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

Green Party
Ellie Chowns (Green - North Herefordshire)
Green Spokesperson (Education)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Baroness Barran (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Education)
Saqib Bhatti (Con - Meriden and Solihull East)
Shadow Minister (Education)
Ministers of State
Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Education)
Georgia Gould (Lab - Queen's Park and Maida Vale)
Minister of State (Education)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Seema Malhotra (LAB - Feltham and Heston)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Josh MacAlister (Lab - Whitehaven and Workington)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Olivia Bailey (Lab - Reading West and Mid Berkshire)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There are no upcoming events identified
Debates
Monday 20th October 2025
Oral Answers to Questions
Oral Questions
Select Committee Docs
Friday 17th October 2025
00:01
Select Committee Inquiry
Thursday 4th September 2025
Early Years: Improving support for children and parents

The Education Committee’s ‘early years’ inquiry will examine a number of policy issues related to workforce sustainability in the sector, …

Written Answers
Monday 20th October 2025
Special Educational Needs: Finance
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of …
Secondary Legislation
Thursday 16th October 2025
School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These Regulations amend the School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/8).
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 20th October 2025
17:56

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
Oct. 20
Oral Questions
Sep. 04
Written Statements
Oct. 15
Westminster Hall
Jul. 21
Adjournment Debate
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 amend the School Admissions (Admission Arrangements and Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/8).
This Order makes provision for the determination of the remuneration of school teachers (within the meaning of section 122 of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32)) in England and other conditions of employment of school teachers which relate to their professional duties and working time.
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
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(6,970 in the last 7 days)
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(1,187 in the last 7 days)
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124,104 Signatures
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Petitions with most signatures
Petition Debates Contributed

Support in education is a vital legal right of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We ask the government to commit to maintaining the existing law, so that vulnerable children with SEND can access education and achieve their potential.

View All Department for Education Petitions

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 - Oral evidence
Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Students
21 Oct 2025, 9:30 a.m.
At 10:00am: Oral evidence
Mr Neil Smyth - Partner at Mills and Reeve LLP
Adam Leach - National Civic Impact Director at Civic University Network
Carol Prokopyszyn - Chief Financial Officer, University of Manchester at British Universities Finance Directors Group
Vivienne Stern MBE - Chief Executive at Universities UK
At 11:00am: Oral evidence
Professor Brian Bell - Chair at Migration Advisory Committee
Mrs Dani Payne - Head of Education and Social Mobility at Social Market Foundation
Rachel MacSween - Director of Client Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, UK International and Europe at IDP Education UK and Ireland
Dr David Pilsbury - Secretary at International Higher Education Commission

View calendar - Save to Calendar
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 Early Years: Improving support for children and parents 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

10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help improve GCSE outcomes in (a) English and (b) maths for white working-class children.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed. However, the system is not working for all, including white working-class children, who are one of the biggest and lowest-performing groups.

This is unacceptable. The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a school system that delivers educational excellence for all children, no matter their background.

The department is driving standards and outcomes through regional improvement for standards and excellence teams’ attainment conferences focused on disadvantage and the Maths Hubs programme, supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. As part of a £2 million investment in reading and writing, secondary schools can access support to foster a strong whole-school reading culture, as well as the Unlocking Reading programme to boost the reading of pupils who need the most support, launching in January.

We will ensure future work to support white working-class children draws on evidence and expertise, including from the independent inquiry into white working-class educational outcomes.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve literacy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Romford is served by New Vision English Hub.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school, and new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.

The department also published a writing framework in July, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to require educational leaders to take steps to narrow the gap between (a) disabled and (b) nondisabled children’s holistic experience of education.

We have been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people opportunities they need to achieve and thrive. All schools have a duty to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Settings are held to account for their support for pupils with SEND through Ofsted, who are focusing on inclusion in their new approach to inspection. Their renewed education inspection framework sets out expectations for how leaders should be aware of and responsive to some pupils’ increased need for help and protection, including those with SEND.

There remains a crucial role for special schools, not only in supporting children and young people with particularly complex needs, but also in building capability across the system.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a GCSE in digital creativity.

