Adjusted for Inflation (indexed to 2024/25)
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
-6.5% | -7.4% | -5.1% | -8.7% |
We have adjusted for inflation on a financial year basis using the Consumer Price Index from the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. To get the median pay figures adjusted for inflation, we have indexed to financial year 2024/25.
Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the ‘School teachers pay and conditions’ document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Goss Moor (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage median salary increase for primary school head teachers in England between 1996–97 and 2025–26 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Median pay is published for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. The percentage median salary increase is not published but can be calculated from the published median pay. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately.
Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census. The most recent data currently available is for 2024/25 and the 2025/26 pay data will be published in June 2026.
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads in Cash Terms
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
39.5% | 38.2% | 41.6% | 36.2% |
Percentage Median Salary Increase Between 2010/11 and 2024/25 for Headteachers and Deputy Heads Adjusted for Inflation (indexed to 2024/25)
Deputy Head | Head teachers | ||
Primary | Secondary | Primary | Secondary |
-6.5% | -7.4% | -5.1% | -8.7% |
We have adjusted for inflation on a financial year basis using the Consumer Price Index from the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2026 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. To get the median pay figures adjusted for inflation, we have indexed to financial year 2024/25.
Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the ‘School teachers pay and conditions’ document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.