Department for Education

The government is determined to address the national tragedy of early deaths of care experienced young people, improving support for care leavers.

The department is funding local authorities so care leavers can stay with their foster families up to age 21 through Staying Put. We are rolling out an enhanced Staying Close programme nationally by 2029, improving care leavers’ housing outcomes and supporting enduring relationships, including for those with additional needs. Local authorities must make an assessment when a young person is likely to need care and support into adulthood, drawing on a young person or carer’s aspirations and setting out support to achieve them.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has also launched a project to improve transitions into adult social care. The DHSC will deliver national best practice guidance and training, to ensure staff have the knowledge and tools they need to provide high-quality support to young people transitioning into adulthood.

The department does not hold data on the number of care leavers who had an assessed need for personal care by their 18th birthday.

The government is determined to address the national tragedy of early deaths of care experienced young people, improving support for care leavers.

The department is funding local authorities so care leavers can stay with their foster families up to age 21 through Staying Put. We are rolling out an enhanced Staying Close programme nationally by 2029, improving care leavers’ housing outcomes and supporting enduring relationships, including for those with additional needs. Local authorities must make an assessment when a young person is likely to need care and support into adulthood, drawing on a young person or carer’s aspirations and setting out support to achieve them.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has also launched a project to improve transitions into adult social care. The DHSC will deliver national best practice guidance and training, to ensure staff have the knowledge and tools they need to provide high-quality support to young people transitioning into adulthood.

The department does not hold data on the number of care leavers who had an assessed need for personal care by their 18th birthday.

The department does not collect data on the support interventions undertaken before individual penalty notices are issued.

The government’s approach is that schools and local authorities should work with families to understand and address the barriers to attendance before considering legal intervention.

Statutory guidance makes clear that a penalty notice should normally be considered only where support has not worked, has not been engaged with or is not appropriate, as is usually the case for an unauthorised term-time holiday. Such holidays accounted for 93% of penalty notices in the latest year for which data are available.

Too many families report that school uniform costs remain a financial burden and the government has legislated to limit the number of branded uniform items that schools can require, helping to reduce costs for parents and remove barriers to children accessing sport and other school activities.

Schools can now require no more than three branded items, or four in secondary and middle schools where a branded tie is compulsory, saving families up to £50 per child on their back-to-school shop.

We have also strengthened expectations on affordability through statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms. This guidance is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.

Schools will be expected to consider the cost of individual items, particularly higher-cost items such as blazers, and the overall uniform cost when assessing affordability.

Our approach gives parents choice in how they manage uniform costs, including the option to buy items from a range of retailers. A cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools, and the government has no plans to introduce a maximum price or cost cap.

The department is investing £26 million to train at least 200 educational psychologists per year from 2026/27, with further investment to train more over the following three years, subject to future spending reviews. This is in addition to the £31 million already invested since 2023.

Upon graduating, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period, which is three years for trainees starting from 2024. This is to ensure that children and young people, schools and families are benefitting from the investment of public money in their training.

The department is also investing around £1.8 billion for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, which will provide access to support from key services, including educational psychologists and trainees.

The department has a dedicated Private Finance Team which regularly engages with schools and responsible bodies on issues arising from Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts, including funding pressures where relevant.

There are currently 637 PFI schools in England. Most are covered by contracts procured and managed by local authorities, and the department does not hold information on whether catering services are included within those contracts.

The department's five most recent privately financed school contracts, covering 46 schools, were procured under the PF2 model and do not include catering services.

The department supports PFI schools through both Revenue Support Grant funding for local authority-managed contracts and the PFI Factor within the National Funding Formula. In addition, the department's Private Finance Team provides advice and assistance to schools and responsible bodies on issues arising during the lifetime of PFI contracts and as contracts approach expiry.

The government values and recognises the importance of all subjects, including religious education (RE). There were 15,781 teachers of RE in 2025/26.

As a consequence of a more favourable supply forecast, the recruitment need for RE fell for 2026/27. There were 492 postgraduate RE ITT trainees in 2025/26, the highest number of RE postgraduate ITT entrants since 2020/21.

The department reviews the need for initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries annually and will consider RE alongside all other subjects.

Further information is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, including information on the proportion of timetabled hours delivered by specialist teachers for each subject and key stage for secondary schools at national level. The latest available figures for RE by key stage are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0326e399-7e8d-40ac-e607-08df06afb6ab.