To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital and creative skills as part of their education, with digital skills becoming increasingly important to the economy and our growth mission.

To meet this ambition, the government commissioned the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review to advise on how to refresh the curriculum to ensure that young people leave compulsory education with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive, including digital skills. The Review is also looking at whether the current assessment system for young people aged 5 to 19, including qualification pathways, can be improved, while protecting the important role of examinations.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to support the introduction of a new digital creativity GCSE.

To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital and creative skills as part of their education, with digital skills becoming increasingly important to the economy and our growth mission.

To meet this ambition, the government commissioned the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review to advise on how to refresh the curriculum to ensure that young people leave compulsory education with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive, including digital skills. The Review is also looking at whether the current assessment system for young people aged 5 to 19, including qualification pathways, can be improved, while protecting the important role of examinations.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help improve the quality of special educational needs and disabilities provision in Yeovil constituency.

The department continues to support improvements in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in Somerset, including in Yeovil.

This financial year, Somerset Council received £8.4 million through the High Needs Provision Capital Allocation to expand specialist provision and improve accessibility in mainstream schools.

Six primary schools in Yeovil are also participating in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools programme. This initiative brings together health and education professionals, and expert parent carers, to strengthen whole school SEND provision, upskill staff, and improve outcomes for neurodivergent pupils.

The department and NHS England continue to engage with the Somerset SEND partnership and are occasional observers to their SEND partnership board to support system-wide improvement.

We also support educational outcomes through academy trust oversight and regional improvement for standards and excellence initiatives.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that a child's legal right to special educational needs support will be included in the upcoming whitepaper.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We will build a system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND.

We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children and young people get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset Council maintain external specialist (i) educational psychologists and (ii) therapists.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). That is why we are already investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments.

The department is also working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with SEND.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England hold spare EpiPens for emergency use under the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017; and what steps her Department is taking to encourage greater uptake.

The department does not hold the data requested.

We are working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to consider how we might extend the availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) schools and (b) Somerset Council to encourage the recruitment and retention of Special Educational Needs Coordinators.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The funding announced at the last Spending Review means a significant investment in the support available for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pupils within mainstream schools. This will support the government’s plan to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child, with a world class curriculum and highly trained, expert teachers.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ ensures SENCOs receive high quality, evidence-based training and equips them with the knowledge and skills to work with other leaders to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and that they belong. Since going live, over 10,500 members of the school workforce have started their SENCO NPQ journey.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the forthcoming Schools White Paper will include specific measures to improve access to speech and language support in schools in line with the Government’s commitment to early language interventions.

The forthcoming Schools White Paper will set out an ambitious vision for improving outcomes for all pupils. The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

As the department sets out in ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, we will continue to ensure every reception class in state-funded schools benefits from fully funded access to proven programmes such as the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI). In July 2025, the department announced that funded support for the 11,000 schools registered for the NELI programme would continue for a further four academic years until the end of the 2028/29 academic year. Reception staff will also be able to access specialist early language leads.

In addition, the department has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, in partnership with NHS England, to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage the (a) provision and (b) use of (i) accessible and (ii) free CPR training resources in schools in Yeovil constituency.

All state funded schools, including those in Yeovil, are required to teach first aid as part of the statutory health education curriculum in relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) education. This includes how to deal with common injuries, call the emergency services and administer CPR and understand the purpose of defibrillators.

Schools have the autonomy to decide how they teach CPR and which resources to use, often choosing to use expert organisations to deliver additional content. The department does not monitor this as schools decide what to adopt in their local areas, choosing lesson plans and materials that are relevant to them.

Ofsted are responsible for inspecting schools’ RSHE provision as part of their personal development judgement.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of CPR training in schools in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset.

All state funded schools, including those in Yeovil, are required to teach first aid as part of the statutory health education curriculum in relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) education. This includes how to deal with common injuries, call the emergency services and administer CPR and understand the purpose of defibrillators.

Schools have the autonomy to decide how they teach CPR and which resources to use, often choosing to use expert organisations to deliver additional content. The department does not monitor this as schools decide what to adopt in their local areas, choosing lesson plans and materials that are relevant to them.

