Al Pinkerton Portrait

Al Pinkerton

Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath

5,640 (11.8%) majority - 2024 General Election

First elected: 4th July 2024

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Northern Ireland)

(since September 2024)


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Al Pinkerton has voted in 122 divisions, and 2 times against the majority of their Party.

16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Al Pinkerton voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 12 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 54 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 243 Noes - 279
16 May 2025 - Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill - View Vote Context
Al Pinkerton voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 55 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 288 Noes - 239
View All Al Pinkerton Division Votes

Debates during the 2024 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(10 debate interactions)
Hilary Benn (Labour)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
(9 debate interactions)
Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op))
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(8 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(13 debate contributions)
Ministry of Defence
(9 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
Water (Special Measures) Act 2025
(72 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Al Pinkerton's debates

Surrey Heath Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Prevent independent schools from having to pay VAT on fees and incurring business rates as a result of new legislation.


Latest EDMs signed by Al Pinkerton

21st May 2025
Al Pinkerton signed this EDM on Thursday 22nd May 2025

Progress in UK-EU relations

Tabled by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
That this House welcomes the steps taken at the recent reset Summit to improve UK-EU relations and move beyond the instability and confusion of recent years; recognises the potential for cooperation in areas such as science, defence and food trade to bring tangible benefits to people and businesses across the …
25 signatures
(Most recent: 23 May 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 24
Green Party: 1
14th May 2025
Al Pinkerton signed this EDM on Friday 16th May 2025

Political parties at Pride

Tabled by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
That this House regrets the decision taken by organisers of several Pride marches and parades across the UK to not allow political parties to march; further regrets that that decision partly stems from a lack of trust in politicians and Government amongst many in the LGBTQ+ community; notes that many …
41 signatures
(Most recent: 22 May 2025)
Signatures by party:
Liberal Democrat: 40
Green Party: 1
View All Al Pinkerton's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Al Pinkerton, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Al Pinkerton has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Al Pinkerton has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

Al Pinkerton has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

1 Bill co-sponsored by Al Pinkerton

Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Sarah Olney (LD)


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
14th May 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps her Department is taking to protect people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis from discrimination by employers in Surrey.

The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. The Act defines ‘long-term’ as having lasted, or likely to last for at least 12 months, or likely to last for the rest of the life of the person. ‘Substantial’ is defined as more than minor or trivial.

Where an employee has an impairment, which falls within the definition outlined above, the Act makes it unlawful for their employer or someone they are seeking work from, to discriminate against them because of their disability. This would include the failure to make a reasonable adjustment as well as less favourable treatment.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas have published comprehensive guidance for employers on their obligations to disabled employees and job applicants under the 2010 Act and Acas provides a helpline for people who think they have experienced discrimination at work.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline 0300 123 1100 or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.

Stephen Timms
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
23rd Apr 2025
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of enabling opposite-sex couples to convert a civil partnership to marriage.

In 2019, when civil partnerships were made available for opposite-sex couples in England and Wales, the Government ran a public consultation on the future of conversion rights between marriage and civil partnerships for both opposite and same-sex couples in England and Wales.

This Government is considering all options, and we will update the House in due course.

Nia Griffith
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
28th Mar 2025
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a UK-wide Future Generations Commissioner to promote (a) long-term policy planning and (b) intergenerational fairness across Government departments.

All children should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are, where they’re from, or how much their parents earn. The Opportunity Mission will give the next generation the best start in life, help them achieve and thrive in excellent schools, and build skills for opportunity and growth. The mission has taken a number of steps to help ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. These include expanding government-funded childcare, allocating £1.4bn to rebuild our schools, launching the curriculum review, announcing the creation of Foundation Apprenticeships and launching the first round of funding for 300 school-based nurseries. The government has also set-up a Ministerial Taskforce on Child Poverty, bringing in academia, local government and other sectors to develop a joint strategy on child poverty. There has been no specific assessment by the Cabinet Office of establishing a UK-wide Future Generations Commissioner.

Ellie Reeves
Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
9th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the US-UK trade deal on Northern Ireland businesses.

The UK-US economic deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that directly employ over 320,000 people across the UK including Northern Ireland. What we have agreed will provide the foundation for a new reciprocal trading partnership between the US and the UK, as well as secure actions that will protect jobs and businesses across the country.