The Care Standards Act 2000 sets out that children’s homes must be wholly or mainly for children. This means that most of the people who live or stay at a children’s home must be children and young adults aged 18 and above who live or stay at the home must be in the minority. This allows some flexibility for those aged 18 and above to stay in children’s homes while an appropriate adult placement is found to support effective transitions to adulthood.

Information on the number of young people who have remained in a children’s home beyond the age of 18 is not held by either the department or by Ofsted.

In the 2024/2025 academic year, 93% of penalty notices were issued for unauthorised family holidays. This is an increase of 4% compared to the previous year.

A further 0.3% were issued for lateness and the remaining 7% for other unauthorised circumstances.

This distribution is in line with the government‘s requirement that penalty notices should only be issued for unauthorised absences and only where support has been ineffective, not engaged with or would be inappropriate. Penalty notices must be considered on an individual basis and schools must not have blanket rules. All schools have the discretion to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances, allowing the leave to be authorised and not fined.

The causes of school absence are complex and penalty notices are one part of a wider toolkit to help ensure children receive the education they are entitled to. The government remains committed to a support-first approach, with enforcement only used in cases where support is not appropriate, has not been engaged with or is not proving effective.

Recent data suggests this approach is having a positive impact. In the 2024/2025 academic year, the rate of absence due to unauthorised holidays fell from 0.53% to 0.48%, equating to around 1.3 million fewer missed sessions compared with 2023/2024. Penalty notices are primarily targeted at term-time holidays, which accounted for 93% of notices issued in 2024/2025.

The department recognises that emerging technologies, including AI-enabled and camera-equipped smart glasses, may raise issues relating to transparency, privacy and the processing of personal data. They also present safeguarding risks if used to record, share or manipulate images, audio, or video involving children.

Schools and colleges must consider their obligations under data protection law when using camera-enabled smart glasses or other wearable recording devices. Schools and colleges should also assess the risks presented by emerging technologies and ensure these are appropriately reflected in their safeguarding, data protection and visitor policies.

Our statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ sets out a whole-school approach to safeguarding and requires schools and colleges to consider online safety and risks arising from technology, including how it may facilitate abuse, exploitation, harassment or other harms.

The department is funding the Youth Endowment Fund to build the evidence base on what works to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence, including knife crime, and to make this evidence and practical resources available to schools. Schools can draw on this evidence-informed guidance, alongside resources such as the ‘Leading violence prevention in education: putting what works into action’ programme delivered in partnership with the department.

The government is committed to preventing children and young people from becoming involved in violence and knife crime. Through statutory relationships, sex and health education, secondary schools are expected to teach pupils about personal safety, the risks associated with weapons, gangs and exploitation, and the consequences of involvement in crime and violence.

Education has a vital role to play in preventing violence, and schools are best placed to determine how this content is delivered, taking account of the needs of their pupils and local circumstances, including through engagement with police, youth services and other local partners.

The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.

The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.

Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.

The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.

The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.

The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.

Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.

The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.

The School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) carries out major rebuilding and refurbishment projects at schools and sixth form college buildings across England. Schools and sixth-form colleges in the worst condition are prioritised in areas where places are needed now and in the future.

The department may include cases where severe and urgent need for rebuilding is identified outside the main prioritisation rounds. This was the case for Churchill Community College. Decisions on individual schools are taken on their own merits and do not determine the outcome for other schools.

Berwick Academy has been nominated for the current round of the SRP and will be considered alongside other eligible schools as part of the national prioritisation process. The department has been clear that that the route for funding investment in rebuilding is through the SRP and the school will need to be assessed through that process. We have no plans to provide separate rebuilding funding outside of that process. Decisions on the additional 250 schools due to join the SRP are expected by early 2027.

The department is aware of concerns regarding the condition of Berwick Academy's buildings. While the department does not hold a recent assessment of the full cost of addressing all condition issues at the school, information provided locally has informed discussions regarding its future capital needs and its nomination to the SRP.

The department does not hold information on the number of children with an education, health and care plan who are awaiting a specialist school placement.

The government is investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND across early years settings, schools, and colleges.

The department is currently drafting and finalising guidance for academy trusts which includes definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs with the Energy for Schools route. This guidance will be published prior to the effective date for the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook, which is 1 October 2026.

The department’s approach is to support academy trusts in simplifying and securing value for money from energy procurement, while retaining flexibility to use alternative routes where they can demonstrate pricing comparable to that available through the department’s Energy for Schools service or a department approved energy deal. The department expects trusts to continue to act in accordance with their broader responsibilities to achieve value for money and effective stewardship of public funds. The guidance will include definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs.

