Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will work with the ICO and CCS to review safeguarding risks posed by current ePEP platforms and consider mandatory independent cybersecurity audits and NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit compliance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads (VSHs) sets out what Personal Education Plans (PEPs) must cover and the outcomes they should support. The department does not mandate, endorse or have oversight of any specific electronic PEP (ePEP) platforms. Decisions about whether to use an ePEP system, and which system to procure, rest with individual local authorities.
Our ‘Data Protection in Schools’ guidance supports schools and local authorities to understand their legal responsibilities when using third-party software. As data controllers, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that any systems they use to record, store, or share information comply with data protection law and safeguarding standards, including where sensitive information about children in care is processed.
To reinforce this, we have engaged with the National Association of Virtual School Heads to reiterate the importance to their members of working closely with relevant teams across their local authority to ensure robust data security, assurance and compliance when procuring and operating systems that hold children’s data.
We are committed to publishing updated statutory guidance for VSHs prior to the introduction of new duties on VSHs in September 2027. As part of this work, we will restate the above requirements for local authority due diligence on data governance, security and safeguarding when using third party software to support the role of the VSH.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of potential harm to looked-after children if weaknesses in ePEP systems lead to data breaches or inadequate safeguarding of their personal information.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads (VSHs) sets out what Personal Education Plans (PEPs) must cover and the outcomes they should support. The department does not mandate, endorse or have oversight of any specific electronic PEP (ePEP) platforms. Decisions about whether to use an ePEP system, and which system to procure, rest with individual local authorities.
Our ‘Data Protection in Schools’ guidance supports schools and local authorities to understand their legal responsibilities when using third-party software. As data controllers, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that any systems they use to record, store, or share information comply with data protection law and safeguarding standards, including where sensitive information about children in care is processed.
To reinforce this, we have engaged with the National Association of Virtual School Heads to reiterate the importance to their members of working closely with relevant teams across their local authority to ensure robust data security, assurance and compliance when procuring and operating systems that hold children’s data.
We are committed to publishing updated statutory guidance for VSHs prior to the introduction of new duties on VSHs in September 2027. As part of this work, we will restate the above requirements for local authority due diligence on data governance, security and safeguarding when using third party software to support the role of the VSH.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all electronic Personal Education Plan systems used by local authority Virtual Schools meet robust national minimum security and data protection standards, particularly for special category data relating to trauma, health and emotional wellbeing of looked-after children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads (VSHs) sets out what Personal Education Plans (PEPs) must cover and the outcomes they should support. The department does not mandate, endorse or have oversight of any specific electronic PEP (ePEP) platforms. Decisions about whether to use an ePEP system, and which system to procure, rest with individual local authorities.
Our ‘Data Protection in Schools’ guidance supports schools and local authorities to understand their legal responsibilities when using third-party software. As data controllers, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that any systems they use to record, store, or share information comply with data protection law and safeguarding standards, including where sensitive information about children in care is processed.
To reinforce this, we have engaged with the National Association of Virtual School Heads to reiterate the importance to their members of working closely with relevant teams across their local authority to ensure robust data security, assurance and compliance when procuring and operating systems that hold children’s data.
We are committed to publishing updated statutory guidance for VSHs prior to the introduction of new duties on VSHs in September 2027. As part of this work, we will restate the above requirements for local authority due diligence on data governance, security and safeguarding when using third party software to support the role of the VSH.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department plans to issue requiring Virtual School Heads to conduct appropriate due diligence and Data Protection Impact Assessments on third-party ePEP providers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads (VSHs) sets out what Personal Education Plans (PEPs) must cover and the outcomes they should support. The department does not mandate, endorse or have oversight of any specific electronic PEP (ePEP) platforms. Decisions about whether to use an ePEP system, and which system to procure, rest with individual local authorities.
Our ‘Data Protection in Schools’ guidance supports schools and local authorities to understand their legal responsibilities when using third-party software. As data controllers, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that any systems they use to record, store, or share information comply with data protection law and safeguarding standards, including where sensitive information about children in care is processed.
To reinforce this, we have engaged with the National Association of Virtual School Heads to reiterate the importance to their members of working closely with relevant teams across their local authority to ensure robust data security, assurance and compliance when procuring and operating systems that hold children’s data.
We are committed to publishing updated statutory guidance for VSHs prior to the introduction of new duties on VSHs in September 2027. As part of this work, we will restate the above requirements for local authority due diligence on data governance, security and safeguarding when using third party software to support the role of the VSH.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to (a) her confirmation of 24 March 2026 that her Department accepts Surrey County Council’s decision to continue with FS0756 Betchwood Vale Academy, (b) the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 27008 on Free Schools, Dorking, and (c) the Minister for Early Education’s letter (ref. 20245-0039819) of 24 December 2024, what the status is of each of the reports and surveys completed in support of the initial planning application submitted by the Department which in February 2025 were in the process of being reviewed and refreshed by the Department’s appointed construction contractor; and what plans and timetable the Department has to engage with Mole Valley District Council planning officers to progress a new or revised planning application.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department confirmed Surrey County Council’s decision to continue with Betchwood Vale Academy on 24 March. Officials are working on a new delivery programme and will be in contact with Surrey County Council and the Trust to discuss next steps. A review of all planning documentation will be required before a new or revised planning application can be submitted.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Measure What Matters' report entitled National Testimony Collection, published on 16 October 2025, what steps her Department is taking to address failures by local authorities to comply with guidance on the provision of SEND support to children, including those with an education, health and care plan.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Schools White Paper sets out unequivocal expectations for every local authority on the quality and timeliness of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, including planning school places effectively and providing the expert support that schools and families need, with significant investment in local authorities to transform SEND support.
In March 2026 we commissioned local authorities, together with their integrated care boards, to develop SEND reform plans by June 2026.
The department will use these plans to hold them accountable to deliver strong outcomes for children and young people with SEND and will act decisively where progress does not materialise. Where failure is persistent, we will not hesitate to use the full range of intervention powers including removing the licence to deliver SEND services.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review section 1.37 of the School Admissions Code 2021 to assess the potential benefits of requiring all schools designated with a religious character to prioritise all looked-after and previously looked-after children in their admissions arrangements, regardless of faith.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department values the contribution schools with a religious character make to a diverse school system, and it is important faith schools can set admissions criteria that work for their local circumstances.
As a minimum, faith schools must give priority to looked after children and previously looked after children of the faith before giving priority to other children of faith. Faith schools may also choose but are not required to give top priority to looked-after and previously looked after children regardless of faith.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the email of 18 December 2025 from the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley on Surrey County Council's management of their statutory SEND responsibilities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department attaches great importance to the handling of correspondence from parliamentarians and is working to provide a response to the email from the hon. Member for Dorking and Horley.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her response is to the open letter from parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Surrey, delivered to her Department (a) physically on 16 July 2025 and (b) electronically on 17 July 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department attaches great importance to the handling of correspondence from parliamentarians and fellow citizens. Correspondence often raises complex and serious concerns, as it has in this instance, and as a department we aim to provide high quality, tailored responses to the points raised.
I can confirm that a response to the open letter from parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Surrey, dated 17 July 2025, was sent on 18 November 2025.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to ensure the delivery of Betchwood Vale Academy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is engaging with local authorities and trusts to advance the development of special and alternative provision free schools, aligned with our vision for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.
We are working through these decisions to provide all local authorities with timely updates as quickly as possible.
We continue to be committed to ensuring that all children with SEND receive the support they need to achieve and thrive.