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 the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the provision of agricultural education in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with Cabinet colleagues, including my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the actions she is taking to secure high quality education for all pupils, but has not met to discuss agricultural education as a discrete issue.
The national curriculum is a framework designed to give teachers the flexibility to cover particular topics in greater depth if they wish. For example, giving them the freedom to teach about agriculture within the geography and science curricula.
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Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for schools to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
All schools are encouraged to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education wrote to schools in 2025 highlighting the importance of commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. The annual marking of Holocaust Memorial Day is an important moment in the calendar where we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis and the millions more murdered under Nazi persecution.
The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.
The department actively supports schools to provide high quality teaching on the Holocaust through University College London Centre for Holocaust Education’s continuous professional development work, and through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz’s programme. In addition, the Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching programme will support schools in using recorded Holocaust survivor testimony in their teaching.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to ensure schools are up to date with fire safety guidance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Each school’s responsible body, usually an academy trust or local authority, are responsible for ensuring that their schools comply with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
This means they must have an up-to-date fire risk assessment, appropriate fire alarms and regular fire drills, to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.
The department supports schools by providing guidance on estates management and responsibility in the Good Estates Guide for Schools.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce an auto-enrolment system for all children eligible for free school meals.
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.
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals (FSM) so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for FSM from September 2026 will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.
We are also rolling out improvements to the Eligibility Checking System which will make it easier for local authorities, schools and parents to check if children are eligible for free meals.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England are fitted with evacuation chairs.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
Decisions on the provision and use of evacuation chairs should be made locally and on a case-by-case basis, based on the individual’s needs and preferences and their building’s evacuation plan requirements. The responsible body (the relevant local authority, academy trust or voluntary-aided body) is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all the occupants of their buildings.
Under fire safety legislation, those responsible for the building must ensure that everyone can leave safely in the event of a fire. Schools and colleges have a duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments for individuals with limited mobility. Anyone requiring assistance should therefore have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) in place.
The government’s guidance is clear that, where a PEEP of a student or member of staff requires an evacuation chair, it must be provided.
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 creative education in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and this response relates to state-funded schools in England only.
On 5 November, the government issued the response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out the changes that will be made to the national curriculum, as well as reforms to qualifications, school accountability and enrichment. The first teaching of a refreshed curriculum will be September 2028, and will include improvements in music, art and design, dance in PE, and drama in English.
We will also consult on an improved version of Progress 8 that balances a strong academic core with breadth.
Next year, the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will support excellent teacher training in the arts, boost partnerships between schools and cultural organisations and promote arts opportunities.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the current use of AI 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 recognises the transformative potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) use in schools when used safely and effectively. However, we also recognise that evidence is still emerging on GenAI use in schools.
That is why the department collects biennial evidence via the Technology in Schools survey, with our most recent report published on 27 November 2025 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-in-schools-survey-report-2024-to-2025.
We also collect more regular evidence via Omnibus Surveys and work closely with the sector and stakeholders to understand how we are pioneering safe and effective adoption of AI in schools. We have published guidance and toolkits for educators, launched the EdTech Evidence Board pilot to build confidence in education technology (EdTech) products, and developed product safety expectations with industry partners. We are also funding innovation through initiatives such as Oak National Academy’s AI lesson planning assistant.
Our approach balances opportunity with risk, prioritising child-centred design, safeguarding, data protection and evidence-based pedagogy.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing a milk strategy for 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
Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development. As part of the School Food Standards, lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available to children who want it for drinking at least once a day during school hours. It is a legislative requirement that milk is provided free of charge to pupils who meet the free school milk criteria, and schools may charge all other pupils.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads the School Milk Scheme Strategy, which supports the provision of milk in schools. The strategy aims to support the consumption of dairy products by children from an early age to promote healthy eating habits and good nutritional health, and support efforts to tackle child obesity by part subsidising, or reimburse in full where relevant, the cost of a daily portion of dairy in line with national guidance. The Strategy also sets out who the support is targeted at and the eligible products that can be supported.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the price of school uniforms.
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 cost of school uniform, particularly of branded items, remains a key concern for parents. Parentkind recently found that more than a quarter of parents will go without heating or eating to be able to afford school uniform. Whilst uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, too many schools still require high numbers of branded uniform items despite statutory guidance stating branded items should be kept to a minimum.
This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require, to bring down costs and remove barriers to accessing sport and other school activities. This will allow parents greater flexibility to make spending decisions that suit them. The department intends to introduce this limit from September 2026.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to raise awareness in schools of the potential impact of vapes on health.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The department has included a specific reference to the dangers of vaping in the amended relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, which was published in July. This includes the facts about legal and illegal harmful substances and associated risks of vaping, the risks of illicit vapes containing drugs, and the facts about vaping, including the harms posed to young people.
To support schools to deliver this content effectively, the department’s existing suite of teacher training modules includes one on drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which makes specific reference to e-cigarettes. In addition, Oak National Academy has developed materials across the updated curriculum.