The department carried out a pilot prior to full implementation of Energy for Schools. This involved benchmarking actual energy usage data and pricing provided by individual schools and Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Services), comparing 12 months' worth of a school’s historic invoices with what a school would have paid under the department’s contract for the same period. Recent benchmarking has demonstrated that a typical primary school can save £4,900 a year and a typical secondary school £23,200 through the department’s deal.

The department’s policy is to support trusts in simplifying and securing value for money by making available the department's Energy for Schools service and department approved energy deals. At the same time, it continues to permit alternative procurement routes where trusts can demonstrate comparable pricing or value. The requirement does not prevent trusts from seeking alternative suppliers or procurement arrangements and allows trusts to access the wider energy market where competitive pricing can be evidenced.

The department is currently drafting and finalising guidance for academy trusts which includes definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs with the Energy for Schools route. This guidance will be published prior to the effective date for the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook, which is 1 October 2026.

The department’s approach is to support academy trusts in simplifying and securing value for money from energy procurement, while retaining flexibility to use alternative routes where they can demonstrate pricing comparable to that available through the department’s Energy for Schools service or a department approved energy deal. The department expects trusts to continue to act in accordance with their broader responsibilities to achieve value for money and effective stewardship of public funds. The guidance will include definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs.

The department carried out a pilot prior to full implementation of Energy for Schools. This involved benchmarking actual energy usage data and pricing provided by individual schools and Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Services), comparing 12 months' worth of a school’s historic invoices with what a school would have paid under the department’s contract for the same period. Recent benchmarking has demonstrated that a typical primary school can save £4,900 a year and a typical secondary school £23,200 through the department’s deal.

The department’s policy is to support trusts in simplifying and securing value for money by making available the department's Energy for Schools service and department approved energy deals. At the same time, it continues to permit alternative procurement routes where trusts can demonstrate comparable pricing or value. The requirement does not prevent trusts from seeking alternative suppliers or procurement arrangements and allows trusts to access the wider energy market where competitive pricing can be evidenced.

The department is currently drafting and finalising guidance for academy trusts which includes definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs with the Energy for Schools route. This guidance will be published prior to the effective date for the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook, which is 1 October 2026.

The department’s approach is to support academy trusts in simplifying and securing value for money from energy procurement, while retaining flexibility to use alternative routes where they can demonstrate pricing comparable to that available through the department’s Energy for Schools service or a department approved energy deal. The department expects trusts to continue to act in accordance with their broader responsibilities to achieve value for money and effective stewardship of public funds. The guidance will include definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs.

The department carried out a pilot prior to full implementation of Energy for Schools. This involved benchmarking actual energy usage data and pricing provided by individual schools and Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Services), comparing 12 months' worth of a school’s historic invoices with what a school would have paid under the department’s contract for the same period. Recent benchmarking has demonstrated that a typical primary school can save £4,900 a year and a typical secondary school £23,200 through the department’s deal.

The department’s policy is to support trusts in simplifying and securing value for money by making available the department's Energy for Schools service and department approved energy deals. At the same time, it continues to permit alternative procurement routes where trusts can demonstrate comparable pricing or value. The requirement does not prevent trusts from seeking alternative suppliers or procurement arrangements and allows trusts to access the wider energy market where competitive pricing can be evidenced.

The department is currently drafting and finalising guidance for academy trusts which includes definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs with the Energy for Schools route. This guidance will be published prior to the effective date for the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook, which is 1 October 2026.

The department’s approach is to support academy trusts in simplifying and securing value for money from energy procurement, while retaining flexibility to use alternative routes where they can demonstrate pricing comparable to that available through the department’s Energy for Schools service or a department approved energy deal. The department expects trusts to continue to act in accordance with their broader responsibilities to achieve value for money and effective stewardship of public funds. The guidance will include definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs.

The department carried out a pilot prior to full implementation of Energy for Schools. This involved benchmarking actual energy usage data and pricing provided by individual schools and Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Services), comparing 12 months' worth of a school’s historic invoices with what a school would have paid under the department’s contract for the same period. Recent benchmarking has demonstrated that a typical primary school can save £4,900 a year and a typical secondary school £23,200 through the department’s deal.

The department’s policy is to support trusts in simplifying and securing value for money by making available the department's Energy for Schools service and department approved energy deals. At the same time, it continues to permit alternative procurement routes where trusts can demonstrate comparable pricing or value. The requirement does not prevent trusts from seeking alternative suppliers or procurement arrangements and allows trusts to access the wider energy market where competitive pricing can be evidenced.

