Oct. 23 2026
Source Page: Breakfast clubs early adopters: results from parents' surveyOct. 23 2026
Source Page: Breakfast clubs early adopters: results from parents' surveyAsked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether loans from Student Finance England are being advanced to students from countries with a poor record of repayment.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Eligibility for student finance is not based on nationality, but on immigration status and residency. This ensures that access to support reflects an individual’s established connection to the UK rather than their nationality alone.
Generally, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK to be eligible. They must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands, including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, for the three years preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course. Those granted international protection by the Home Office do not need to have settled status or meet the usual three-year ordinary residence requirement.
When a borrower moves overseas, their obligation to repay their student loan remains. If a borrower chooses not to engage with the Student Loan Company (SLC), arrears will build up on the student loan account. The SLC work with a debt collection agency to target borrowers with outstanding arrears. Further action, including legal proceedings, may also be taken to recover the debt.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of changes to the PE and Sport Premium on access to sport.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Cheltenham to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 11062.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted a review of whether the use of powers under section 26 (Collaboration between schools) of the Education Act 2002 and section 166 (Collaboration arrangements: maintained schools and further education bodies) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 is enabling educational bodies to collaborate effectively; and if not, why not.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government wants to build a more collaborative, inclusive and higher-quality education system, in which local authorities, schools and other education providers work together, share expertise and improve outcomes for children and young people.
Existing legislation provides a range of mechanisms and duties to support collaboration and co-operation between maintained schools, and between maintained schools and further education bodies, as well as co-operation in relation to 14 to 19 education and training and co-operation between local authorities, schools and other educational bodies in relation to special educational needs and disabilities. These arrangements remain available where institutions consider them appropriate.
Additionally, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 strengthens cooperation across the education and children’s services systems. This includes new duties for schools and local authorities to cooperate on school place planning and alternative provision, alongside provisions for multi-agency child protection teams, statutory information sharing and local authority registers of children not in school.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted a review of the statutory framework in sections 10 (Co-operation to improve well-being), 12A (Establishment of Children’s Trust Boards), 12B and 12C (Functions and procedures of CTBs), 17 (Children and young people's plans) and 17A (Children and young people's plans: implementation) of the Children Act 2004, which place a duty to co-operate on local authorities, schools and other relevant partners to achieve the objectives set out in the agreed local plan; and whether that framework is consistent with the proposals set out in Chapter 6 (Collaboration between schools and with other partners) of Every Child Achieving and Thriving (CP 1508-I), published in February 2026.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government keeps the legislative framework for children's services under review but has not carried out a specific review of the provisions cited.
‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ sets out the government's ambition for a school system rooted in partnership, collaboration and collective responsibility for improving outcomes for children and young people.
The principles underpinning Chapter 6 are consistent with the longstanding objective of effective partnership working between local authorities, schools, trusts and other local partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Section 2 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 amended section 16 of the Children Act 2004 to require statutory safeguarding partners to automatically secure the participation of childcare and education settings in their arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND teacher training announcement of 25 September 2026, what targets the Department has set for the proportion of (a) teachers and (b) teaching assistants completing the new training by September 2027 and September 2028.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government offer of over £200 million for professional development on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion across schools, colleges and nurseries has been designed to be flexible and to work around staff schedules, combining online self-study and live, facilitated elements to support engagement.
In addition to the in-house training to all staff, published on 25 September 2026, and the further in-house materials planned for publication during this academic year, new fully funded SEND and inclusion courses will be available for teachers, leaders and support staff from autumn 2027. We will use participation data to monitor take-up and intend to publish participation data for these courses.
There will also be a new requirement set out in the SEND Code of Practice for all settings to ensure that staff receive training on SEND and inclusion, and to clearly signpost government funded training.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the extent to which schools are educating pupils about the causes and impacts of climate change through the national curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for greater depth in climate change, nature and sustainability education. This is an engaging topic for young people and is important in preparing them for life and work in a changing world.
Last year, Professor Becky Francis led an independent review of the national curriculum and made several recommendations for earlier sequencing and updated environmental content within the national curriculum subjects of citizenship, geography, science, and design and technology. There will be a public consultation on the proposals for the new national curriculum in due course.
Alongside this, the department funds resources to support schools to teach these topics through Oak National Academy and the National Education Nature Park.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve climate literacy among pupils in primary and secondary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for greater depth in climate change, nature and sustainability education. This is an engaging topic for young people and is important in preparing them for life and work in a changing world.
Last year, Professor Becky Francis led an independent review of the national curriculum and made several recommendations for earlier sequencing and updated environmental content within the national curriculum subjects of citizenship, geography, science, and design and technology. There will be a public consultation on the proposals for the new national curriculum in due course.
Alongside this, the department funds resources to support schools to teach these topics through Oak National Academy and the National Education Nature Park.
Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to teachers to deliver high-quality education on climate change, sustainability and environmental issues.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Young people have consistently expressed a strong desire for greater depth in climate change, nature and sustainability education. This is an engaging topic for young people and is important in preparing them for life and work in a changing world.
Last year, Professor Becky Francis led an independent review of the national curriculum and made several recommendations for earlier sequencing and updated environmental content within the national curriculum subjects of citizenship, geography, science, and design and technology. There will be a public consultation on the proposals for the new national curriculum in due course.
Alongside this, the department funds resources to support schools to teach these topics through Oak National Academy and the National Education Nature Park.