Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish an estimated timetable for the removal of the English baccalaureate.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review's final report, published on 5 November 2024, we announced our intention to remove EBacc headline and additional measures at key stage 4.
This will take effect for the key stage 4 performance measures for the 2025/26 academic year, to be published in autumn 2026.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Written Statement of 15 December 2025 on Investment in high needs place, HCWS1163, what meetings were held with the 18 local authorities that had successful bids for a (a) special and (b) AP free school ahead of the cancellation of those projects.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Meetings were held with a small number of local authorities with projects across the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline during the process of formulating policy. As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2025 (HCWS1163), policy decisions have been taken to ensure that capital investment delivers specialist places more quickly and flexibly.
For 18 projects where a trust had not been appointed by July 2024 and so are furthest from opening, the department concluded that local authorities are best placed to create the required places sooner than would be possible through the free school route. Each affected authority will be given an alternative funding package, calculated on a per-place basis, enabling them to expand existing provision or adapt mainstream settings as part of their local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) strategy and in line with SEND reform.
Authorities can submit representations if they disagree with the decision. The deadline for them to do so is 27 February 2026.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will add Humanism to the Religious Education syllabus on the National Curriculum in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Religious education (RE) is not part of the national curriculum but is a mandatory subject for all pupils aged 5 to 18 in state-funded schools in England. Schools should deliver RE in an objective, critical and pluralistic way and already have the flexibility, through their locally agreed syllabi, to include the study of non-religious world views such as humanism.
We welcome the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation that Vanessa Ogden, a former Review panellist specialising in RE, should lead a sector group, independent from government, to develop a draft RE curriculum. The sector group’s work on RE will reflect the role the subject plays in building understanding between people of different faiths, beliefs and communities, including those with non-religious world views. If the group reaches consensus on a draft curriculum, the government will consult on whether to add it to the national curriculum.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when updated guidance on electric car salary sacrifice schemes for multi-academy trusts will be published; and whether interim measures will be provided to allow trusts to implement schemes in the meantime.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
New electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes in the public sector are currently paused whilst a cross-government review on these schemes is undertaken by HMT. Academy trusts with existing schemes can keep them in place but not expand them by adding new members. The department will inform academy trusts when a decision has been made, and the Academy Trust Handbook will be updated accordingly.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce risks of suicide, self-harm and depression among care-experienced young people; and what plans she has to ensure continuity of mental health and wellbeing support for care-experienced young people beyond the age of 18.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to reviewing the shockingly high number of early deaths amongst care-experienced young people. As I stated in the House of Commons, at the beginning of the first ever National Care Leavers Month in November 2025, suicide and early death are, tragically, part of the care experience for too many. To start to solve a problem, we must first confront it.
As we progress this review, we will carefully consider how to improve the support that care leavers receive across a range of aspects of their lives, including mental and physical health, housing, education, employment and training, and relationships.
We are already taking action through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, including placing a new duty on local authorities to provide Staying Close support to care leavers up to the age of 25, to help care leavers find and keep suitable accommodation and to access services relating to health and wellbeing, relationships, education, training and employment.
In addition, we are reviewing guidance on ‘Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children’ and extending it to cover care leavers up to age 25.
In December 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and I announced that, in a boost for mental health support, the government will trial a 3-year pilot to make sure children in care have access to the support they need sooner. This will build on existing work across the country, bringing together social workers and NHS health professionals to work together to provide direct mental health support to children and families when they need it most.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 91065, for what identified needs is she considering whether Artificial Intelligence approaches to British Sign Language might form a solution.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is currently assessing what artificial intelligence tools have been developed in this space. Once we have assessed the landscape, we will reach out to relevant stakeholders to discuss whether the tools we have identified can solve those problems.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 91065, what engagement she has undertaken with BSL signers regarding Artificial Intelligence approaches to British Sign Language.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We are currently researching the artificial intelligence tools that are available on the market and what they can provide for users. Once this research has concluded, we will engage with British Sign Language signers which will help inform next steps.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional (a) guidance and (b) professional development for primary teachers on incorporating learning through play into classroom.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years settings must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is clear that play is essential for children’s development.
The department is committed to supporting settings to deliver the EYFS for the benefit of all children and provides a range of resources, including written and online guidance on curriculum and pedagogy, to assist early years teachers.
The department provides free guidance and training in delivering developmentally appropriate, play based learning. Our early years child development training, developed with sector experts, offers practical advice and materials for those working with Reception-aged children, including content about how play supports early learning and development.
It reflects an emphasis on active, exploratory, play based learning as the foundation for children’s cognitive, language, social and emotional development.
Finally, we have committed in our strategy for improving child development to a new training course for classroom teachers in reception and enhancing the National Professional Qualification for Headship with more content on effective Reception practice.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels in smartphone usage on children's (a) level of reading comprehension and (b) average time spent reading per week.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits, yet just 1 in 3 children aged 8-18 say they enjoy reading in their free time, and a recent omnibus survey found that 31% of parents of primary-aged children and 40% of parents of secondary-aged children said their child prefers spending time online or playing video games, citing this as a barrier to encouraging reading in their free time.
The department has launched the National Year of Reading 2026, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change.
The National Year of Reading encourages everyone to see how reading, in all its forms, can unlock more of our existing passions and interests, from reading a story in a print book or on an e-reader, to reading a magazine article or an online blog, to listening to an audio book on a phone or tablet. Recognising that, digital technology is not incompatible with the National Year of Reading.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools report safeguarding concerns during family court proceedings.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Keeping children safe is an absolute priority for this government, and schools and colleges play a critical role in this.
They are supported by the statutory guidance, 'Keeping children safe in education' (KCSIE), which all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
Local authorities, police, and health services share an equal statutory duty to work together, and schools and colleges must work with local safeguarding partners to protect children.
KCSIE makes clear that all staff have a responsibility to identify and respond to any safeguarding concerns and stresses the importance of effective information sharing at the right time to ensure children receive the support they need. This includes ensuring clear processes and principles are in place for sharing information not only within the school or college and with children’s social care, but with safeguarding partners and other relevant organisations.