The department is currently drafting and finalising guidance for academy trusts which includes definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs with the Energy for Schools route. This guidance will be published prior to the effective date for the 2026 Academy Trust Handbook, which is 1 October 2026.

The department’s approach is to support academy trusts in simplifying and securing value for money from energy procurement, while retaining flexibility to use alternative routes where they can demonstrate pricing comparable to that available through the department’s Energy for Schools service or a department approved energy deal. The department expects trusts to continue to act in accordance with their broader responsibilities to achieve value for money and effective stewardship of public funds. The guidance will include definitions of what constitutes comparable pricing and value where they are seeking to benchmark their energy costs.

The department carried out a pilot prior to full implementation of Energy for Schools. This involved benchmarking actual energy usage data and pricing provided by individual schools and Government Commercial Agency (formerly Crown Commercial Services), comparing 12 months' worth of a school’s historic invoices with what a school would have paid under the department’s contract for the same period. Recent benchmarking has demonstrated that a typical primary school can save £4,900 a year and a typical secondary school £23,200 through the department’s deal.

The department’s policy is to support trusts in simplifying and securing value for money by making available the department's Energy for Schools service and department approved energy deals. At the same time, it continues to permit alternative procurement routes where trusts can demonstrate comparable pricing or value. The requirement does not prevent trusts from seeking alternative suppliers or procurement arrangements and allows trusts to access the wider energy market where competitive pricing can be evidenced.

Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.

The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.

The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.

Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.

Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.

The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.

The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.

Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.

As set out in the answer to Question 1175 on 2 June 2026, the department’s influencer marketing spend in 2025 to 2026 totalled £589,671. Influencer marketing forms part of the department’s wider marketing approach, reflecting changes in how audiences consume information and helping campaigns reach people who may be harder to engage through traditional channels. This figure includes the costs attributed to influencer activity, such as influencer fees, production and paid media costs. The department cannot separately identify the aggregate influencer and agency fees requested because some engagements were procured and recorded as part of wider campaign delivery packages.

The government is investing £200 million in a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion training package to help teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and support staff across early years settings, schools and colleges feel more confident supporting children and young people with SEND. The programme forms an important part of the government’s plans to improve inclusion and expertise across mainstream education settings.

The SEND teacher training programme will be delivered in phases, and the department has set out a timeline for the key elements.

From late September, the department will publish free in-house training materials to help all staff in schools and colleges to understand proposed SEND reforms, build a shared vision for inclusion, and plan professional development for the rest of the year. The first phase of the early years training programme is also available from September.

In December and spring 2027, the department will publish further materials covering pedagogy, creating inclusive environments and working with parents.

In Autumn 2027, we will launch new fully funded SEND and inclusion training courses for teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and further education support staff in mainstream schools. A more comprehensive early years offer will also launch at this point, including in-depth webinars and local support networks.

‘Every child achieving and thriving’ establishes the department’s plan to deliver improved outcomes for all children, regardless of their background or where they live. Our ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards and for the disadvantage gap to be halved.

We will recruit 6,500 additional expert teachers, expand access to high-quality enrichment opportunities, and Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams are helping all schools navigate a pathway to improvement. We are also launching two place-focused missions to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.

The department is transforming technical education from age 14, placing technical and academic pathways on an equal footing and ensuring every young person has access to high-quality routes into skilled employment and further study. We will work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to design locally tailored vocational pathways for students from age 14 in every region.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises the impact that lengthy allegations investigations can have on foster carers and the children they care for. Through the proposed new Fostering Quality Standards, currently out for consultation, we are seeking to improve the allegations process to make it more proportionate and timely, while maintaining robust safeguards for children. The consultation will inform next steps on improving the allegations process for all foster carers, including those approved by independent fostering agencies.

We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements by 2029. As part of this programme, our enhanced regional hub model is improving regional coordination and visibility of fostering capacity across local authority and non-profit independent fostering agency provision. This will help local authorities make better use of all available fostering provision when identifying the most appropriate placement for a child, while increasing fostering capacity across the sector so children can be matched with homes that best meet their needs.

Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises the impact that lengthy allegations investigations can have on foster carers and the children they care for. Through the proposed new Fostering Quality Standards, currently out for consultation, we are seeking to improve the allegations process to make it more proportionate and timely, while maintaining robust safeguards for children. The consultation will inform next steps on improving the allegations process for all foster carers, including those approved by independent fostering agencies.

We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements by 2029. As part of this programme, our enhanced regional hub model is improving regional coordination and visibility of fostering capacity across local authority and non-profit independent fostering agency provision. This will help local authorities make better use of all available fostering provision when identifying the most appropriate placement for a child, while increasing fostering capacity across the sector so children can be matched with homes that best meet their needs.

