Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support SEND training for teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to providing training for teachers to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the new year, we will publish a white paper to build a system where every child receives the support needed to achieve and thrive.
The department has reviewed the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework. From September 2025 more content related to adaptive teaching and improving inclusivity for SEND pupils was added. The department also enhanced the requirement on providers to develop SEND training materials.
Beyond the first few years of teaching, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available to education professionals at all levels. In 2024 we began delivery of the mandatory NPQ for Special Educational Needs (SEN) Co-ordinators. Participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEN policy and the conditions for pupils with SEND to thrive.
The department has committed to a full review of both NPQs and Early Career Teacher training, which will include a focus on SEND.
The Universal Services programme helps the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more young men into education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department recognises that participation statistics indicate females generally have lower not in employment, education or training (NEET) rates than males in most years.
In the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, we set out a comprehensive NEET prevention package to reduce NEET numbers.
Local authorities are required to offer all young people aged 16–19 support to encourage, enable or assist them to effectively participate in education or training.
The government has introduced a new Youth Guarantee to ensure that every young person has a clear pathway into education, training, or work. We have allocated £45 million for Trailblazers in the 2025/26 financial year, with a further £45 million in 2026/27, to develop and test innovative ways to bring together local leadership and support.
The department will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background and personal characteristics.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure young people with special educational needs have transition support post-secondary school.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Being supported towards greater independence and employability can be life-transforming for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
All professionals working with them should share high aspirations and have a good understanding of what support is effective in enabling children and young people to achieve their ambitions.
As set out in the SEND Code of Practice, all SEND learners should be prepared for adulthood. This means being prepared in the following four areas:
The SEND Code of Practice is available in full at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Local authorities must plan early for transition, review and update education, health and care plans to reflect post-16 aspirations, consult with providers, secure named provision and ensure impartial advice and support to promote continued participation in education or training.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to uphold free speech in universities.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom in universities. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament plans for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 earlier this year. The new approach will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.
The following provisions came into force from 1 August 2025:
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage healthier eating in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are working with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with updated nutrition guidance.
The Relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that by the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet, the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and the risks associated with unhealthy eating and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health). The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve early intervention for SEN children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
We know that early identification of needs is crucial to children’s development, health and life chances. This ensures that the right support is put in place as early as possible to ensure children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can get the best start in life.
On 7 July, we published our commitment to Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life. We have pledged to invest close to £1.5 billion over the next three years to realise the Opportunity Mission and ensure every child has the best start in life. Through this investment, we will expand and strengthen family services, make early education and childcare more accessible and affordable, and improve the quality of early education and childcare.
The government has announced funding for Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to ensure that children and families who need support the most, especially those from low-income backgrounds or those with additional vulnerabilities, can access it. Hubs will be open to all families, but we expect them to be located mainly in disadvantaged communities where support is most needed.
To support settings to identify need early, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support working parents with childcare costs in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early education and childcare entitlements are a devolved matter.
Parents may be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare which are UK-wide offers. Tax-Free Childcare can help with an additional 20% contribution to their childcare costs outside the entitlements, which can be worth up to £2,000 per year for children aged 0 to 11 or up to £4,000 per year for disabled children until they are 17.
Universal Credit Childcare aims to support parents to become financially resilient by moving into work and progressing in work. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month regardless of the number of hours they work.
Support and guidance from pregnancy to early childhood is available here: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with her Northern Ireland counterpart on substitute teachers unable to get permanent jobs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and covering teacher absences.
Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of supply teachers, which includes deciding whether they contract supply teachers directly or use employment agencies.
Education is a devolved matter. The department is in contact with Northern Ireland counterparts at an official level to discuss and share valuable knowledge about supply teachers and the supply system in England and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase substitute funding for schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department does not specifically fund substitute provision. However, the overall core schools budget (CSB) is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. Each school has the autonomy to allocate its budget to best meet the needs of its pupils and ensure they have the best opportunities in life. This may involve decisions concerning the hiring of supply staff, since schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for staff recruitment.
The department is also committed to helping schools get better value for their money when hiring supply staff. We are working closely with the Crown Commercial Service on their agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge.
The department continues to conduct policy research into the supply market.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides for people in further education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department provides a range of financial support for students who need it to enable them to participate in post-16 education, including free meals, bursaries to help with the cost of education (such as travel, books, equipment, and trips), plus support for childcare and residential costs where required.
Within the Adult Skills Fund, Learner Support is available to colleges and training providers to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment and childcare. In addition, learning support meets the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010 for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.