All along, we have continued to act in the best interests of all UK businesses which of course includes those in Northern Ireland, and we continue to engage with Northern Ireland counterparts to ensure the deal delivers for Northern Ireland business.

Douglas Alexander
Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
12th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support young entrepreneurs in (a) creating and (b) sustaining small businesses in Surrey Heath constituency.

We will publish our Small Business Strategy later this year with a clear ambition to promote startups and encourage entrepreneurship in Surrey Heath and across the UK including amongst young people, built around the new Business Growth Service.

There is a range of existing support offers available via the Business Support Service, Gov.uk, the network of local Growth Hubs across England, and The Help to Grow: Management scheme to help improve leadership, performance and management capabilities.

The Government continues to support entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring through the British Business Bank, via Start-up Loans.

Gareth Thomas
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to improve the energy efficiency ratings of residential properties in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future, including those in the Surrey Heath constituency. The Government has committed an initial £3.4 billion over the next 3 years towards heat decarbonisation and household energy efficiency, with £1 billion of this allocated to 2025/2026.

The Government has published a consultation on improving energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector in England and Wales.

The Government is also exploring the role of incentives and private finance for households to support homeowners with the upfront costs of energy efficiency improvements and low carbon heating.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
21st Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of installing solar panels on the roofs of (a) car parks, (b) warehouses (c) and council-owned buildings in Surrey.

The Government will assess the potential to drive the construction of solar canopies on outdoor carparks over a certain size through a call for evidence this year.

New standards will be introduced this year which will amend the energy efficiency standards in the Building Regulations in England. This will ensure all new homes and buildings, including warehouses and council-owned buildings, in England are zero-carbon ready.

Further details about how the Government will increase the deployment of solar panels will be set out in the forthcoming Solar Roadmap.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
15th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of incentives to landlords to improve the energy efficiency of residential properties.

Current regulations require privately rented homes in England and Wales are to meet a minimum standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band E, unless a valid exemption applies. Government will shortly consult on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector.

Support is currently available to landlords and tenants to improve rental properties. An eligibility tool is available on our ‘Help for Households’ GOV.UK page that will help people find the support available to them via the Home Upgrade Grant and the Great British Insulation Scheme. There is also a zero-rate of VAT until March 2027 on energy saving measures, such as insulation and low-carbon heating.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
14th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increasing the energy efficiency of rental properties on carbon emissions in Surrey.

Delivering the Warm Homes Plan is central to the clean energy mission. Targeting decarbonisation of heat in buildings, including the rental sector, will account for around 75% of reduction in all building emissions as well as reducing demand.

Government will shortly consult on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation will be accompanied with the Department’s assessment of the potential emissions savings of consultation proposals.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the use of hydrogen for heating.

As set out last December, the Government will assess the latest evidence on costs, benefits and feasibility before consulting on the role of hydrogen in home heating later this year.

Sarah Jones
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of integrating hybrid-fuelled boilers with (a) electric air-source heat pumps and (b) smart technology to help decarbonise residential properties.

Hybrid heat pumps, a heating system comprised of a fossil fuel boiler and a heat pump, have the potential to play an important role in heat decarbonisation over the coming years.

The Government will continue to consider their potential and is consulting further through the ‘Raising product standards for space heating’ consultation, which is open until 25 March 2025.

The previous Government consulted in April 2024 on a proposal to require smart functionality for electric heating appliances with high flexibility potential and to extend this to hybrid heat pumps. A response to that consultation will be published in due course.

Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
2nd Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of cooperative energy models.

The Government recognises the role community groups and cooperatives play in our efforts to tackle climate change. Great British Energy’s Local Power Plan will enhance existing support Community Energy Groups to roll out renewable energy projects and develop up to 8GW of cleaner power.

The Government also supports the community energy sector through the £10 million Community Energy Fund, which enables communities across England to access grant funding to develop local renewable energy projects for investment.

The previous Government consulted on the barriers to community energy through a Call for Evidence, which closed on 30 June 2024. We will learn from the responses to this consultation to inform our future work on community energy.

Michael Shanks
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
10th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the Online Safety Act 2023 to help tackle fake news through (a) AI-generated content and (b) deepfakes.

The Government recognises the challenges that AI-generated content, including deepfakes, can pose to the online environment. The Online Safety Act puts new requirements on social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation - including where it is AI-generated - as soon as they become aware of it.

