Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the rate of growth in each of the last five years in the (a) absolute number and (b) proportion of nurseries that are backed by (i) private equity firms, (ii) pension funds and (iii) venture capital funds.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.
One of the signs of a healthy market is a range of providers offering choice and flexibility for parents.
As laid out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the department keeps the structure of the market, including the role of private equity, debt, profit levels, and the prices that parents pay, under close review.
As of the most recent data available, 7.5% of places are with providers that have private equity backing, up from 4% in 2018.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the financial viability of nursery groups funded by (a) private equity firms and (b) venture capital funds.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is our ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.
One of the signs of a healthy market is a range of providers offering choice and flexibility for parents.
As laid out in the Best Start in Life strategy, the department keeps the structure of the market, including the role of private equity, debt, profit levels, and the prices that parents pay, under close review.
As of the most recent data available, 7.5% of places are with providers that have private equity backing, up from 4% in 2018.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is the proposed timeline for implementing a system to identify children with a parent in prison.
Answered by Janet Daby
Departmental officials continue to work closely with their counterparts at the Ministry of Justice to deliver the manifesto commitment to identify children affected by parental imprisonment as swiftly as possible, to help ensure that they get the support they need to thrive. A multi-year spending review has recently taken place to determine departmental budgets from 2026/27 to 2028/29. We are currently finalising the allocations process to set internal budgets for this spending period. Officials are working through the details of potential delivery options and this will inform timelines once internal budgets are finalised. Last month we published our preliminary market engagement notice for our multidisciplinary training offer for professionals which can be found here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/050622-2025. This marks an important step towards getting children the support they may need once they are identified.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring coordination in establishing a system to identify children with parents in prison.
Answered by Janet Daby
The Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice recognise the importance of cross-government coordination to identify children affected by parental imprisonment and to help ensure that they get the support they need to thrive. In June, we held a cross-government workshop with officials from a range of government departments, to help deepen attendees’ understanding of the impact of parental imprisonment and foster collaborative thinking on how policies and strategies can better reflect the needs of families. In July, officials from the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service and the Department of Health and Social Care, attended the Family Hub All Party Parliamentary Group meeting with a special focus on families affected by parental imprisonment. Further discussions are ongoing as part of strategic planning.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of (a) SINs and (b) rapid reviews submitted to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel in (i) 2023-24 compared with (ii) 2022-23.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department’s official statistics show that in the year ending 31 March 2024, there were 405 serious incident notifications and 330 rapid reviews, respective decreases of 51 and 72 from the year prior. The statistics are based on one notification per incident, which can relate to more than one child in some instances.
We are aware that, in some instances, not all incidents that meet the definition for a serious incident are communicated. The department will continue to work with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel and local authorities to ensure the notification of serious incidents that meet the criteria as set out in the statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’.
The government has also committed to urgently reviewing the effectiveness of serious incident notifications in relation to child sexual abuse and exploitation in line with Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities have been able to auto-enrol children for free school meals; and whether she expects that the new expanded eligibility will increase this number.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Oxford East to the answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 58496.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there will be an increase in the pupil premium following the introduction of free school meals for all pupils from families on Universal Credit.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The allocation of pupil premium funding to schools will continue to be based on the existing earned income threshold for free school meal eligibility of £7,400 in the 2026/27 financial year.
The pupil premium eligibility criteria also includes children looked-after or previously looked-after by their local authority.
The department is reviewing how we allocate pupil premium funding in the longer term.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the pupil premium will be linked to the current income unit only.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The allocation of pupil premium funding to schools will continue to be based on the existing earned income threshold for free school meal eligibility of £7,400 in the 2026/27 financial year.
The pupil premium eligibility criteria also includes children looked-after or previously looked-after by their local authority.
The department is reviewing how we allocate pupil premium funding in the longer term.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of children put on the child protection register for reasons including sexual abuse from (a) 2022-23 to (b) 2023-24 in England and Wales.
Answered by Janet Daby
Baroness Casey’s national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation recommended the department interrogate the child protection data to identify the causes of the decline in child sexual abuse and exploitation representation.
The government has committed to urgently reviewing the child protection data. We must better understand the decline in child sexual abuse and exploitation representation in the assessment data and the reasons for variation across local authorities.
By the end of 2025, we will publish analysis that aims to better understand what has happened regarding the decline in child protection data on child sexual abuse and exploitation.
This will include analysis of child abuse victims’ demographics, outcomes, trends and local area variation over time. We will also work with the Child Sexual Abuse Centre to understand the specific issues outlined in this recommendation and will publish any related research once concluded.
Child sexual abuse is an abhorrent crime that no child should ever have to face, and it is of paramount importance that we do more to protect vulnerable children from the horrors of this crime.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Curriculum and Assessment Review includes (a) media and (b) artificial intelligence literacy.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s terms of reference set out that it will seek to refresh the curriculum to ensure children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to thrive. This includes embedding digital skills in their learning.
In its interim report, the Review noted the importance of the curriculum keeping pace with the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills.
During its current phase of work, the Review is considering whether there is sufficient coverage of key knowledge and skills in this area to prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world.
The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.