Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she plans to offer children who are eligible for free school meals with free bus travel.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Children aged 5 to 16 are eligible for free travel if they attend their nearest suitable school and cannot walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or route safety. Statutory walking distances are set at 2 miles for children under 8 and 3 miles for those aged 8 and over.
There are extended rights to free travel for children currently eligible for free school meals, to support low-income families to exercise school choice. More detail can be found in the statutory guidance: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a10649929bb11891b1cf096/Travel_to_school_for_children_of_compulsory_school_age.pdf.
For these pupils, 11 to 16 year-olds may receive free travel to one of their three nearest schools between 2 to 6 miles from home, or to a school 2 to 15 miles away chosen on grounds of religion or belief; and the statutory walking distance is set at 2 miles for those aged 8 and over but under 11.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, does the government plan to review the impact of the introduction of VAT on private school fees on (a) pupil numbers (b) public finances and (c) state school capacity.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
His Majesty’s Treasury published a tax information and impact note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether children adopted from care, or previously looked-after children, will lose any existing free school meal entitlement from September 2026.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 back in families’ pockets.
Transitional protections meant that any child who had once received FSM would continue to receive it, even if their family circumstances had changed. No child who is eligible for FSM will lose their lunch before the expansion takes effect.
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, all transitional protections will end and schools and local authorities will need to recheck FSM eligibility annually.
Local authorities play an important role in supporting these children’s educational outcomes and should continue work with schools to identify and verify eligibility for FSM where a parent or carer meets the relevant eligibility criteria.
Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/free-school-meals-guidance-for-local-authorities-local-authority-maintained-schools-academies-and-free-schools.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the end of free school meal transitional protections will affect any adopted children who currently receive free school meals.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 back in families’ pockets.
Transitional protections meant that any child who had once received FSM would continue to receive it, even if their family circumstances had changed. No child who is eligible for FSM will lose their lunch before the expansion takes effect.
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, all transitional protections will end and schools and local authorities will need to recheck FSM eligibility annually.
Local authorities play an important role in supporting these children’s educational outcomes and should continue work with schools to identify and verify eligibility for FSM where a parent or carer meets the relevant eligibility criteria.
Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/free-school-meals-guidance-for-local-authorities-local-authority-maintained-schools-academies-and-free-schools.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration she has given to awarding compensation to individuals impacted by forced adoptions.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 2 July, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister issued a formal apology on behalf of the state for historical forced adoption practices in England.
The government recognises that these practices caused deep and lasting harm to many mothers, adopted people and families. The apology acknowledged the role of the state and some public institutions in systems that failed to protect and support mothers, children and families, and recognised that women were denied genuine choice.
Alongside the apology, the government announced a £4 million support package, to be delivered over the next three years. Our focus is on delivering practical support that can make a meaningful difference to people’s lives today and that responds to what people have told us matters most. This includes improving access to adoption records, strengthening intermediary and reconnection services, and improving recognition and signposting within health services.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the findings of the National Literacy Trust’s report entitled Children and young people’s reading in 2026 relating to children’s reading enjoyment.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a wide range of benefits, from increased wellbeing, confidence and empathy to better vocabulary and aptitude for learning. That is why this government, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust (NLT), has declared 2026 the National Year of Reading (NYR), a UK-wide campaign to inspire a love of reading, combining a universal campaign with a targeted focus on priority groups who are least likely to read for pleasure. We are pleased to see that the NLT’s recent report shows children’s reading enjoyment increased in 2026 for the first time in five years.
Since the launch of NYR in January, the campaign has attracted significant attention and momentum, including 2.1 million children across the UK engaging in NYR events and activities, and over 6,000 schools and 11,000 teachers across the UK registering to get their schools involved in the NYR schools and settings offer, which includes exciting activities, resources, events and continuing professional development webinars.
This government has also committed £12.5 million to provide a library in every primary school in England by the end of this Parliament, alongside £5 million for secondary schools to purchase books and reading material to support reading for pleasure.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government has assessed the combined impact of reducing adoption support funding while also changing school meal eligibility.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides important therapeutic support for adopted and special guardianship order children. The changes made in 2025/26 financial year were to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF. The average cost per approved therapy in 2025/26 was below the maximum permissible Fair Access Limit amount, at £2,844.
Free school meals (FSM) are an income-based support offered for lower-income families. Speculative evidence (Adoption Barometer) suggests adopted children have historically been less likely to be FSM-eligible than the wider pupil population, reflecting that their needs are not solely income-related. From September 2026. FSM eligibility will be extended to all households receiving Universal Credit, significantly widening access and meaning more adopted children should benefit. Although more children under special guardianship arrangements would be eligible for FSM, they may face greater economic disadvantage and the department is exploring wider support, including trialling kinship allowances.
In 2026 27, the ASGSF budget has increased by 10% to £55 million, supporting access to provision at similar levels to previous years. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies may supplement this support where appropriate.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of faith-based oversubscription criteria in school admissions on (a) racial and (b) ethnic groups.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Faith schools are an important part of our diverse school system and parliament has legislated so that they can make certain choices about their admission arrangements. The Equality Act 2010 permits designated faith schools and academies to use faith-based admissions criteria to determine priority for places when the school is oversubscribed. Where schools receive fewer applications than there are places available, they must admit applicants regardless of faith.
All schools, including faith schools, must comply with the School Admissions Code and equalities legislation, and be aware of the general impact of their admissions policies. They must comply with the public sector equality duty and their duties to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to include key life skills such as cooking, fixing and mending, upcycling and budgeting into the national curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is taking forward changes to the national curriculum that will strengthen pupils’ understanding of key life skills, including financial education, food and nutrition, sustainability and wider skills that help prepare them for life and work. These reforms will ensure that relevant knowledge and practical understanding are embedded across the curriculum and are supported by wider activity to help children and young people develop the skills they need to thrive.
Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will strengthen financial education in mathematics and citizenship, including budgeting and understanding credit. We will revise design and technology to develop design capability and sustainability, while making food education a clearer and more specific strand to prepare pupils for life and future careers.
We have also introduced a new enrichment framework for school with five key strands including life and future skills.
Through relationships, sex and health education and our wider enrichment offer, pupils will also develop broader life skills, including self-care, first aid and practical experiences beyond the classroom.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the proposed updated School Food Standards improve the nutritional quality of meals provided to pupils in receipt of Free School Meals.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. The action we are taking to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils from the most disadvantaged households will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.
We are ensuring that the proposed updated School Food Standards fully support the provision of free school meals. The changes we propose to make are related to increasing fibre, reducing sugar and further restricting foods higher in fat, sugar and salt, in line with the latest nutritional advice set by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.
We are consulting on the proposed updates to the School Food Standards and the consultation will run until 12 June 2026. Details of the consultation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.