Our immediate focus is getting the Act implemented quickly and effectively. We will then of course look at where we could go further, as set out in the government’s manifesto. It is right that government continually assesses the law’s ability to keep up, especially where technology moves so fast.

Feryal Clark
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
19th Dec 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to ensure that vulnerable communities have access to broadband services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government recognises that access to the internet is increasingly essential for full participation in society and has taken steps to ensure households across the UK are able to access fast, reliable mobile and broadband services.

More than 25 providers now offer low-cost mobile and broadband packages for households in receipt of Universal Credit and some other means tested benefits (up from 10 providers in September 2022), with the average price of a broadband social tariff being £17.41 per month. Social tariffs could provide consumers with savings of over £220 per year on their fixed broadband bills.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) accessibility of SEND sports camps in Surrey Heath constituency.

The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone. The holiday activities and food programme provides healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. The holiday activities and food programme funding is primarily for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals. Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children, who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who the local authority believe could benefit from holiday activities and food programme provision.

The Department for Education encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools with expertise in working with children with SEND or additional needs. Local authorities are obligated to include the numbers of children with SEND or additional needs who have participated in their programme in their post provision reporting to the department.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
11th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote (a) youth arts and (b) cultural festivals in Surrey Heath Constituency.

The government promotes and supports the arts predominantly through Arts Council England (ACE).

ACE’s open funding programme, National Lottery Project Grants, is currently accessible to organisations and individuals across the country, including those in Surrey Heath. This programme provides over £100 million of support annually to individuals and organisations. Since 2019, ACE has allocated over £280,000 of funding to individuals and arts organisations based in the Surrey Heath constituency. Last November, Surrey Youth Arts and Culture Festival received £13,311 of funding. The festival, based at Camberley Library and Camberley Theatre was a Surrey County Council partnership led project which aimed to raise aspirations and break down barriers to engagement for young people accessing creative skills development pathways in Surrey.

In addition, Local Authorities remain one of the largest supporters of arts and culture in England, and DCMS will continue to advocate and help local decision-makers understand and recognise the benefits that the arts can bring for young people.

Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
21st Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department has taken to support the (a) upkeep and (b) preservation of culturally significant buildings in the Surrey Heath constituency.

The government believes that a fit-for-purpose cultural infrastructure, which increases access for all, is part of this sector's success.

At the Autumn Spending Review government prioritised support for our cultural institutions so that they can continue to be world-leading. This settlement includes investment of over £270 million through the Arts Everywhere Fund for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector to boost growth and cement Britain’s place as a cultural powerhouse. £85 million will be available through the Creative Foundations Fund, which will support urgent capital works to keep cultural venues across the country up and running.

In addition, DCMS and the Department’s Arm’s-Length Bodies provide a range of financial support for culturally significant buildings. These include the Theatres Trust, who provide small grants to theatres for building work; the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who have committed to investing around £100m between 2023 and 2026 to support places of worship; the Churches Conservation Trust, which funds repairs and maintenance of over 350 churches in the CCT portfolio; and Historic England's Heritage At Risk grants, funding £9 million worth of repairs to buildings on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register between April 2024 and March 2025.

All that being said, there has been no MEND or ACE Capital funding in Surrey Heath constituency in the last five years.



Chris Bryant
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Independent Press Standards Organisation for (a) supporting and (b) regulating news publications.

The Government is committed to protecting press freedom, which is essential to a strong and functioning democracy. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is crucial to maintain press freedom. The Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of IPSO and Impress.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
12th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of The Independent Monitor of the Press for (a) supporting and (b) regulating news publications.

The Government is committed to protecting press freedom, which is essential to a strong and functioning democracy. In the UK, there exists an independent, self-regulatory system for the press, which is crucial to maintain press freedom. The Government therefore does not intervene in or oversee the work of IPSO and Impress.

Stephanie Peacock
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on providing clear guidance for feeder school arrangements for secondary schools in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Provided they are lawful and comply with the school admissions code, it is for the school’s admission authority to decide what admissions criteria to set, and how they are applied. The admission authority for a community or voluntary controlled school is the local authority. For a foundation or voluntary aided school, it is the governing body, and for academy schools including free schools, it is the academy trust.

The code enables admission authorities to give priority to children attending named feeder schools, but are prohibited from naming fee-paying independent schools as feeder schools. The selection of a feeder school or schools as an oversubscription criterion must be transparent and made on reasonable grounds.

