Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108602 on School Milk, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools and Local Authorities are aware of the expectation that they make reasonable adjustments for children who do not drink dairy milk.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day. They allow schools the freedom to provide plant-based drinks as needed, including plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium, and combination and flavoured variations of these drinks.
Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.
We are currently consulting on revised statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’. The consultation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposal-on-support-for-pupils-with-medical-conditions-at-school’. This seeks views on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties, including improvements to allergy safety and broader medical condition management. Our aim is to ensure that every child can access education safely and confidently, regardless of their health needs or allergy.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the environmental and health impacts of their School Food guidance in the context of the 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission; and how she plans to respond to the Commission’s Planetary Health Diet recommendations.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating.
We are continuing our work to revise the School Food Standards and are engaging experts across the sector, including academics and nutrition professionals. We are also taking account of the emerging themes from recent research and papers as we progress the review.
We are also working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to support on the outcomes of their government Food Strategy. Additionally, schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to send information to home educating parents on the registration measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Following the Bill’s attainment of Royal Assent, the department intends to make regulations and publish statutory guidance outlining how local authorities must publicise the registers and the duties of parents in relation to the registers.
We will consult on the guidance ahead of implementation, so home educating parents can share their views on how they would like to receive information on the registration measures.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of extending the Childcare Grant to postgraduate students.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.
Students studying on postgraduate courses can apply for loans towards their course fees and living costs up to £12,858 in 2025/26 for new students undertaking postgraduate master’s degree courses and up to £30,301 in 2025/26 for new students undertaking postgraduate doctoral degree courses.
Postgraduate students are eligible for a different package of support to undergraduate students to help with course fees and living costs, including childcare. These students are therefore not eligible to receive the childcare grant.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the eligibility for the Childcare Grant to include PhD students in receipt of stipends.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. These support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.
However, a student would not be eligible for a doctoral loan if they are in receipt of stipends.
Postgraduate students are eligible for a different package of support to undergraduate students to help with course fees and living costs, including childcare. These students are therefore not eligible to receive the childcare grant.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Curriculum and assessment review will include measures to support play-based learning for primary school aged children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review will be informed by evidence, data and input from experts, stakeholders and the public, including over 7,000 responses to the call for evidence, and a range of research and polling.
The Review’s interim report demonstrates a continued support for a high quality, knowledge-rich curriculum that drives excellence in education across a broad range of subjects and pathways.
The Review set out that it would consider whether there is sufficient coverage of knowledge and skills that are essential to prepare children and young people for future life and to thrive in a fast-changing world.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review is independent and ongoing. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.
The government is working with education experts, teachers, and parents to ensure the very best for children.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral answer of 29 April 2024 by the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing to Question 902545, Official Report, columns 32-33, if she will publish an update on the Youth Endowment Fund's schools-based work to reduce children's involvement in crime following the Minister's meeting with the Director of that Fund on 30 April 2024.
Answered by David Johnston
Engagement in education provides an important opportunity to identify and support children and young people at risk of serious violence. Through the department’s Support, Attend, Fulfil, Exceed (SAFE) Taskforce and Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforce (APST) programmes, the department is investing over £50 million to fund specialist support in mainstream schools and alternative provisions in the areas where serious violence is most prevalent.
The SAFE taskforce programmes are underpinned by evidence-based approaches to tackling serious violence, including utilising the Youth Endowment Fund’s (YEF) Toolkit for how to put these approaches into action. The department continues to work closely with YEF as they build up their evidence base for 'what works' in preventing serious violence, and as they fund the evaluations of the department's taskforce programmes. Updates to the YEF’s school-based work can be found on their website.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase access to free period products within schools.
Answered by David Johnston
No-one should be held back from accessing education due to their period, which is why the department has launched the period products scheme to provide girls and women with period products when they need them in their place of study. Since its launch in January 2020, 99% of secondary schools and 94% of 16-19 organisations have placed an order using the scheme. The department is also encouraging more primary schools to order products, with 75% having placed orders so far.
The period product scheme is available to all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England and has been extended to July 2024. To make sure organisations have access to a wide range of period products in the most cost-effective and efficient way, the department has a contract with Personnel Hygiene Services Limited. This allows organisations to order period products and have them delivered when they need them.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential effects on health of increasing the School Food Standards minimum requirement of one portion of vegetables or salad per day; and whether she has plans to review the School Food Standards.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Obesity is a complex problem caused by many factors. The Department of Health and Social Care launched ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity and takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including the ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030.
The Department for Education (the Department) wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished and encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation, and guidance. The Standards for school food are set out in The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. They are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to ensure that pupils get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.
The Department has committed to support schools to improve their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the Department’s buying standards, which include advice about sustainable sourcing. The Department also recognises the importance of plant based foods from a health and environmental point of view. The School Food Standards already allow schools the freedom to provide plant based meals as needed.
The School Food Standards ensure the right foods are available for pupils every day. Schools are required to provide one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment. One or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, have not met on this matter.
The Department believes that the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food, that builds healthy eating habits for life. The Department is keeping the standards under review.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she made of the potential impact of the School Food Standards on (a) children’s health and childhood obesity and (b) the Government’s net zero carbon strategy.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Obesity is a complex problem caused by many factors. The Department of Health and Social Care launched ‘Tackling obesity: empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’ in July 2020. The strategy demonstrates an overarching campaign to reduce obesity and takes forward actions from previous chapters of the childhood obesity plan, including the ambition to halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030.
The Department for Education (the Department) wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished and encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation, and guidance. The Standards for school food are set out in The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. They are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to ensure that pupils get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day.
The Department has committed to support schools to improve their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the Department’s buying standards, which include advice about sustainable sourcing. The Department also recognises the importance of plant based foods from a health and environmental point of view. The School Food Standards already allow schools the freedom to provide plant based meals as needed.
The School Food Standards ensure the right foods are available for pupils every day. Schools are required to provide one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment. One or more portions of fruit must be provided every day and at least three different fruits and three different vegetables each week. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, have not met on this matter.
The Department believes that the current standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure that pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food, that builds healthy eating habits for life. The Department is keeping the standards under review.