Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with teachers' unions on strike action during the GCSE exam period.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
There is currently no national industrial action taking place in schools. There is no requirement for schools to report instances of local industrial action in schools and the department does not collect data on local strike action.
The department’s guidance ‘Handling strike action in schools’ makes clear that headteachers should take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible and minimise disruption to their education. In the event of industrial action during public exams, it is recommended that schools should remain open for exams and exam candidates where possible, even if the school is closed or restricting attendance.
Headteachers remain accountable for the conduct of the exams and provision of facilities in their centre, and schools are encouraged to review contingency plans well in advance of each exam or assessment series. The full guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6523d331aea2d0000d2199bf/Handling_strike_action_in_schools.pdf.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support her Department is providing for dyslexic children in Nottinghamshire.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.
To improve early identification, we have commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs in mainstream schools.
Additionally, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme will research tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children. The research is expected to be completed by March 2026.
The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND. Nottinghamshire’s nearest English Hub is Flying High English Hub.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will lower the age for dyslexia assessments.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.
To improve early identification, we have commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs in mainstream schools.
Additionally, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme will research tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children. The research is expected to be completed by March 2026.
The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND. Nottinghamshire’s nearest English Hub is Flying High English Hub.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to defend the right to free speech on university campuses.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
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 on 15 January the government’s plans for the future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.
On 28 April, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force from 1 August 2025:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve levels of care for children in social care.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department announced the biggest overhaul to children’s social care in a generation to ensure opportunity for all children. This includes increased investment and landmark legislation through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Our policy statement ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’, published in November 2024, outlines our vision and core legislative proposals. We will shift the focus of the children's social care system to early support to keep families together.
Implementing the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will improve levels of care for children in social care, as it is a key step towards delivering the government’s Opportunity Mission. It will break the link between young people’s background and their future success, to shift the focus of the children's social care system to earlier support for children and families, and to tackle profiteering in the care market and put children needs first.
Our plans will ensure:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many warning letters Ofsted has sent to unregistered care settings for children in the last year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is illegal to manage an unregistered setting that should be registered with Ofsted. Unregistered settings pose a risk to children, given there is no assurance about safety.
Ofsted can pursue criminal prosecution, and between April 2023 and March 2024, opened over 1000 cases to investigate potential unregistered settings.
We are strengthening Ofsted’s powers, via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, so they can fine unregistered providers. There is no limit to the fine. Ofsted will take into account the provider's previous record, severity of the breach and impact on children. This will enable Ofsted to act at scale and pace to tackle persistent offenders. It will also act as a greater deterrent. This will mean that more children are placed into registered settings, where Ofsted, the local authority, and the public can be assured that the child is in a home that meets all the requirements set out in legislation.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle unregistered care settings for children.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is illegal to manage an unregistered setting that should be registered with Ofsted. Unregistered settings pose a risk to children, given there is no assurance about safety.
Ofsted can pursue criminal prosecution, and between April 2023 and March 2024, opened over 1000 cases to investigate potential unregistered settings.
We are strengthening Ofsted’s powers, via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, so they can fine unregistered providers. There is no limit to the fine. Ofsted will take into account the provider's previous record, severity of the breach and impact on children. This will enable Ofsted to act at scale and pace to tackle persistent offenders. It will also act as a greater deterrent. This will mean that more children are placed into registered settings, where Ofsted, the local authority, and the public can be assured that the child is in a home that meets all the requirements set out in legislation.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in National Insurance contributions on organisations that deliver services for SEND children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Most children with special educational needs and disabilities receive their education in mainstream schools. With the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions from April 2025, the department is providing additional funding of over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support mainstream schools and special schools.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in attainment levels between boys and girls in schools in Ashfield constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
All young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they are from. That is why, through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, this government will improve opportunities across the country for all children and young people.
As in previous years, the latest attainment data shows girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures. However, the gap has narrowed when comparing 2023/24 to 2018/19. The department publishes attainment data by sex on an annual basis in the autumn term, which can be broken down by specific local authorities, including Ashfield. The relevant data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0b85fb67-0628-414c-95b1-08dd85738b16.
High and rising standards across education are at the heart of this mission and are key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for all children and young people, regardless of their gender. As one of the department’s first steps for change, we are committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers. We have also introduced new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams and launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that is looking closely at the key challenges to attainment.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many SEN schools have informed her Department that they require additional funding in each of the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which is an increase of £10.8 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula.
Departmental officials regularly meet with representatives of special schools to discuss a wider variety of matters, including funding levels.