Once a school’s admission arrangements have been determined, anyone who believes they are unfair or unlawful may submit an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Where the Adjudicator finds that a school’s admission arrangements are unlawful, they must revise their admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision, which is binding and enforceable by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of literacy education in Surrey Heath constituency.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Whiteknights English Hub.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing.

In the 2025/26 academic year, this funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools which will be delivered through the English Hubs programme. This will help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. There will also be new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.

The department will also publish a writing framework this summer, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve literacy education in Surrey Heath constituency.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Whiteknights English Hub.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing.

In the 2025/26 academic year, this funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools which will be delivered through the English Hubs programme. This will help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. There will also be new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.

The department will also publish a writing framework this summer, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
13th May 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of discriminatory language in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is clear that any incident of discrimination and derogatory language is unacceptable and should be dealt with quickly and effectively by schools. All members of the school community are responsible for creating a positive, safe environment in which threats or abuse are not tolerated and everyone is treated respectfully.

The ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance outlines that school staff should challenge all inappropriate language and behaviour between pupils, never normalising abusive language or behaviour by disregarding it or treating it as ‘banter’.

The relationships, sex and health education curriculum has a strong focus on equality, respect, the harmful impact of stereotyping, and the importance of valuing difference.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of school children receive free school meals in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department publishes data annually on pupils who are eligible for free school meals in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics. This includes a school level underlying data file which indicates Parliamentary constituency. The data is available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2023-24.

Please note that data on Parliamentary constituencies use boundaries as they were when the statistics were published. Constituency boundaries will be updated to the most recent ones in the next ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication in June 2025.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to invest in higher education facilities in Surrey Heath constituency.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous and decide where to locate and establish their facilities, providing tangible benefits to their local areas and constituencies.

Providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) and in the Approved (fee cap) category of registration are allocated targeted grant funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant. The government provides this funding on an annual basis to support teaching and students in HE, including expensive-to-deliver subjects, such as science and engineering, and for students at risk of discontinuing their studies. Of the £1.4 billion recurrent funding distributed by the OfS for the 2024/25 academic year, more than two-thirds is being directed to support the provision of high-cost courses.

Providers in Surrey are in receipt of this funding, including the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway, University of London.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of autism training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND including autism, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status.

The ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement.

The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
8th Apr 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of autism training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND including autism, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status.

The ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement.

The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support dyslexic children with mental health difficulties in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Surrey Heath Borough Council on the adequacy of dyslexia training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Surrey Heath Borough Council on the adequacy of dyslexia provision for children in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
27th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support dyslexic children in education in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of allocating additional funding for (a) dyslexia screening and (b) dyslexia-specific teacher training in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. As part of this, the department is considering evidence on international best practice in its policymaking on special educational needs.

We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF). This sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.

Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework, and an updated list of high quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Wandle English Hub. Further information is available here: https://englishhubs.net/english_hubs/wandle-english-hub/.

The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
24th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of dyslexia training provided to teaching staff in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. As part of this, the department is considering evidence on international best practice in its policymaking on special educational needs.

We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

The Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF). This sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.

Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework, and an updated list of high quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Wandle English Hub. Further information is available here: https://englishhubs.net/english_hubs/wandle-english-hub/.

The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the national curriculum for encouraging physical education in mainstream schools.

The national curriculum sets out the subjects and programmes of study that schools are required to teach to children of compulsory school age in English maintained schools. Physical education (PE) is compulsory at all four key stages of the national curriculum.

Data collected in the ‘School and college voice: December 2023’ survey indicated that the median scheduled PE time was 120 minutes for key stage 1 to key stage 3 and 60 minutes for key stage 4. The data can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2023-to-2024/school-and-college-voice-december-2023.

The government established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE The interim report can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.

In the next phase, the Review will consider subject issues, working closely with the sector. The government has committed to protect time for PE and will respond to the Review’s final recommendations in the autumn.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children with special educational needs to access transport to educational settings in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 13396.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
20th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help improve awareness of (a) apprenticeships and (b) sponsored degree programs in Surrey Heath constituency.

Apprenticeships give employers the skills they need to grow, helping them to fill their vacancies and train their workforce to address industry skills gaps. Apprenticeships are a great way for individuals to begin, or progress in, a successful career.

