Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Literacy Trust’s recent report, Young people and teachers’ use of generative AI to support literacy in 2025.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government's Opportunity Mission aims to remove barriers and ensure every child achieves and thrives by providing the best start in life. We are building the evidence base on the impact of technology in education through the EdTech Evidence Board, the Testbed programme, and research into technology and cognitive development.
In its interim report, the Curriculum and Assessment Review noted the importance of the curriculum keeping pace with the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information. The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children develop the strong media literacy skills needed to navigate an increasingly digital world, including the skills to use generative artificial intelligence safely and effectively, to recognise credible sources of information, and to identify misinformation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer my noble Friend to the answer of 22 July 2025 to Question HL9295.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide teachers with training in media literacy and guidance on the use of generative artificial intelligence during their teacher training courses.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department is supporting teachers and leaders to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) safely and effectively to help improve outcomes and reduce workload. We have published free online materials, developed with sector experts, to support staff to use AI safely and effectively in their settings.
In October 2024, Ofcom published its three-year Media Literacy Strategy, which commits to supporting teachers through continuing professional development (CPD), evaluation of training outcomes and stronger collaboration with regional partners to share learnings and effective practices.
In addition, the department funds the National Centre for Computing Education, which provides teachers with free CPD and resources to support the teaching of computing, including media literacy, and AI topics.
As AI and educational technology develop, we will continue to explore how we can drive the safety and efficacy of technology used in education.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to encourage teachers to use generative artificial intelligence as a teaching and lesson planning resource.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
From our research and engagement with the sector, the department has learnt that generative artificial intelligence (AI) could be used for a range of purposes including lesson and curriculum planning and supporting personalised learning.
The department is supporting teachers and leaders to use generative AI safely and effectively to help improve outcomes and reduce workload, including publishing free online materials, developed with sector experts. Oak National Academy’s AI lesson assistant is already helping teachers save time on planning, with reported savings of around three hours per week. Initiatives such as the AI tools for education competition and the Education Content Store pilot are encouraging innovation and evidence-based development of AI tools for marking and feedback. As AI and educational technology develop, we will continue to explore how we can drive the safety and efficacy of technology used in education.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure at home on the development of children in (1) the early years, (2) school-age children.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government recognises the wide-ranging benefits of promoting a culture of reading for pleasure at home, both in the early years and throughout a child’s school life. Reading for pleasure supports the development of early language, literacy, and cognitive skills, and is associated with improved educational attainment and emotional wellbeing. In the early years, shared reading helps build secure attachments and supports communication and confidence. For school-age children, it reinforces comprehension, vocabulary, and a lifelong engagement with learning.
In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings that support early communication and confidence. Our Little Moments Together campaign encourages parents to chat, play and read with their children, simple, everyday actions that help foster a love of books and stories. These efforts are part of our wider ambition under the Plan for Change, which includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028. By supporting families to embed reading into daily routines, we are helping to lay strong foundations for children’s development and long term success.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of learning through play in the early years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The EYFS is clear that children learn through play and that play is essential for children’s development. For example, singing songs helps to develop language comprehension, vocabulary, self-expression and literacy. Practitioners should carefully organise enabling environments and cultures for high-quality play and are encouraged to create games and provide opportunity for play both indoors and outdoors.
‘The Children of the 2020s’ study is part of the department’s programme of research that will improve our understanding of children’s progress throughout key phases of learning and education and aid future policy development. The study follows more than 8,500 families and their babies, born in England between September and November 2021. The first wave of data published in 2023 showed that more than half of primary caregivers engaged in physical or turn-taking play, singing, pretend games and noisy play with their babies several times a day. These activities were linked to improved early language development. The second wave of data is due to be published in the autumn, and we will assess that to consider how we shape future policy for early education, including anything it tells us about learning through play.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what role they see for early intervention in early years education (1) during a child’s first 1001 days, and (2) below the age of 6 years.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
There is strong evidence that the 1,001 days from conception to the age of two set the foundations for cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, families are supported during this period and beyond. Focusing on early years is a preventative measure to improve the outcomes of children of all ages. Family Hubs provide thousands of families access to the support they need to help give their child the best start in life, which includes support with infant feeding, parent-infant relationships, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.
On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life. This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to bridge the digital divide by providing access to media literacy education.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer my noble Friend to the answer of 01 May 2025 to Question 47185.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor library provision in primary schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. As well as the strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, there are a number of other positive effects, including improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge, and character development.
It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.
Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians.
The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of library coverage in primary schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. As well as the strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, there are a number of other positive effects, including improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge, and character development.
It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.
Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians.
The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.