The government remains committed to our ambition that half of all food served in public settings is either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards, and we are open to considering all lawful means of achieving this.

The school food standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards for food and catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.

The National Procurement Policy Statement already sets expectations for government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that we think high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.

The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

Statistics on permanent exclusions by local authority are published in the department’s suspension and permanent exclusions statistical release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2024-25.

This information has been available since 9 July 2026. Data can be accessed using the publication’s ‘Create table’ function. The relevant table produced using this function is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a3216df4-c96d-477a-2e38-08df07a6df71.

Backed by £400 million capital investment, the school-based nursery programme will deliver tens of thousands of new places by expanding early education and childcare places where it is most needed. This will help more families access funded childcare and give children the best start in life.

The department has already made an impact, awarding £82 million in capital funding to more than 600 primary and maintained nursery schools, which is expected to deliver over 11,000 new nursery places by September 2027. This includes 3 schools in Fylde: Clifton Primary School, Singleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, and Treales Church of England Primary School.

Schools report that by the end of September 2026 450 new and expanded nurseries will have created over 9,000 new places since the start of the programme.

Local authorities have until 5pm on 30 September 2026 to submit their funding proposals for phase 3.

Following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, all schools with primary-age pupils will be required to offer a free breakfast club. New groups of schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027/28 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support.

There is currently one school delivering a free breakfast club in the Fylde constituency, Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School, who joined the programme during the early adopter phase. For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage.

We look forward to more schools in Fylde joining the programme as national rollout continues, getting the benefits of a healthy breakfast, a soft start to the day, and childcare savings to more children and families.

Trust inspection will consider how trusts drive educational quality, and how they contribute to an inclusive, collaborative system. Officials in the department and Ofsted are working together, and with the sector, to ensure the system works well and delivers the benefit that we expect including addressing the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

Academy trusts must have regard to the statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance. The guidance is clear that, where a pupil is permanently excluded, and where a suspension would take the pupil’s total number of suspended school days above 15 in a term, or where the pupil would miss a public examination or national curriculum test, the governing body must consider and decide on the pupil’s reinstatement within 15 school days of receiving notice of the exclusion.

Academy trusts must comply with their legal and contractual obligations. Where a failure amounts to a breach of the relevant funding agreement, the department may use the intervention powers available under that agreement. Depending on the circumstances and the precise terms of the trust’s funding agreements, this may include requiring remedial action, issuing a termination warning notice and, ultimately, terminating the agreement.

The government is committed to improving access to holiday provision for school-aged children. Families can receive support with costs through Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare and the Flexible Support Fund.

Through the holiday activities and food programme, we are investing over £600 million across 2026/27 to 2028/29 to provide free holiday club places, healthy meals and enriching activities for eligible children during school holidays in England.

We are also providing local authorities with £12.9 million in 2026/27, to support their statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare. As part of this duty, local authorities ensure they understand supply and demand for school-age childcare, including paid holiday provision. It is clear in published guidance that holiday childcare includes inset days.

For the year commencing 1 April 2025, the average number of employees in the department on permanent homeworking contracts was 70, a proportion of less than 1% of the department (with an average of 8,081 employees for the same period).

Staff typically have a permanent homeworking contract either for historical reasons (such as a contractual right that was preserved on TUPE transferring in to the department) or as a reasonable adjustment under the Employment Rights Act.

The department does not hold the specific information requested.

However, the 2025 school census shows that pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans are more likely to travel further to school than other pupils travelling to mainstream schools. 17% of pupils attending mainstream secondary schools compared with 28% of pupils with EHC plans across all school types, live 3 or more miles from their school.

The reforms set out in the ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ consultation aim to create a more inclusive school system that enables more children and young people to have their needs met in local mainstream settings. As a result, we expect fewer children and young people to need to travel long distances to access appropriate education.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Basingstoke directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The government recognises the significant contribution and sacrifice made by members of our armed forces and their families. In the 2026/27 financial year, expenditure on the service pupil premium (SPP) in England is £26.8 million.

The SPP provides additional funding to state-funded schools to support the pastoral needs of children from service families. It is intended to help schools address the challenges that service children can face as a result of service life, including mobility between schools, parental deployment and separation from family members. Schools can use the funding in ways that best meet the needs of their service children, helping them to thrive both academically and emotionally.

This funding reflects the government's commitment to supporting service children and ensuring that they receive the support they need to succeed in education.