Ofsted are responsible for inspecting schools’ RSHE provision as part of their personal development judgement.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of investing in early dispute resolution and mediation for the purposes of resolving disputes in the SEND system.

The department believes that more special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) disputes should be resolved earlier, with families, settings and local authorities working together to develop solutions to disagreements.

We are aware that not all families are able to access high quality, earlier dispute resolution through either local authority-commission mediation or disagreement resolution services. We are considering what more we can do to strengthen earlier dispute resolution and will set out our vision for redress in a reformed SEND system shortly.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take legislative steps to guarantee the right to SEN support for children with and without Education, Health and Care Plans.

This government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that has failed to meet the needs of families for far too long. This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity and ensures families can secure support swiftly and easily. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND.

The department is continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children and young people get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. We will be setting out further steps later this year.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of training placements of educational psychologists to meet the expected demand for education, health and care plans by each local authority.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why we are investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in 2023.

As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools operate with a budget deficit in England.

The latest available figures show 96% of academy trusts and 85% of local authority maintained schools are in cumulative surplus or breaking even, with an overall cumulative surplus of almost £6.5 billion, compared to a cumulative deficit of £330 million. These figures relate to 31 August 2024 for academy trusts and 31 March 2024 for maintained schools.

In the 2023/24 financial year there were 1,745 local authority maintained schools in deficit and 341 academies were in trusts that had an overall deficit.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to help maintain staffing levels in small rural schools in Fylde constituency.

To ensure we have sufficient, high quality teachers, the department has increased the core schools budget by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, totalling £65.3 billion. This is alongside the near 10% pay award for teachers over the last two years to ensure teaching is once again a respected and attractive profession.

In addition to improved teacher pay, the department is also providing additional financial support for trainees and teachers. For 2025/26, we announced trainee teacher bursaries worth up to £29,000 and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free. We are also offering a targeted retention incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers of key subjects in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools, including rural areas. Three schools in Fylde constituency are eligible for the TRI.

Our interventions are having impact with 2,346 more teachers across secondary and special schools in 2024/25. In Fylde, there were 14 more teachers in secondary and special schools. We are also helping schools recruit and retain support staff, with support staff numbers increasing by 42 to 668 in Fylde in 2024/25.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many physics teachers are teaching in (a) secondary schools and (b) sixth-form colleges as of October 2025.

Information on the school workforce, including the number of subject teachers in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication.

As of November 2024, the latest date for which data is available, there were 5,649 (headcount) physics teachers employed in state-funded secondary schools in England: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/eb317beb-0226-4d5e-2d32-08ddcdee7988. This has been available since 5 June 2025.

School workforce statistics as of November 2025 will be published in summer 2026.

Information on the further education workforce, including the number of subject teachers in sixth-form colleges, is published in the 'Further education workforce' statistical publication. This has been available since 29 May 2025.

As of the 2023/24 academic year, the latest date for which data is available, there were 101 (headcount) physics teachers employed in sixth-form colleges in England: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9a8eb9b8-83f4-4737-0b18-08de07233b94.

Further education workforce statistics for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in spring 2026.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including travel to swimming lessons within the scope of the sport premium.

Schools receive core funding for activities within the curriculum, including delivery and travel for swimming and water safety lessons. After pupils have completed their core curriculum swimming and water safety lessons, it is permissible to use the physical education and sport premium for top-up lessons, including transport costs for pupils who have not met national curriculum requirements.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that pupil premium funding effectively supports the children it is provided for.

The pupil premium is additional funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that all children have the freedom to achieve and thrive in education. Pupil premium supports the aim of narrowing the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their peers. This will help to break the link between children’s outcomes and those of their parents.

We are providing over £3 billion of pupil premium funding in the 2025/26 financial year. Schools must use pupil premium funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, and the approaches they use should be informed by evidence.

We want to support all schools to use the wealth of evidence of what works, evaluated by the Education Endowment Foundation, to use pupil premium funding effectively to drive high and rising standards for disadvantaged pupils.

