Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of warm days on school pupil performance.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
In June 2025, we published a summary of our initial assessment of the three climate risks (flooding, overheating, and water scarcity), in response to the adaptation committee’s independent assessment of UK climate risk. This was to raise awareness in the education system of how the predicted rise in temperatures could impact education. The publication is attached and can also be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education.
Findings show the extent to which rising temperatures, from subtle general increases to extreme heat events (heatwaves), could affect students’ ability to learn.
From our initial assessment, we understand that even when temperatures are less extreme, persistent increases in temperature can affect the ability to learn. That is why the government is supporting responsible bodies to take steps to manage the impact of rising temperatures in school and college environments. It is important to recognise that these findings are based on emerging evidence, giving only an indication at this stage.
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 25 September 2024 (HL781), what steps they have taken to help those affected by historical forced adoptions; whether they plan to give an apology to affected individuals; and what assessment they have made of the approach of devolved administrations to this issue.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.
The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including improving access to adoption records, enhancing intermediary services and preserving historical records. Regulations have been amended to make it easier for adults to access adoption support, and local authorities have been encouraged to retain records for at least 100 years.
The department is also working with Adoption England, which recently published new guidance to support consistent and legally compliant practice across adoption services. Adoption England continues to fund the pilot initiative Family Connect, a national advice line designed to provide support to adopted adults, birth parents, relatives and professionals. Officials remain in contact with the Scottish and Welsh governments to understand and learn from their approaches.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the survey of Jewish teachers conducted by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers published on 1 July, what steps they are taking to combat antisemitism in schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
This government will not tolerate antisemitism in our educational institutions. We are investing £7 million to tackle antisemitism in education and are committed to ensuring all teachers and pupils are safe and supported inside and outside of the classroom.
This funding will support scholarship programmes for education staff on building confidence in identifying and tackling antisemitism. A new Innovation Fund will also invite creative approaches to working with children and young people on the issue of antisemitism.
The department’s Educate Against Hate website continues to provide a range of resources to support education staff, governors, and parents in promoting tolerance and helping young people understand antisemitism and its historical context, in order to reduce children’s susceptibility to hateful narratives.
Asked by: Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was spent on the inspection of independent schools by Ofsted in the five financial years prior to 5 July 2024.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Ofsted inspects around 50% of the 2,496 (July 2025) registered private schools in England. There is currently disparity between the fees charged for inspections and full cost recovery.
The table below sets out the budgeted cost of inspections compared to the fee income, over the last three years. Ofsted do not hold comparable data for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years as Ofsted inspections were heavily affected by COVID-19 and were therefore not typical years of inspection activity.
Year | Full cost - £million | Fee income - £million | % of costs recovered |
2022/23 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 28% |
2023/24 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 36% |
2024/25 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 34% |
Government policy is that costs associated with inspections by government bodies should be recoverable. This will reduce the need for government subsidy. The government is considering options to close the gap.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern (HL8283), what assessment they have made of whether clause 46 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which refers to school teachers' qualifications and induction, applies to 16–19 academies.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
Qualified teacher status (QTS) has never been a requirement for further education (FE) settings. QTS is the professional qualification for teachers in primary and secondary schools, therefore the requirement established through clause 46 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will apply to primary and secondary state funded schools in England, with some limited exemptions set out in regulations.
High quality teacher training qualifications are available that are specifically targeted to those wishing to teach in FE settings.
The government has liaised extensively with stakeholders from a range of settings to ensure that the exemptions to the requirement for QTS set out in regulations will continue to provide them with the flexibility to employ individuals with the specialist skills and experience to support the needs of their pupils.
Asked by: Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the Oak National Academy market impact assessment in full alongside the independent review findings; and, if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, is currently considering the findings of the independent review and market impact assessment of Oak National Academy. Both the findings of the review and the market impact assessment will be published in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 16 July (HL8638), on what date it was decided that their commitment to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers would include colleges.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department is targeting the 6,500 teachers pledge towards mainstream secondary schools and colleges, and special schools.
Regular public statements have been made on this key pledge. Examples include my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s letter to the education workforce on 8 July 2024, which confirmed both schools and colleges as being within scope of the pledge, and further information on the specific settings in scope were outlined in her speech on schools standards in February 2025 and in a Written Parliamentary Statement in May 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Boycott (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many student learning days were lost to flooding during each of the past five academic years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much has been spent to date of the £740 million in capital funding they announced to support inclusive education, where this funding has been allocated, and how it will be used to support inclusion in mainstream education settings.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities. The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.
Individual local authorities’ allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-needs-provision-capital-allocations.
This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.
It is up to local authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding to address local need in the most appropriate way.
Asked by: Baroness Barran (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 16 July (HL8638), on what date it was decided that their commitment to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers would not include primary schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department is targeting the 6,500 teachers pledge towards mainstream secondary schools and colleges, and special schools.
Regular public statements have been made on this key pledge. Examples include my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s letter to the education workforce on 8 July 2024, which confirmed both schools and colleges as being within scope of the pledge, and further information on the specific settings in scope were outlined in her speech on schools standards in February 2025 and in a Written Parliamentary Statement in May 2025.