Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what cross-departmental discussions have taken place on adopting a joined-up approach to evidence-based parenting support; and on the merits of ensuring that the Best Start in Life Strategy is driven by evidence-based parenting programmes.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Best Start Family Hubs are key to our vision of joined-up services in the community, bringing together professionals from health and education, working with nurseries, childminders, schools, health services, libraries and local voluntary and community groups.
The department has confirmed over £500 million of funding allocated for the delivery of Best Start Family Hubs, parenting programmes and home learning environment support.
Through Best Start Family Hubs, all local authorities will deliver evidence-based interventions for families with 3 to 4 year-olds from April 2026. The department will be sharing a list of evidence-based interventions that have been developed in collaboration with expert partners and informed by sources such as the Foundations Guidebook and Nesta’s call for evidence. The list will favour evidence-based interventions that have undergone the most rigorous evaluation to reflect our ambition to support local authorities in investing in programmes most likely to have the greatest impact.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the devolved administrations of the UK to share knowledge and experience gained from trials that ban or restrict the use of smartphones in schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department continues to be interested in the approaches taken in the devolved nations with regards to behaviour in schools. Officials have met with representatives from the devolved administrations to share knowledge and discuss policy development, including around mobile phone use in schools, to inform a broader understanding of the policies across different education systems.
Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.
The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to issue guidance to schools, colleges and universities about the provision of single sex-spaces.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this government.
The department is currently reviewing the draft non-statutory guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance and, as such, the government is looking carefully at the consultation responses, discussing with stakeholders and considering the relevant evidence, including the final report of the Cass Review which was published post-consultation, before setting out next steps.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further measures will be taken in schools, colleges and universities to combat antisemitism.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government has made available £7 million in funding to tackle antisemitism in education settings. £500,000 has been awarded to University Jewish Chaplaincy to support student welfare on campuses and, following a competitive procurement, we have awarded contracts to the Union of Jewish Students (£1 million) and Palace Yard Ltd (£1.32 million) to upskill and train university, college and school staff to recognise and address antisemitism.
In November, we will also launch a £4 million tackling antisemitism in education innovation fund, to test approaches to help young people spot mis- and dis-information and improve their media literacy, and to strengthen interfaith collaboration.
On 7 October 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education wrote to Vice Chancellors, urging them to take immediate action to protect Jewish students following the appalling terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. She highlighted the need for enhanced security, community engagement, and staff training to ensure campuses are safe, inclusive, and respectful spaces. She has also made clear that universities should not hesitate to use the full force of their disciplinary processes to deal with acts of harassment and abuse on campus.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their proposed increase in investment in apprenticeships to achieve their aim of ensuring that two-thirds of young people are in higher level education or high-quality apprenticeships.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department published the Post-16 education and skills white paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out our reforms to the skills system to support the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs, delivering on our Plan for Change and driving national renewal.
This includes how we will make progress towards our ambition of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level study across universities, colleges or apprenticeships. This is supported by a sub-target of at least 10% of young people going into level 4 or 5 study, including apprenticeships, by 2040.
The reforms include further investment in further education, with an additional nearly £800 million extra invested into 16 to19 education for 2026/27 above previous plans.
The government is also slashing red tape to ensure businesses and training providers can focus more time on apprenticeships, such as making apprenticeship assessment simpler and introducing new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors such as construction and social care.
To support students on higher level provision the department is reintroducing maintenance grants for disadvantaged students studying priority courses aligned with the government’s mission and the industrial strategy at levels 4 to 6.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their proposed timescale for achieving the aim of having two-thirds of young people in higher level education or apprenticeships.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department published the Post-16 education and skills white paper on 20 October 2025, which sets out our reforms to the skills system to support the development of the skilled workforce our economy needs, delivering on our Plan for Change and driving national renewal.
This includes how we will make progress towards our ambition of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level study across universities, colleges or apprenticeships. This is supported by a sub-target of at least 10% of young people going into level 4 or 5 study, including apprenticeships, by 2040.
The reforms include further investment in further education, with an additional nearly £800 million extra invested into 16 to19 education for 2026/27 above previous plans.
The government is also slashing red tape to ensure businesses and training providers can focus more time on apprenticeships, such as making apprenticeship assessment simpler and introducing new foundation apprenticeships in key sectors such as construction and social care.
To support students on higher level provision the department is reintroducing maintenance grants for disadvantaged students studying priority courses aligned with the government’s mission and the industrial strategy at levels 4 to 6.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reform the system and provision of education, health and care plans for pupils.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
This government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long. As part of the government’s Plan for Change, we are determined to make changes which will restore the trust of parents and ensure that children and young people with SEND, including those with education, health and care (EHC) plans, can achieve and thrive in their education.
The department is thinking about how we protect effective support for children, but make accessing support less bureaucratic and adversarial, and how we intervene earlier. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND. Any changes we make in future will improve support for children and parents, stop parents from having to fight for support, and protect provision which is currently in place.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that major national historical events such as the Battle of Britain are given sufficient weight in the national curriculum.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The history curriculum provides a flexible framework that allows schools and teachers to select which topics they teach across the key stages. It does not set out how subjects, or topics within them, should be taught, giving teachers the freedom to use their knowledge and expertise to decide how and what specific topics they teach their pupils.
Significant national historical events, such as the Battle of Britain, can already be taught within the history curriculum across the three key stages. At key stage 1, the topic of World War II and the Battle of Britain can be taught within the statutory theme of ‘changes within living memory’. At key stage 2, schools may teach ‘a significant turning point in British history, for example, the first railways or the Battle of Britain’ as a non-statutory example within the statutory theme ‘a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066’. At key stage 3, students are expected to study ‘challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day’. In addition to the statutory requirement of studying the Holocaust, schools may choose to explore other major national historical events, including those linked to the First and Second World Wars.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published its interim report in March 2025 and will publish its final report, with recommendations, this autumn. The interim report is accessible in the attached document.
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 (Department for Work and Pensions)
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: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect schools from party political interference after the minimum voting age has been lowered to 16.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Schools are subject to statutory duties regarding political impartiality under Sections 406 and 407 of the Equality Act 1996. This means schools must not promote partisan political views and should ensure that pupils are provided with a balanced treatment of political issues.
In 2022, the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools.
The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable, and politically impartial.