The department continues to promote apprenticeships to young people, adults and employers through the Skills for Life campaign. The department is also transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships.

The government has committed to improve careers advice and guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into work and help them succeed.

The department also supports the apprenticeship ambassador network, a network of over 2,000 volunteer employers and former and current apprentices, all of whom volunteer their time to inform and inspire the next generation of apprentices and apprentice employers.

Universities are autonomous and responsible for promoting their own programs.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
19th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to protect teachers from assaults in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

No teacher should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will always support teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

While the department expects schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur, any decision on how to sanction the pupil involved is a matter for the school.

In the most serious cases, suspension or permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that teachers and pupils are protected from disruption and to maintain safe, calm environments. Should the incident constitute a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
19th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of covid-19 on the long-term (a) educational attainment and (b) mental well-being of school children in Surrey Heath constituency.

All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive, no matter who they are or where they are from. However, the pandemic harmed the attainment of all children, particularly those that are disadvantaged, and too many children and young people continue to face barriers to learning.

This is not acceptable, which is why the Opportunity Mission will break down barriers and raise standards across education, ensuring a better future for all children and young people in all areas of the country, including Surrey Heath.

High and rising standards across every school and for every child are at the heart of this mission, delivered through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, robust accountability and faster school improvement and a system which removes additional barriers to learning.

The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children which is why we are committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers. We have also launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers that hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

To strengthen school improvement, the new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams will provide both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system for all schools.

Independent research has found that COVID-19 led to increased depressive symptoms among teenagers and decreased life satisfaction, with girls being particularly affected.

The department is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. We will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate, and open new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
19th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve mental health support for children with special educational needs in Surrey Heath constituency.

Schools are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need. All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ that is outlined in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs.

We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. The department is also working closely with experts on reforms who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

Alongside this, the government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

The department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support (as at 31 March 2024) for pupil's provided by NHS funded Mental Health Support Teams in Surrey schools is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
5th Mar 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of expanding youth schemes to reduce anti-social behaviour in Surrey Heath constituency.

Too many children and young people do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive.

The government has committed to the creation of the new Young Futures programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to intervene earlier to ensure this cohort is identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for children and young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. Prevention Partnerships will identify children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime, including anti-social behaviour, and divert them by offering them suitable support in a more systematic way.

The Young Futures programme is one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape. They will be designed to complement core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government and is a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. Anti-social behaviour causes great harm and misery to communities and, if left unchecked, can lead to more serious offending. Effective youth anti-social behaviour intervention is crucial in disrupting this pipeline. In many cases, informal and early intervention can be successful in changing behaviour and protecting communities.

As part of the wider youth landscape, this government has launched the co-production of an ambitious National Youth Strategy to set out a new vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
12th Feb 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of school measures to tackle (a) threatening behaviour and (b) bullying via smartphones in Surrey Heath constituency.

​All schools are required, by law, to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. This should be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents.

In addition, the government’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance supports schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. Headteachers are responsible for implementation of guidance within their schools.

Whilst the department has not directly assessed these measures in Surrey Health constituency, the department’s National Behaviour Survey (NBS) reports can be used to monitor national perceptions of behaviour in schools over time. These can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-behaviour-survey-reports. The NBS asks panels of pupils, parents, school leaders and teachers about their perceptions on a range of topics relating to pupil behaviour, including frequency, impacts and bullying, and responses to misbehaviour.

Stephen Morgan
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
21st Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle academic dishonesty arising from the use of generative AI in higher education.

Universities are independent and autonomous bodies responsible for decisions such as admissions, diversity of provision, course content, teaching and assessment. As such, they are responsible for designing their own policies regarding the use of artificial intelligence and for taking steps to prevent academic misconduct, as set out in the Office for Students’ regulatory framework.

Academic integrity is crucial to protecting the reputation of the UK’s world-class higher education sector.

Janet Daby
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
17th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the training provided to mainstream school teachers for inclusive teaching practices towards pupils with special educational needs in Surrey Heath constituency.

From September 2025 the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for new teachers and must be used by providers of Initial Teacher Training and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula.

The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) when supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. The content includes, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs, and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and have recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Ofsted inspect all teacher training that leads to qualified teacher status, as well as department-funded lead providers of training for ECTs. Their inspections give an independent, external evaluation of a provider’s effectiveness and, where appropriate, highlight areas for improvement.

