Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times their Department has accepted in full the position of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s (a) findings and (b) recommendations on (i) issuing an apology and (ii) other forms of redress in the last 10 years.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) tracks compliance with its recommendations, but its records only go back to 2020/21. The department’s complaints team’s records only go back to June 2021. It is not therefore possible to provide comprehensive data about the government’s compliance with the PHSO’s recommendations on (a) issuing an apology and (b) other forms of redress in the last 10 years.
Our complaints team have had one recommendation, “closed complied with” since June 2021.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Education Health and Care plans were given to children aged between seven and 15-years-old that have a diagnosis of Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder in 2024.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold statistics on how many children with foetal valproate spectrum disorder are issued with education, health and care (EHC) plans.
Information on the primary type of need for all children and young people with EHC plans is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f9f635d7-6712-4e64-172f-08ddbed4c851.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of issuing guidance to schools on (a) the potential impact of Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder on learning abilities and (b) supporting children with Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder in education settings.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises that children who have Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD) can present with a range of learning needs, and thus schools have a legal responsibility to support them. Schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person gets the special educational provision they need, this includes monitoring the progress of pupils regularly and putting support in place where needed, which may include a specialist assessment.
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice sets out that all schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ when deciding on the provision to be made for a particular child or young person with special educational needs, such as FVSD.
Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education. In 2014, the government introduced a duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions and published statutory guidance intended to help governing bodies meet their legal responsibilities. This guidance sets out the arrangements they are expected to make, based on good practice. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and should have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed.
‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with SEND, including those with FVSD.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support people in education who are affected by Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises that children who have Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD) can present with a range of learning needs, and thus schools have a legal responsibility to support them. Schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person gets the special educational provision they need, this includes monitoring the progress of pupils regularly and putting support in place where needed, which may include a specialist assessment.
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice sets out that all schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ when deciding on the provision to be made for a particular child or young person with special educational needs, such as FVSD.
Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education. In 2014, the government introduced a duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions and published statutory guidance intended to help governing bodies meet their legal responsibilities. This guidance sets out the arrangements they are expected to make, based on good practice. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and should have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed.
‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with SEND, including those with FVSD.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to schools on supporting children affected by Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises that children who have Foetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD) can present with a range of learning needs, and thus schools have a legal responsibility to support them. Schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person gets the special educational provision they need, this includes monitoring the progress of pupils regularly and putting support in place where needed, which may include a specialist assessment.
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice sets out that all schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ when deciding on the provision to be made for a particular child or young person with special educational needs, such as FVSD.
Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education. In 2014, the government introduced a duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions and published statutory guidance intended to help governing bodies meet their legal responsibilities. This guidance sets out the arrangements they are expected to make, based on good practice. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and should have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed.
‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with SEND, including those with FVSD.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds information on the number of times that defibrillators installed in state-funded schools were used in the last year.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since January 2023, defibrillators provided by the department and installed in state-funded schools have been available for use and deployed in over 12,000 emergency situations where there has been a suspected cardiac arrest.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres have (a) closed and (b) been converted into children’s centre linked sites in Greater Manchester since 2010.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.
Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which build on the lessons from Sure Start.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.
Data on the number of Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on information supplied by local authorities in the Greater Manchester area, 39 children’s centres have closed since 2010. Local authorities in Greater Manchester have converted a further 62 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.
The information on numbers of children’s centres that have closed or converted to linked sites since 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities in Greater Manchester as of 2 June 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
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 restoring Sure Start funding to its initial level.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.
Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which build on the lessons from Sure Start.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.
Data on the number of Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on information supplied by local authorities in the Greater Manchester area, 39 children’s centres have closed since 2010. Local authorities in Greater Manchester have converted a further 62 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.
The information on numbers of children’s centres that have closed or converted to linked sites since 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities in Greater Manchester as of 2 June 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for (a) Sure Start centres and (b) other early-years childcare support.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.
Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which build on the lessons from Sure Start.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.
Data on the number of Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on information supplied by local authorities in the Greater Manchester area, 39 children’s centres have closed since 2010. Local authorities in Greater Manchester have converted a further 62 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.
The information on numbers of children’s centres that have closed or converted to linked sites since 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities in Greater Manchester as of 2 June 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase levels of Sure Start provision in the most disadvantaged areas.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Progress on this commitment will be measured by assessing whether 75% of five-year-olds are reaching a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment, which looks at children’s development across areas such as language, personal, social and emotional development, and mathematics and literacy, by 2028.
Delivering this will require strengthening and co-ordinating family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which build on the lessons from Sure Start.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year spending review.
Data on the number of Sure Start children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database portal, which can be accessed here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on information supplied by local authorities in the Greater Manchester area, 39 children’s centres have closed since 2010. Local authorities in Greater Manchester have converted a further 62 children’s centres into children’s centre linked sites. ‘Children’s centre linked sites’ are formerly children's centres in their own right, but they no longer meet the statutory definition of a children’s centre. They offer some early childhood services on behalf of another children's centre.
The information on numbers of children’s centres that have closed or converted to linked sites since 2010 is based on data supplied by the local authorities in Greater Manchester as of 2 June 2025. These figures could change again in future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.