Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of multi‑agency information‑sharing protocols between local authorities, schools and health bodies in the EHC needs assessment process.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice sets out the importance of information sharing across education, health and social care to support effective needs assessments and planning processes.
The department is determined to restore confidence in the system of support for children and young people with SEND and ensure they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education and beyond, as set out in the recently published SEND reform consultation document, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.
We are committed to co-designing the future needs assessment process with parents, local authorities and experts to make sure we get it right. We continue to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with their education, health and care plan processes. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the problems and put in place an effective recovery plan.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards are in place to ensure that nurseries undertake adequate pre-employment checks to prevent people with a history of abusive behaviour from working with children; and what steps her Department is taking to help ensure ongoing monitoring and safeguarding compliance once staff are in post.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Safer recruitment is a core part of safeguarding in early years settings. The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS) statutory framework requires providers to have clear and robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that only suitable people work with children.
Since September 2025, the safeguarding and welfare requirements in the EYFS have been strengthened to clarify expectations, formalise best practice and improve consistency across the sector, including clearer requirements on safer recruitment, references, safeguarding training, paediatric first aid and whistleblowing.
Providers must obtain references for all staff, students and volunteers before recruitment. The EYFS sets out expectations when obtaining references including not relying on applicants to obtain their reference, references to be provided by a senior person with appropriate authority relating to recent and relevant employment, and to ensure any concerns must be resolved before appointment.
All staff must be subject to appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Where checks are ongoing, individuals may only work under appropriate supervision and must never be left alone with children.
Safeguarding policies must set out safer recruitment procedures and be supported by effective induction, supervision, safeguarding training and whistleblowing arrangements to maintain a strong safeguarding culture.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support nurseries in recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of qualified staff; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the current availability of childcare staffing on the provision of early years education.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. That is why we are supporting the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment, alongside programmes to better utilise the skills of the existing workforce and make early years careers as accessible as possible.
We are attracting new people into the early years sector through initiatives like our national recruitment campaign and financial incentives programmes. We are also ensuring there is a career path for everyone who wants to become an early years teacher, through increasing places on our existing teacher training programmes and introducing a new early years teacher degree apprenticeship route.
The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. No local authority is reporting sufficiency issues.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of requiring nurseries to use monitoring or recording equipment, including cameras; and whether her Department has issued guidance to early years providers on the use of such technology to support safeguarding.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The ‘Early years foundation stage’ statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. Providers are required to have safeguarding policies addressing the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about using monitoring and recording equipment are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel has been appointed and is working at pace to inform guidance for the sector on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations. It will be published in summer 2026.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage businesses in Bristol North East to partner with education providers to deliver vocational training and Post-16 skills programmes to local young people.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government works with employer representative bodies (ERBs) and local partners to strengthen collaboration between businesses and education providers. Through ERB-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs), we encourage employers to help shape the local post-16 technical education offer, so training meets labour market needs. Statutory guidance for the development of these plans was published on 18 November.
Business West is leading the development of the local LSIP working with the West of England Combined Authority, local businesses and delivery partners. The plan will be published in Summer 2026. Businesses are supported to partner with colleges and training providers to deliver vocational programmes, apprenticeships, and national initiatives such as Skills Bootcamps and T Levels.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to address gaps in Post-16 education and skills training provision in Bristol North East.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy sets out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs; widens access to high-quality education and training; supports innovation, research, and development; and improves people’s lives.
The government has established Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.
Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are employer-led strategies designed to ensure post-16 technical education and vocational training align with local labour market needs. Business West is leading the development of the local LSIP working with the West of England Combined Authority, local businesses and delivery partners. The plan will be published in Summer 2026. Businesses are supported to partner with colleges and training providers to deliver vocational programmes, apprenticeships, and national initiatives such as Skills Bootcamps and T Levels.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure parents of children with SEND are informed of (a) their rights and (b) the protections available to them.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those without an education, health and care plan.
Every local authority must have a SEND information, advice and support service. These provide free and impartial advice to children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers.
The department works with national organisations such as Contact, IPSEA and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums. We also fund local parent carer forums across England who gather the views and experiences of local SEND families to help shape and inform policy and provision and offer a valuable peer support network for parents and carers navigating the SEND system.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing introducing compulsory first aid training for teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The provision of first aid training is a matter for early years, schools and colleges as employers who are best placed to make decisions about the training and development required to meet the needs of their staff and pupils.
The department publishes guidance to support settings to carry out their duties relating to first aid issues both on their premises and off-site.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the Holiday activities and food programme after 31 March 2026.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bristol North East to the answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 73205.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of taking (a) one and (b) two week holidays with family during school term time on the long-term educational performance of primary school children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Research by the Children’s Commissioner in 2023 found that any amount of term-time holiday is associated with lower GCSE results. This research is accessible here: https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2023/11/CC-REPORT-_-Attendance-and-Attainment-_-Oct-23.pdf.
Recent research conducted by the department in 2025 found that at both key stage 2 and key stage 4, attending an extra two weeks of school is associated with a 30% higher chance of achieving the expected outcome at key stage 2 and a 10% higher chance at key stage 4. This research is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c96d7dd0fba2f1334cf2ed/The_link_between_attendance_and_attainment_in_an_assessment_year_-_March_2025.pdf.
Absence does not just affect the child missing school, it also increases teacher workload. Research published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in 2019 shows that school absence disrupts learning for the whole class. The research is accessible here: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594391.pdf.