On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs). The NPQ must be completed within three years of taking up a SENCO post. The new NPQ will play a key role improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.

The £12 million Universal Services programme also helps the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. The programme offers online training, professional development groups, bespoke school and college improvement projects, sector-led research, autism awareness training and an embedded focus on preparation for adulthood, including employer-led webinars for college staff.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening media literacy programmes in the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review.

Political and media literacy are currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which covers parliamentary democracy, the power of government, and how citizens and Parliament hold government to account. It also equips young people to distinguish between fact and opinion and understand the role of a free press. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. Complementary aspects of media literacy are also taught through relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and computing, which together equip pupils to evaluate and apply information technology and to be a discerning consumer of information online.

Support for curriculum delivery is available through optional, free and adaptable resources from Oak National Academy (Oak). Oak launched its new curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship earlier this academic year, with the full package of curriculum resources expected to be available by this autumn. Oak resources are available here: https://www.thenational.academy/.

The Educate against Hate website also hosts a series of online media literacy resources, which seek to help young people evaluate the validity of information. These resources can be accessed here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, conducted by a group of education leaders (the Review group) and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published last July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

The Review will seek to deliver a curriculum that is rich and broad, which ensures children and young people are equipped with the essential knowledge and skills to enable them to adapt and thrive in the world and workplace of the future. The Review will consider the skills needed to ensure that children are resilient to misinformation and can distinguish fact from fiction.

The role of the Review group is to consider the evidence, the responses to the call for evidence and widespread engagement with the sector, and then make recommendations for the government to consider. The Review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make in light of these recommendations.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
9th Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the integration of (a) political and (b) media literacy into school curriculums.

Political and media literacy are currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which covers parliamentary democracy, the power of government, and how citizens and Parliament hold government to account. It also equips young people to distinguish between fact and opinion and understand the role of a free press. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. Complementary aspects of media literacy are also taught through relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) and computing, which together equip pupils to evaluate and apply information technology and to be a discerning consumer of information online.

Support for curriculum delivery is available through optional, free and adaptable resources from Oak National Academy (Oak). Oak launched its new curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship earlier this academic year, with the full package of curriculum resources expected to be available by this autumn. Oak resources are available here: https://www.thenational.academy/.

The Educate against Hate website also hosts a series of online media literacy resources, which seek to help young people evaluate the validity of information. These resources can be accessed here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, conducted by a group of education leaders (the Review group) and chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The terms of reference were published last July and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

The Review will seek to deliver a curriculum that is rich and broad, which ensures children and young people are equipped with the essential knowledge and skills to enable them to adapt and thrive in the world and workplace of the future. The Review will consider the skills needed to ensure that children are resilient to misinformation and can distinguish fact from fiction.

The role of the Review group is to consider the evidence, the responses to the call for evidence and widespread engagement with the sector, and then make recommendations for the government to consider. The Review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make in light of these recommendations.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide (a) training and (b) other support to special educational needs coordinators in schools in Surrey.

All mainstream schools (including academies and free schools) must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO). The SENCO must be a qualified teacher, or the headteacher, working at the school. SENCOs play a vital role in setting the direction for their school and leading on the day-to-day special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision.

Schools should ensure that the SENCO has sufficient time and resources to carry out these functions. This should include providing SENCOs with sufficient administrative support and time away from teaching to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities in a similar way to other important strategic roles within a school.

On 1 September 2024, the government introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ must be completed within three years of taking up a SENCO post. The new NPQ will play a key role improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.

The £12 million Universal Services programme also helps the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively.

The programme offers online training, professional development groups, bespoke school and college improvement projects, sector-led research, autism awareness training and an embedded focus on preparation for adulthood, including employer-led webinars for college staff.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)
3rd Jan 2025
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that local councils can (a) recruit and (b) retain educational psychologists in Surrey Heath constituency.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, providing statutory input into education, health and care assessments and advising the school workforce on how to support children and young people with SEND.

As the employers of educational psychology services, it is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that their services are adequately staffed. The department is however taking measures to support local authorities by investing in building the pipeline.

The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from 2024. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

To support retention, following graduation, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this requirement has increased to three years.

Catherine McKinnell
Minister of State (Education)