Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many state-funded schools in England include the hijab or other religious dress as a compulsory uniform item; and what plans they have to collect such data.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school. Where schools have faith-based policies, the department expects that those policies are clearly communicated, applied fairly and compliant with the Equality Act.
The department has published the non-statutory guidance ‘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.
It is for individual schools to ensure that their uniform policy does not unlawfully discriminate.
Our 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.
Concerns about a school’s uniform policy should be raised with the school through its complaints process. Unresolved concerns relating to equalities law can be referred to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which can take regulatory action against organisations that have broken the law. Concerns about compliance with the department’s statutory guidance on uniform can be referred to the Secretary of State, who has powers to intervene under sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996.
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies, including on schools requiring articles of religious clothing, and has no plans to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what powers the Secretary of State has to direct a voluntary aided school to withdraw a uniform policy that discriminates on grounds of sex or religion.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school. Where schools have faith-based policies, the department expects that those policies are clearly communicated, applied fairly and compliant with the Equality Act.
The department has published the non-statutory guidance ‘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.
It is for individual schools to ensure that their uniform policy does not unlawfully discriminate.
Our 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.
Concerns about a school’s uniform policy should be raised with the school through its complaints process. Unresolved concerns relating to equalities law can be referred to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which can take regulatory action against organisations that have broken the law. Concerns about compliance with the department’s statutory guidance on uniform can be referred to the Secretary of State, who has powers to intervene under sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996.
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies, including on schools requiring articles of religious clothing, and has no plans to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the initial teacher training criteria and supporting advice for 2026–27 contain any requirement relating to (1) the verification of academic qualifications and employment history of staff delivering accredited courses, (2) research integrity, or (3) the governance of the academic unit delivering the course; and if not, whether they plan to introduce such requirements.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Education sets the initial teacher training (ITT) criteria, which accredited providers must meet to deliver ITT that leads to qualified teacher status. These criteria include the requirements for high-quality training, including the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which draws on the best available evidence to set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching.
Accredited ITT providers are accountable for ensuring that their provision is compliant with the ITT criteria, including governance criteria to ensure management structures facilitate the effective operation of high-quality ITT programmes. Ofsted independently inspects all accredited ITT providers to assure the quality of ITT provision and compliance with the ITT criteria.
As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own staffing decisions. The department does not prescribe individual providers’ internal appointment processes, arrangements for verifying academic qualifications or research integrity arrangements, and does not have plans to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the devolved appointment processes described by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in her statement on 12 August 2026 are consistent with the accountability expected of an accredited initial teacher training provider.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Education sets the initial teacher training (ITT) criteria, which accredited providers must meet to deliver ITT that leads to qualified teacher status. These criteria include the requirements for high-quality training, including the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which draws on the best available evidence to set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching.
Accredited ITT providers are accountable for ensuring that their provision is compliant with the ITT criteria, including governance criteria to ensure management structures facilitate the effective operation of high-quality ITT programmes. Ofsted independently inspects all accredited ITT providers to assure the quality of ITT provision and compliance with the ITT criteria.
As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own staffing decisions. The department does not prescribe individual providers’ internal appointment processes, arrangements for verifying academic qualifications or research integrity arrangements, and does not have plans to do so.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Office for Students has opened, or intends to open, regulatory engagement with the University of Cambridge under its conditions of registration relating to governance, management, and accountability in connection with its Faculty of Education.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The University of Cambridge is an autonomous institution that is rightly establishing an independent investigation. The university published further details about this on 4 September, which are available at their website.
It is not for the government to dictate the terms of the university’s investigation. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have both met with the vice chancellor of the university and other senior leaders to seek assurance that their investigation will be rigorous and conducted with urgency.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. The OfS has an independent board, which makes its own decisions about how to use its regulatory powers, including when and how to engage with registered providers regarding their compliance with the conditions of registration. The statutory basis for the OfS’ regulatory powers is set out in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
The department awaits the outcomes of the investigation, and I understand that the OfS currently has no plans to open regulatory action on this issue.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to require the independent investigation announced by the University of Cambridge on 12 August into appointments in its Faculty of Education to publish its findings in full.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The University of Cambridge is an autonomous institution that is rightly establishing an independent investigation. The university published further details about this on 4 September, which are available at their website.
It is not for the government to dictate the terms of the university’s investigation. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have both met with the vice chancellor of the university and other senior leaders to seek assurance that their investigation will be rigorous and conducted with urgency.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. The OfS has an independent board, which makes its own decisions about how to use its regulatory powers, including when and how to engage with registered providers regarding their compliance with the conditions of registration. The statutory basis for the OfS’ regulatory powers is set out in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.
The department awaits the outcomes of the investigation, and I understand that the OfS currently has no plans to open regulatory action on this issue.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Department for Education has been in contact with the University of Cambridge since 1 July 2026 concerning the Faculty of Education’s status as an accredited initial teacher training provider; and whether they intend to publish the correspondence.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has not been in contact with the University of Cambridge since 1 July 2026 regarding its status as an accredited initial teacher training provider.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what modelling they have undertaken of the effect of the proposed breadth slots in a reformed Progress 8 on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025; and whether they intend to publish the model.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommendation that Progress 8 should remain the headline key stage 4 performance measure. The government subsequently consulted on possible reforms to the composition of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and is currently considering the consultation responses. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course. There was no available Progress 8 data in 2025 because prior attainment data was not available for that cohort. The department has therefore not undertaken modelling of the effect of proposed breadth slots on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish their response to the consultation on reform of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 that closed on 4 May.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommendation that Progress 8 should remain the headline key stage 4 performance measure. The government subsequently consulted on possible reforms to the composition of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and is currently considering the consultation responses. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course. There was no available Progress 8 data in 2025 because prior attainment data was not available for that cohort. The department has therefore not undertaken modelling of the effect of proposed breadth slots on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Cash (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the intensive training and practice requirement of the initial teacher training criteria will be retained without reduction for courses beginning in September 2027.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Intensive training and practice (ITAP) is designed to strengthen trainees’ knowledge, understanding and classroom practice by supporting them to engage with evidence-based approaches, apply learning in practice and receive focused expert feedback.
ITAP was introduced as a requirement for all initial teacher training (ITT) courses leading to qualified teacher status from September 2024 and continues to be an important part of ITT. The department has provided funding to support the implementation of ITAP. This academic year, ITAP funding is conditional on providers ensuring that trainees are well-equipped to teach pupils with special needs and disabilities. This is a condition of grant funding only and the ITT criteria requirements on ITAP remain unchanged.
The department continues to monitor the effectiveness of all the ITT quality requirements but has no current plans to amend ITAP requirements for courses beginning in September 2027.