Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of heatwaves on schools and pupils’ learning.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that heatwaves can disrupt pupils’ learning, attendance and wellbeing, and we are committed to supporting schools and responsible bodies to maintain a safe learning environment during periods of extreme heat. While high temperatures can cause discomfort, reduced concentration and, in some cases, lower attendance, these impacts can usually be managed through practical and proportionate steps.
Schools are encouraged to adapt their arrangements in hot weather, for example by adjusting timetables, limiting strenuous activities, and ensuring classrooms are well ventilated and kept as cool as possible. Where attendance in person is not safe or reasonable, schools can provide high-quality remote education to maintain continuity of learning.
The department has published guidance for schools and other educational settings on hot weather and heatwaves, which is available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.
In most cases, schools remain the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can monitor pupils, encourage hydration and take steps to keep them comfortable. Evidence also shows many homes are prone to overheating, affecting around 1.6 million children.
Maintaining attendance where possible therefore supports both educational outcomes and pupil wellbeing during heatwaves.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what percentage of schools and colleges are covered by Mental Health Support Teams in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) East of England.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
As of March 2026, 63% of schools and colleges in Central Bedfordshire local authority were covered by a Mental Health Support Team (MHST), covering 68% of pupils and learners. In East of England, 46% of schools and colleges (57% of pupils and learners) were covered by an MHST. Nationally, MHST coverage was 48% of schools and colleges and 60% of pupils and learners. The government has committed to expand MHSTs to every school and college by 2029.
Further data for 2025/26 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-support-teams-coverage-and-school-and-college-experience.
This data has been available since 10th June 2026 at national, regional, local authority and constituency level.
Data on MHST coverage is collected and published annually.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many additional childcare places have been created due to funding from her Department's National Wraparound Childcare Programme in (a) Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
Following the launch of the national wraparound childcare programme in September 2024, over 105,000 places were made available by November 2025, supporting more families to access the childcare they need. The department does not hold delivery data broken down to constituency level.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the provision of physical exercise for (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils; and whether her Department is working with School Sport Partnerships.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is this government’s mission is to break down barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child benefits from high-quality PE and school sports. The new PE and School Sport Partnerships, announced last June by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, will ensure that all children have equal access to high-quality PE by bringing together primary and secondary schools, local clubs, and national governing bodies to target funding and support where it is most needed.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were entered for (a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish and (d) other modern foreign languages at (i) GCSE and (ii) A Level by local education authority in the East of England in each year for which the data is available.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information regarding GCSE and A level student counts by local authority is published by the department in the ‘Key stage 4 performance’ and ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical releases. Data is published from 2018/19 to 2024/25.
The requested data for GCSE students in 2018/19 to 2024/25 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0272ce41-9736-47f9-abc5-08de834ce335.
The requested data for A level students in 2020/21 to 2024/25 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e636057-8448-4e04-f84b-08de834d471d.
The data for A level students in 2017/18 to 2019/20 can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/eee0c01a-c6b4-4f22-f84d-08de834d471d.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of foreign language GCSEs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to supporting modern foreign languages across schools, and across the languages pipeline. In our response to the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we made a commitment to work with the sector to understand successful approaches to supporting the languages pipeline. This starts at primary by reforming the curriculum, increasing take up at GCSE, and boosting demand at A level and degree level, to meet future social and economic needs, including learning from successful local models.
Subject to the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are also requiring academy schools to teach the revised national curriculum, including languages programmes of study. We are also supporting the quality of languages teaching through continued investment in the National Consortium for Languages Education, which provides teachers with national high-quality professional development.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many retired teachers in the East of England are waiting to receive their Teacher's Pension Scheme Remediable Service Statement.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information is not readily available or held centrally, and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
The department is working closely with the scheme administrator to process Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Several factors have affected the original delivery timeline, including technical dependencies, regulatory requirements, and coordination with external partners.
The administrator will keep affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx. As responsibility for this work transitions to the new administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in Summer 2026, the department is working with Tata Consultancy Services to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to relevant members.
The department continues to monitor progress and is working closely with the scheme administrator to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not financially disadvantaged.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of adopting single/double summer time on children’s access to after-school (a) sports and (b) outdoor activities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government believes the current daylight-saving arrangements represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK. Therefore, we have no plans to introduce double summertime, permanent summertime, or other such changes which would require considerable planning and action by business. Since we do not intend to make changes to the existing system, we will not be conducting an assessment of the impact on children’s access to after school sports and outdoor activities.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the costs to her Department of climate-related extreme weather since 1 January 2020.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not hold data on the historical costs of climate-related extreme weather. Education settings are not required to report such incidents, and responsible bodies are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their estates through the normal funding channels provided by the department, such as the Schools Condition Allocation and Condition Improvement Fund.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of expenditure on special educational needs transport provision in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62591.