Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce the attainment gap between children on Free School Meals and their peers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
‘Every child achieving and thriving’ establishes the department’s plan to deliver improved outcomes for all children, regardless of their background or where they live. Our ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards and for the disadvantage gap to be halved.
The department’s approach is comprehensive and includes rebuilding early family support, improving teacher recruitment and retention so every child benefits from high-quality teaching, broadening the curriculum alongside access to high-quality enrichment, and launching two place-based missions, Mission North East and Mission Coastal, to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.
The government has introduced the Enrichment Expansion Programme funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and delivered in partnership with the department, which will work with over 400 schools in the most disadvantaged areas.
The department is also taking steps to support schools and parents to work in partnership by establishing minimum expectations for parental engagement. Successful parental engagement can have a particularly significant impact for the most disadvantaged.
On English and maths, the department is funding the RISE English and Maths Hubs programmes to help schools improve teaching practice and pupil outcomes.
Additionally, we are providing around £3.2 billion of pupil premium funding in the 2026/27 financial year to help raise the educational outcomes of disadvantaged 5 to 16-year-olds. We will also introduce government funded pupil premium strategy reviews for schools that need additional support. These targeted reviews will equip school leaders to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce mortality rates amongst young adults who have recently left the care system.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government commissioned the review of early deaths of care leavers to examine the unacceptably high number of deaths among care-experienced young people and to drive action to address it. The review’s central finding reinforces the government’s focus for care reform: too many care-experienced people enter adulthood lonely. That is why we have set out a comprehensive programme to prioritise building and maintaining relationships.
This includes over £25 million of funding this financial year to continue the rollout of the Staying Close programme. New duties from 30 September also require councils to publish how they will support care leavers into adulthood and introduce corporate parenting across government departments and key public bodies to ensure policies and services provide better support for care leavers.
For a young person, Staying Close means keeping somewhere settled to live rather than being moved along at 18 and having a network of people around them as they move into adulthood. Staying Close now runs in 47 local areas and will become a national duty for local areas, with full rollout expected by 2029. The Staying Close programme also includes funding for a mental health worker in each local authority to work directly with young people and upskill their teams.
To better prevent future deaths, we will explore how the Child Protection Authority could amplify learning across areas.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of efforts to engage with secondary school children on the issue of sexism.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The reformed relationships, sex and health education curriculum champions healthy attitudes and relationships, equipping children with the tools needed to tackle harmful influences. This includes a focus on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary school and an emphasis on opening conversations with young people about positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, including how to identify and learn from positive male role models.
Pupils should understand the importance of challenging harmful beliefs and attitudes and the links between sexism and misogyny and violence against women and girls.
As part of the Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy, the department is delivering a £16 million investment, including £5 million from the Home Office, through the Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention Programme. We will test, learn, and evaluate on interventions in secondary schools on topics including misogyny and sexism.
New teaching resources for key stages 2 to 5 are being developed to support teachers to tackle misogyny and handle conversations on difficult topics. These resources will be available for the new school year.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase education on the dangers and impact of sexism and misogyny.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The reformed relationships, sex and health education curriculum champions healthy attitudes and relationships, equipping children with the tools needed to tackle harmful influences. This includes a focus on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary school and an emphasis on opening conversations with young people about positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, including how to identify and learn from positive male role models.
Pupils should understand the importance of challenging harmful beliefs and attitudes and the links between sexism and misogyny and violence against women and girls.
As part of the Freedom from Violence and Abuse strategy, the department is delivering a £16 million investment, including £5 million from the Home Office, through the Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention Programme. We will test, learn, and evaluate on interventions in secondary schools on topics including misogyny and sexism.
New teaching resources for key stages 2 to 5 are being developed to support teachers to tackle misogyny and handle conversations on difficult topics. These resources will be available for the new school year.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that (a) support and (b) care workers who work with children and young people with SEN have access to adequate training before starting their roles.
Answered by Janet Daby
The training that care and support workers receive before working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will depend on who employs the worker, and the purpose for which they are employed. If workers are supporting children with specific medical conditions, the following guidance explains how staff should be supported and trained in line with this guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf
For social workers, Social Work England is the regulator for the social work profession in England. It sets the professional standards that all social workers must meet throughout their careers. These standards include promoting the rights, strengths, and wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities, including those with SEND.
The department has recently consulted on new Post Qualifying Standards, which give greater clarity on the knowledge and skills expected of child and family social workers, including in relation to children with SEND.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the upcoming rise in undergraduate tuition fees on the take up of university courses by students from deprived backgrounds.
Answered by Janet Daby
In January 2025, the government published an Equality Impact Assessment of the impact of changes to fee limits and student support for the 2025/26 academic year on undergraduate students with protected characteristics and disadvantaged students. This is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/41/pdfs/ukia_20250041_en.pdf.
The department does not believe that the increase in tuition fee limits by forecast RPIX inflation of 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year will significantly alter participation decisions for most students, as the value of tuition fees will remain unchanged in real terms and the corresponding increase in upfront tuition fee loans for the 2026/26 academic year will ensure that higher education remains free at the point of access for students eligible for support.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of university graduates currently in non-graduate roles; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of careers service support in assisting graduates in accessing graduate roles.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department has not undertaken any specific assessment of trends of graduates in non-graduate roles. However, the Office for National Statistics have previously released data on numbers of graduates in non-graduate roles using one particular definition of graduate roles supplied by the Institute for Employment Research. The releases are for 2021 to 2022 and 2012 to 2020, and they show that the percentage of graduates in non-graduate roles has dropped from 37.2% in 2012 to 36.0% in 2020. The full 2021 to 2022 release is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022.