Schools must spend their pupil premium in line with the department’s 'menu of approaches' which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.

We are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium funding in the longer term, while maintaining the overall amount we spend on tackling the challenges faced by children with additional needs. We will provide more information in due course.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of (a) increasing the level of funding and (b) introducing a multi-year settlement for the Music and Dance Scheme in the Autumn Budget.

The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.

The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year. Funding beyond the current academic year, including any introduction of multi-year funding agreements, will be considered in due course. This follows the department’s Spending Review in June, where my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated funding to the 2028/2029 financial year for revenue spending.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of directing Ofsted to ensure that one third of inspections are carried out without notice.

Ofsted typically gives a short period of notice of its inspections, to support the effective conduct of the inspection visit. It retains the ability to inspect without notice where it has concerns about a provider. For example, in early years inspections, notice normally takes place at around midday on the day before the inspection. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1,400 unannounced inspections (16%) in early years settings.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to fund inclusive education in England beyond the funding allocated in (a) the Autumn Budget 2024 and (b) March 2025.

In the 2025 Spending Review, we announced that funding for schools is increasing by £4.2 billion by 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. This additional funding will provide an above real terms per pupil increase on the core schools budget, which will take per-pupil funding to its highest ever level and enable us to transform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

The funding announced at the Spending Review means a significant investment in the support available for pupils with SEND within mainstream schools. We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. We will be setting out further steps later this year.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote (a) climate literacy and (b) sustainable living in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Climate education can already be taught in geography, science and citizenship within the national curriculum. The Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering where evidence suggests content needs to be updated to reflect rapid social, environmental and technological change, including a greater focus on sustainability and climate science.

The Sustainability Support for Education hub and Climate Ambassadors programme provide support to enable settings to establish their climate action plan and embed sustainability into their setting.

The National Education Nature Park provides curriculum-linked resources and practical activities to engage children and young people in nature and the improvement of their local environment. There are currently six settings registered to the programme in the Surrey Heath constituency, and we encourage more settings to get involved.

The department has also published statutory guidance on school uniforms which states that schools should ensure second-hand uniforms are available, which benefits all parents and is more sustainable. Additionally, we provide procurement support through the Get Help Buying for Schools service to encourage sustainable procurement decisions.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reform funding processes for the provision of SEND support.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The funding and other arrangements for improving the SEND system are under review, and we are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

In the meantime, the department is providing total high needs funding this financial year of over £12 billion for children and young people with complex SEND. Of that total, East Riding of Yorkshire Council is being allocated over £42 million through the high needs funding block of their dedicated schools grant. This high needs funding is to help meet the costs local authorities are facing this financial year, as they in turn provide support to schools and other education providers, and ultimately to children with SEND.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support students with special educational needs and disabilities.

By prioritising early intervention, training and inclusive support in mainstream schools, while ensuring special schools can support the most complex needs, we are expanding the capacity to deliver timely, consistent, high quality special educational needs and disabilities provision.

We are engaging with children, parents and experts on wider reforms.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring academy trusts to incorporate the National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales 2023 into the contracts of employment of teachers; and if she will bring forward legislation to make such incorporation mandatory.

The National Conditions of Service for Teachers in England and Wales is a national agreement between local authority school employers and teaching and headteacher unions. The government has no input into the agreement or its implementation. As it has no statutory force, while maintained schools are expected to incorporate its provisions into teachers’ contracts, there is no legal obligation for them to do so. Academies will, following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, be required to “have regard” to the entirety of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
14th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

There are challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities system. We will make mainstream education more inclusive through early identification of needs, effective support and high quality teaching while ensuring special schools can support the most complex needs.

We are engaging with children, parents and experts and experts on wider reforms.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish a definition of inclusive education.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The department is continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to draw on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to define inclusive education.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

The department is continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools are not financially disincentivised from admitting students with SEND.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year.

We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. We are engaging with experts, teachers, parents and young people on wider reforms and are keeping the funding arrangements under review to help ensure that mainstream schools are inclusive for children with SEND. It is important that we establish a fair school funding system that directs funding to where it is needed and that does not inadvertently disincentivise schools from admitting and retaining pupils with SEND.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that schools do not use non-disclosure agreements to require teachers to take settlement agreements.

