Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 1 on children’s wellbeing.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department recognises that moving between key stages can be challenging for some children, and that children’s experience of school can significantly impact their attendance, attainment and wellbeing.
This government is committed to giving every child the best start in life, ensuring they have what they need to achieve and thrive in school. The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework aims to ensure children have the skills and knowledge needed to thrive and make a successful transition to later schooling.
The government is expanding mental health support teams, so all schools can access specialist mental health professionals, supporting their whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, and providing early intervention.
The department will also publish a best practice framework to help schools improve pupil experience and engagement. As part of this work, we will consider the evidence around effective transitions strategies that can promote and support children’s wellbeing.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) plans to commission research into the effectiveness of formal versus play based learning approaches for children aged 5 to 7.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review examined whether England’s curriculum and assessment system is fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key national curriculum reforms the department will take forward. We are not commissioning any further research into how the key stage 1 national curriculum should be reformed.
Schools are expected to organise the school day and week in pupils’ best interests, providing a full‑time education suited to their age, aptitude and ability, while allowing time for play and other activities.
The department is working to ensure all children and young people can access a range of enrichment opportunities as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. In some schools, these opportunities may encourage children and young people to play.
Giving young children the best start in life underpins the government’s opportunity mission. Early years are crucial to children’s health, development and life chances. The early years foundation stage statutory framework recognises that play is essential for children’s wellbeing, learning and development, and emphasises the importance of creating cultures that support high quality play.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to expand the use of play based and exploratory learning approaches within Key Stage 1 to support children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review examined whether England’s curriculum and assessment system is fit for purpose and meets the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key national curriculum reforms the department will take forward. We are not commissioning any further research into how the key stage 1 national curriculum should be reformed.
Schools are expected to organise the school day and week in pupils’ best interests, providing a full‑time education suited to their age, aptitude and ability, while allowing time for play and other activities.
The department is working to ensure all children and young people can access a range of enrichment opportunities as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. In some schools, these opportunities may encourage children and young people to play.
Giving young children the best start in life underpins the government’s opportunity mission. Early years are crucial to children’s health, development and life chances. The early years foundation stage statutory framework recognises that play is essential for children’s wellbeing, learning and development, and emphasises the importance of creating cultures that support high quality play.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the changes to the EYFS to include safer sleep will be laid as a statutory instrument.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to require the provision of CCTV in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe.
The EYFS requires providers to have safeguarding policies that address the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about installing and using CCTV are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel will be appointed to inform sector guidance on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices within safeguarding. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early intervention support for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The national rollout of Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection and Family Group Decision Making reforms is being delivered through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme.
The programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over the next three years, which is ringfenced for spend on prevention.
Multi-disciplinary Family Help teams will prioritise supporting the whole family, wrapping support around them and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, including for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home. Local partnerships should use population needs assessments to identify agencies, services and practitioners needed in their multi‑disciplinary teams.
The FFP programme team in the department will work closely with all local authorities, including Surrey, to monitor progress and provide support. In 2025/26, Surrey local authority received £5.1 million of ringfenced funding for the delivery of FFP, and based on indicative allocations they will receive £10.1 million in 2026/27.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making safe sleep training for early years staff mandatory.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of making safer sleep training for early years staff mandatory.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: Caroline Johnson (Conservative - Sleaford and North Hykeham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of cuts to teacher training bursaries in 26/27 on teacher recruitment in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government committed, in our Plan for Change, to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and in colleges, over the course of this parliament.
We are making progress. The latest workforce data reported over 2,300 more secondary and special school teachers in 2024/25 than in 2023/24, and this year over 32,000 trainees began training, a rise of 11% on the previous year.
Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. In reviewing these annually, we take account of historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. We are continuing to offer bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free to encourage more talented people to train to teach key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.
In addition, we offer a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools. In Lincolnshire, there are 56 schools where teachers are eligible for these payments.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support pupils with SEND in Epping Forest.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 16 January, the government announced a £200 million investment over the course of this Parliament to upskill staff in every school, college and nursery, ensuring a skilled workforce for generations to come. This builds on the landmark £3 billion investment to create more specialist places and ensure more children and young people can thrive at a setting close to home.
We are also determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families, which is why we are currently engaging a wide range of people and organisations, including parents and young people, in every region of the country to inform development of our proposals and ensure that lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions.
We will set out our proposals for reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper, and we will consult widely on these proposals and continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine them and deliver them.
Essex is currently undergoing a local area special educational needs and disabilities inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, the results of which will be published in due course.