Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her department is taking to support the recruitment of more Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists, pursuant to her reforms in SEND provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is investing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer. The funding will support local areas to recruit more educational psychologists, speech and language therapists (SaLTs), occupational therapists and specialist teachers, so they can bring this vital support directly into mainstream settings and improve access to early intervention.
To support delivery of Experts at Hand, we are investing over £40 million in the specialist workforce. This includes £26 million to train at least 200 educational psychologists per year from 2026 and 2027, followed by further investment to train more from 2028, subject to future spending reviews. Upon graduating, trainees will be required remain in local authority employment for a minimum of three years.
The remaining £15 million will be invested to establish new speech and language therapist advanced practitioners in every Integrated Care Board geographical area, to get more SaLTs working in educational settings.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the present period of extreme heat on the capacity of schools to remain safe and operational.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department recognises that heatwaves can disrupt pupils’ learning, attendance and wellbeing. We are committed to supporting schools and responsible bodies to maintain a safe learning environment during periods of extreme heat. While high temperatures can cause discomfort, reduced concentration and, in some cases, lower attendance, these impacts can usually be managed through practical and proportionate steps.
Schools are encouraged to adapt their arrangements in hot weather, for example by adjusting timetables, limiting strenuous activities, and ensuring classrooms are well ventilated and kept as cool as possible. Where attendance in person is not safe or reasonable, schools can provide high-quality remote education to maintain continuity of learning
The department has published the guidance ‘Hot weather and heatwaves: guidance for schools and other education settings’, which is based on UK Health Security Agency advice to support education settings. In most cases, schools remain the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can monitor pupils, encourage hydration and take steps to keep them comfortable. Evidence also shows many homes are prone to overheating, affecting around 1.6 million children.
Maintaining attendance where possible therefore supports both educational outcomes and pupil wellbeing during heatwaves, and the vast majority of education settings remained open across the country, including in hotter areas.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools remain safe and operational during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment. We continue to support responsible bodies and schools to provide education in a safe environment.
To support them, the department has published guidance to support education settings during hot weather, available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/. This advice draws on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency. In most cases, schools are the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can actively monitor pupils, ensure regular hydration, and make adjustments to keep them cool. Children may also not be any cooler at home than in school. Recent analysis by the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing shows that 1.6 million children are currently living in overheated homes.
The department is also improving infrastructure through the Education Estates Strategy, including a £710 million renewal and retrofit programme to 2029/30. We are also investing almost £3 billion annually by 2034/25 in capital maintenance and almost £20 billion thought the School Rebuilding Programme to rebuild over 750 schools with buildings that are future proofed against the risks of climate change.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the development of an Age Appropriate Design code for Artificial Intelligence applications.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department is clear that, while we recognise the transformative impact that artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can have on education, they can only be effective when implemented and used safely.
Departmental officials are engaged with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the development of the EdTech and AI codes, including scope and interaction with other initiatives, such as proposals for a safety certification scheme for EdTech and AI.
The department continuously monitors the emerging implications of AI on education, including its use by pupils and teachers.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken with the Information Commissioner’s Office to develop an Age Appropriate Design Code for EdTech.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department is clear that, while we recognise the transformative impact that artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can have on education, they can only be effective when implemented and used safely.
Departmental officials are engaged with the Information Commissioner’s Office regarding the development of the EdTech and AI codes, including scope and interaction with other initiatives, such as proposals for a safety certification scheme for EdTech and AI.
The department continuously monitors the emerging implications of AI on education, including its use by pupils and teachers.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the Partnerships for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools (PINS) programme and Experts at Hand programme relate to one another.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Experts at Hand is receiving significant investment of £1.8 billion over the next three years, to improve earlier support for children and young people. As local areas develop their Expert at Hand offers, they are encouraged to learn from what works and emerging learning from programmes such as Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools and the Early Language Support for Every Child programme. These initiatives demonstrate the benefits of embedding health and specialist professionals within mainstream settings, enabling them to work directly with teachers, children and young people in their everyday environments.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether in areas with middle schools, a pupil transitioning to Middle school or from Middle school will count as a change in phase of education for the purposes of the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Under the proposed reforms, children with education, health and care (EHC) plans will move from the existing system to the new system of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support at the natural end of phase points in mainstream schools. If a parent feels that their children’s needs have changed and would be better met through the provision set out in a Specialist Provision Package, they can request an early assessment at any point ahead of the end of phase transition.
After a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables, the department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation and continuing to engage widely on our proposals and we will set out further detail, including on the issues the right hon. Member for East Hampshire raises, in our response to the consultation and thereafter.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there are changes of (a) circumstances and (b) residency other than moving to (i) secondary school and (ii) college which could trigger change of educational phase provisions in EHCP reforms.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Under the proposed reforms, children with education, health and care (EHC) plans will move from the existing system to the new system of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support at the natural end of phase points in mainstream schools. If a parent feels that their children’s needs have changed and would be better met through the provision set out in a Specialist Provision Package, they can request an early assessment at any point ahead of the end of phase transition.
After a 12-week consultation period including over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables, the department’s consultation ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. We are carefully reviewing and taking into account all responses submitted to the consultation and continuing to engage widely on our proposals and we will set out further detail, including on the issues the right hon. Member for East Hampshire raises, in our response to the consultation and thereafter.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c) further education colleges are participating in the next EdTech and AI pilot scheme announced in January 2026.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department did not implement a nine-month EdTech Impact Testbed pilot in 2025. This is now a four-year national EdTech Testbed Programme which will start testing in schools next academic year.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the evidence of improved outcomes for pupils who took part in the nine-month EdTech Impact Testbed pilot in 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department did not implement a nine-month EdTech Impact Testbed pilot in 2025. This is now a four-year national EdTech Testbed Programme which will start testing in schools next academic year.