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 provide the latest figures of the number of children in East Surrey who have a) a SEND requirement and b) an EHCP, broken down per borough including Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the number of pupils with special educational needs support and the number with education, health and care (EHC) plans is published in the statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2025-26.
Information on individual schools, including administrative district and ward is available in the supporting files.
Information on the number of EHC plans maintained by local authorities is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2026.
This publication covers all EHC plans for children and young people aged 0 to 25. It includes those in early years, further education, and who are educated other than in school. Information from this publication is not available for levels below local authority.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish inclusion base guidance for schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As a core component of our £3.7 billion high needs capital settlement, we will invest in a transformational expansion of inclusion bases. We are aware of many examples of inclusion bases in mainstream settings that offer high quality teaching, bespoke learning environments and flexible access to specialist education or health support, helping children achieve and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
We will shortly be publishing guidance to help schools and local authorities set up and deliver high-quality provision in inclusion bases. Alongside this, we continue to roll out peer networks of best practice which schools can access as part of the universal regional improvement for standards and excellence inclusive mainstream programme.
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 has issued to schools on criminals targeting schools and using AI tools to create child sexual abuse material of pupils.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
I refer the hon. Member for Eastleigh to the answer of 2 June 2026 to Question 3915.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to publish and respond to the School Teachers’ Review Body report.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We recognise the importance of timely information for schools and will respond as soon as possible.
Asked by: Chris Coghlan (Liberal Democrat - Dorking and Horley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to review place funding for special schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has published a schools white paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, alongside a consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform, called Putting Children and Young People First. We have also published a summary of what the SEND reforms mean for specialist provision including special schools, available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/699c0cdebfdab2546272c0cc/Information_Sheet_for_specialist_setting_staff.pdf.
Funding for specialist provision will be reformed to create a fair, transparent system that gives schools stable, predictable funding to deliver high-quality education and integrated support for children with the most complex needs. In taking forward those reforms, we will explore and consult on the development of a cost framework for different packages of specialist provision.
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.