No staff member should ever be pressured into leaving their job. Headteachers have the freedom to manage employment at their schools in accordance with the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document guidance for maintained schools and relevant employment law for all schools.

In addition, the government is taking action to ensure that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) cannot be used to take unfair advantage of workers. For example, the Employment Rights Bill now includes a measure that will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination. The government intends to outline strict conditions in regulations under which NDAs can still be validly entered into.

We are also taking significant steps to reduce pressure on teachers and therefore increase teacher retention. Our ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service contains a range of supportive resources for schools to review and reduce workload, as well as improve staff wellbeing. This year saw one of the lowest leaver rates since 2010, with 1,300 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
16th Sep 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers are not pressured into leaving the profession.

No staff member should ever be pressured into leaving their job. Headteachers have the freedom to manage employment at their schools in accordance with the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document guidance for maintained schools and relevant employment law for all schools.

In addition, the government is taking action to ensure that non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) cannot be used to take unfair advantage of workers. For example, the Employment Rights Bill now includes a measure that will void any provision in an agreement, such as a contract of employment or settlement agreement, between a worker and their employer that prevents a worker from speaking out about relevant harassment or discrimination. The government intends to outline strict conditions in regulations under which NDAs can still be validly entered into.

We are also taking significant steps to reduce pressure on teachers and therefore increase teacher retention. Our ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service contains a range of supportive resources for schools to review and reduce workload, as well as improve staff wellbeing. This year saw one of the lowest leaver rates since 2010, with 1,300 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to issue updated guidance to schools on the inclusion of (a) authors and (b) perspectives from diverse backgrounds on reading lists.

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure an appreciation of our rich and varied literary heritage. It emphasises the importance of listening to, discussing and reading a wide range of stories, poems, plays and non-fiction. While the curriculum does not prescribe specific reading lists, it outlines broad categories for text selection. Teachers have flexibility in their choice of books to teach within the context of the curriculum.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, and a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work, and reflects the diversity of our society. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the average time to resolve a school complaint in (a) England, (b) Lancashire and (c) Fylde constituency.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 88 of the Strategic Defence Review 2025, published on 8 July 2025, what progress she has made on working with the Ministry of Defence to develop understanding of the Armed Forces among young people in schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Huntingdon to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57466.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support specialist schools in improving the transition for neurodivergent pupils into the workplace.

Supporting neurodivergent pupils into the workplace is important for all schools, including specialist schools.

As set out in the SEND Code of Practice, all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) should be prepared for adulthood (PfA). This means being prepared in the following four areas:

  • Higher education and/or employment.
  • Independent living.
  • Participating in society.
  • Health.

For those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, the annual review of the plan from year 9 onwards must include a focus on PfA.

The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework for delivering high quality careers guidance in schools and colleges. For SEND learners, the benchmarks apply equally, but with adaptations to meet individual needs. Where a learner has an active EHC plan, careers guidance is provided up to age 25.

The department has supported the Department for Work and Pensions in developing the use of Adjustment Planners for higher education (HE) students. An Adjustments Planner provides a useful tool to support learners to progress in HE, take up work during term time or move into employment by enabling them to plan for the future. The department is considering how the use of the planner can be widened for more learners.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the need to collect data on special (a) the number of special school places and (b) the waiting lists for such places in (i) Yeovil constituency, (ii) Somerset and (iii) England.

For the first time in 2023, the School Capacity Survey (SCAP) asked local authorities to provide data on the capacity of special schools and the capacity of special educational needs units and resourced provision in mainstream schools.

The department now have a second year’s worth of data which tells us approximately how many places local authorities think were available on 1 May 2024. This is only approximate at the moment as it is the second year of data collection, and the data are still being developed in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The survey also asked local authorities to submit forecasts for the number of pupils with education, health and care plans resident in their local authority who are expected to need a place in specialist provision.

Specialist capacity and forecast data for all local authorities can be accessed on GOV.UK here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
13th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of specialist SEND school places that would be required to meet demand in Surrey Heath constituency.