The full 2012 to 2020 release is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/13929employedgraduatesinnongraduaterolesincityregions2012to2020.
While most universities provide graduate careers support, the National Careers Service complements this by offering personalised, accessible and impartial advice to all adults, including recent graduates.
Careers service support should assist graduates in accessing graduate roles, ensuring that they contribute to the economy and society through the skills that they acquire. The department knows from Skills England’s September 2024 report ‘Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’ that many of England’s businesses are dependent on graduate skills.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the (a) level of use of AI by students to complete assessments in (i) secondary, (ii) further and (iii) higher education and (b) the potential impact of use on the validity of academic qualifications.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department policy paper on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in education sets out some of the opportunities and risks education establishments should be aware of when considering generative AI technologies, including use of AI in assessments. The policy paper can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education.
The department is working to ensure teachers are equipped and supported to promote safe and appropriate use of AI.
Schools, colleges and awarding organisations need to continue taking reasonable steps, where applicable, to prevent malpractice involving the use of generative AI. Teachers know their pupils best and are experienced in identifying their individual pupils’ work.
A new departmental group will advise on digital, AI and technology to prepare children and young people for an AI and tech-enabled world, as well as promoting the use of AI and Edtech for better teaching and learning. Expert and evidence-informed recommendations will be produced.
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) has published guidance on AI use in assessments. This guidance provides teachers and exam centres with information to help them prevent and identify potential malpractice involving the misuse of AI. The JCQ guidance can be found here: https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/malpractice/artificial-intelligence/.
Ofsted and Ofqual both published policy papers in April 2024 outlining their approach to AI and Ofsted are currently updating their AI Strategy. The Office for Students will be including actions relating to AI in its upcoming 2025 to 2028 Strategy.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including political education in the national curriculum.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
For secondary schools, democracy and politics is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which covers parliamentary democracy, the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, the power of government and how citizens and parliament hold it to account. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2.
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 can be found here: https://www.thenational.academy/.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.
The Review Group has now published its interim findings and clarified that its next phase of work will consider coverage of key knowledge and skills within every subject. The interim report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.
The government will respond to the review’s final recommendations in the autumn.
Asked by: Andrew Cooper (Labour - Mid Cheshire)
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 persistent school absences in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Mid Cheshire constituency, (ii) Cheshire and (iii) England; and what steps her Department is taking to improve school attendance in those areas.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Detailed pupil absence data is collected as part of the school census and published on a termly basis. All absence data for England, including data at regional and local authority level, is available via the National Statistics releases.
The department does not publish attendance data at the constituency level, so we are unable to provide data specifically for the Mid Cheshire constituency. However, local authority, regional, and national absence data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england. Additionally, the department publishes more frequent experimental attendance data on a fortnightly basis, which you can access here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-attendance-in-schools, or via the dashboard here: https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/pupil-attendance-in-schools/.
This government is determined to tackle the generational challenge of school absence which is a fundamental barrier to learning and life chances. Missing school regularly is harmful to a child’s attainment, safety and physical and mental health, which limits their opportunity to succeed. There is evidence that more students are attending school this year compared to last, thanks to the sector’s efforts, although around 1.6 million children remain persistently absent and miss 10% or more of lessons.
Central to the department’s approach are stronger expectations of local authorities and schools, as set out in the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which was made statutory on 19 August 2024 and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance. The guidance promotes a 'support first' approach, and sets out clear expectations on how schools, trusts, local authorities and wider services, including across the Mid Cheshire constituency, should work together and with families to address attendance barriers and provide the right support, including where a pupil is not attending due to special educational needs.
Every state school in England should now be sharing their daily attendance register data with the department, local authorities and trusts. These bodies can access this data through a secure, interactive dashboard which is maintained by the department, allowing them to target attendance interventions more effectively.
The department recognises the importance of creating opportunities within the sector to share existing best practice on how to improve attendance. This is why the department set up a network of 31 attendance hubs, who have offered support to 2000 primary, secondary and alternative provision schools, including in Cheshire, and shared their strategies and resources for improving attendance. Bringing together best practice from the hubs, we have also published an attendance toolkit which aims to support schools to identify the drivers of absence in their setting and address these. This toolkit is available here: https://attendancetoolkit.blob.core.windows.net/toolkit-doc/Attendance%20toolkit%20for%20schools.pdf.
In addition to this work, the department also aims to improve the existing evidence on which interventions work to improve attendance. Over £17 million is being invested across two mentoring projects that will support at least 12,000 pupils in 15 areas. These programmes will be evaluated and the effective practice shared with schools and local authorities nationally.
From early 2025, new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams will support all state schools by facilitating networking, sharing best practice across areas, including attendance, and empowering schools to feel they can better access support and learn from one another. For schools requiring more intensive support, RISE teams and supporting organisations will work collaboratively with their responsible body to agree bespoke packages of targeted support, based on a school’s particular circumstances.
School attendance is also supported by broader investments, such as funded breakfast clubs, across all primary schools to ensure children start their day ready to learn. The department is working across government on plans to provide a range of measures, including access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, new Young Futures hubs which include access to mental health support workers, and an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults. The department will also initiate new annual Ofsted reviews focusing on safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling.
Schools can also allocate pupil premium funding, which has now increased to over £2.9 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, to support pupils with identified needs to attend school regularly.