Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Claire Hazelgrove

Monday 2nd March 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

As the hon. Lady knows, we intend to consult on getting the best outcomes for children through the use of the money we are targeting at disadvantage. Free school meals are a rather blunt way of doing that, and we are keen to explore ways of ensuring that all children from less well-off backgrounds, including pupil premium children, get the very best from their education. However, it is a consultation, and I would be more than willing to discuss it further with the hon. Lady.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

T6. I thank the Schools Minister for meeting my constituent Christine Lote to discuss her campaign to see the school admissions code broadened, following her own stage 4 cancer not being factored into her daughter’s primary school allocation, which has seen her placed further from home. Christine cannot walk her daughter to school any more, and her daughter cannot access the specialist bereavement support at the more local school. Will the Minister please confirm whether this change can be considered as part of the admissions code consultation, and whether information about this issue can be shared with other local authorities to inform their policies and help prevent this for other families?

Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Claire Hazelgrove

Monday 23rd February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

We have set out our intention to introduce inspections at trust level. Alongside that, we will renew trust standards to ensure that all trusts are doing the best for children in their care. I am sure that the Minister for School Standards would be happy to discuss further the issues that the hon. Lady raises.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

I declare an interest: I am a member of the APPG on SEND and have close family members with special educational needs. I welcome the focus on expanding and improving SEND support. Many of the themes in the proposals, from inclusion to tailored support, were raised by fellow residents of Filton and Bradley Stoke at my “Coffee with Claire” event, from which I shared feedback with Ministers—that is great to see. Will the Secretary of State set out how the views of carers and others have shaped and will continue to shape the proposals?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for ensuring that the views of parents and others in Filton and Bradley Stoke have been heard and are reflected in our proposals. This is only the start of the engagement and consultation. I encourage parents in her constituency and across the country to look at what we have set out, understand our ambition for children with SEND, and take part in the consultation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Claire Hazelgrove

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am not quite clear what the right hon. Gentleman is driving at with that question. What I have said in response to the very sharp decline in the birth rate is that as a Government we want to make sure that people are able to make choices that are right for them, including around family size. My concern is that too many young people, because of the inaccessibility of housing and the challenges they face in the jobs market, are making decisions they do not necessarily want to make. That is why the expansion of childcare, for example, is a critical part of how we are supporting families.

[Claire Hazelgrove (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Lab)]

Those working in our schools in South Gloucestershire do a brilliant job, but they receive the lowest funding per pupil in all of England via a funding formula inherited from the previous Government. Does the Minister have plans to review the formula as part of the impactful wider work to ensure that every child receives the education they need to thrive, no matter where they live?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Claire Hazelgrove

Monday 4th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

Our independent curriculum and assessment review was launched in July. It will support our ambition for high and rising standards for all, and for a broader curriculum with an excellent foundation in the core subjects. The review has launched its call for evidence, and there is still time to participate. The review will publish its interim report in early 2025, with final recommendations in autumn 2025.

[Claire Hazelgrove]

Research from the University of Cambridge shows that financial habits are often set by the age of seven, yet financial education for young people is still a postcode lottery. It is not part of the primary curriculum, and many teachers at secondary level, where it is part of the curriculum, lack resources and confidence in teaching it. Can the Secretary of State confirm whether such foundational life skills, which all young people need in order to thrive, will be considered at all key stages in the curriculum and assessment review?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for highlighting this important area, which has been raised by many Members in the past. I am sure the review will carefully consider what financial education young people need to meet that aim, and it will, of course, consider what support we need to provide to enable teachers to teach the reformed curriculum successfully.