For the first time in 2023, the School Capacity Survey (SCAP) asked local authorities to provide data on the capacity of special schools and the capacity of special educational needs units and resourced provision in mainstream schools.

The department now have a second year’s worth of data which tells us approximately how many places local authorities think were available on 1 May 2024. This is only approximate at the moment as it is the second year of data collection, and the data are still being developed in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

The survey also asked local authorities to submit forecasts for the number of pupils with education, health and care plans resident in their local authority who are expected to need a place in specialist provision.

Specialist capacity and forecast data for all local authorities can be accessed on GOV.UK here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the travel costs to families for their child to meet their (a) educational, (b) pastoral and (c) mental health needs where the local school is unable to meet those needs; and whether she plans to review support for home-to-school transport in such cases.

The government’s ambition is that all children receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. Our home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport.

A child is eligible for free home-to-school transport if they are of compulsory school age (5 to 16), attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or the safety of the route. If they have an education, health and care plan, the school named in that plan will usually be considered their nearest for home-to-school transport purposes. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income households.

We have committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs and will bring forward a White Paper with plans to improve the special educational needs and disabilities system.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Teachers' Pensions to ensure retired teachers (a) receive their rollback statement in a timely manner and (b) are informed of the timeline for the receipt of their rollback statement.

Teachers’ Pensions continue to issue members with their Remediable Service Statements whilst experiencing high levels of member contact. The department is in active discussions with Teachers’ Pensions regarding capacity planning and are continually exploring ways to improve waiting times and customer service, which includes recruiting additional staff and automating functions wherever possible.

Teachers’ Pensions are also monitoring factors that affect the progress of issuing Remediable Service Statements, such as average handling times, response rates and levels of enquiries. Updates are provided to members via the Teachers’ Pensions website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/04/delay-in-issuing-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of SEND transport provision in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families.

We have committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs and will bring forward a White Paper with plans to improve the special educational needs and disabilities system.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across her Departmental responsibilities.

I refer the hon. Member for Horsham to the answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 73095.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children (a) requiring tracheostomy care and (b) with other complex medical needs receive adequate support in mainstream schools following the withdrawal of integrated care board funding for specialist medical provision.

Maintained schools have a legal duty under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to “make arrangements” for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and must comply with their duties under the Equalities Act 2010. The NHS is responsible for meeting the health needs of people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition.

The regulatory arrangements for healthcare professionals provide for them to delegate the delivery of healthcare tasks where it is safe and reasonable to do so.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council Code and the Health and Care Professions Council Standards both include regulatory standards requiring registrants to delegate only when they are satisfied that the other person is competent to carry out the delegated task safely, and require the healthcare practitioner to supervise and support those who are delegated to. Where a healthcare task needs to be undertaken by a registered nurse, then it should not be delegated.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of requiring schools to (a) fund and (b) manage specialist medical support for pupils with complex health needs without clinical oversight on (i) school budgets and (ii) staff capacity.

Maintained schools have a legal duty under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to “make arrangements” for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and must comply with their duties under the Equalities Act 2010. The NHS is responsible for meeting the health needs of people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition.

The regulatory arrangements for healthcare professionals provide for them to delegate the delivery of healthcare tasks where it is safe and reasonable to do so.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council Code and the Health and Care Professions Council Standards both include regulatory standards requiring registrants to delegate only when they are satisfied that the other person is competent to carry out the delegated task safely, and require the healthcare practitioner to supervise and support those who are delegated to. Where a healthcare task needs to be undertaken by a registered nurse, then it should not be delegated.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will consider appointing a Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has responsibility for children and young people at Cabinet.

Georgia Gould
Minister of State (Education)
6th Oct 2025
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they remain committed to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The government is committed to safeguarding and advancing children’s rights. The department firmly upholds the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is important for all children, regardless of race, religion or abilities, to have equal civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

Baroness Smith of Malvern
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
10th Oct 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish her Department's post-16 education and skills strategy.

The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills and will shortly publish the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper.

Josh MacAlister
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)