Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a Substitute Teachers Register to help ensure supply teachers are not underpaid or maltreated by their employer.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Sheffield Hallam to the answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 109848
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of student loan repayments on those with multiple plans and postgraduate loans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Unlike commercial loans, student loans carry significant protections for borrowers. Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold for undergraduate loans (borrowers with multiple undergraduate loans have their contributions apportioned to the relevant loans), and 6% above the earnings threshold for postgraduate loans.
Postgraduate loans are made concurrently with any outstanding undergraduate loan. If a borrower’s income drops below the repayment threshold, or they are not earning, their repayments will stop.
Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.
The government appreciates that making student loan repayments does have an impact on individuals. This is why there are unique protections for borrowers, and the finance system is heavily subsidised by taxpayers.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending a Northern Ireland style Substitute Teachers Register to England in respect to ensuring supply teachers are not underpaid or maltreated by their employer.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.
A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs the supply teacher.
Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the school teachers’ pay and conditions document.
If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.
Tackling unacceptable practices and excessive supplier margins within the teacher supply market is a core part of our ‘Maximising value for pupils’ programme. As part of this, we have introduced an expectation for schools to use the new iteration of the supply teachers and temporary staffing framework when sourcing agencies, which offers a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which must be transparent with schools about the rates they charge.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide support for young people with EHCPs who stay in academic education after the age of 18.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Our forthcoming special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms will improve both access to and the quality of the support provided to enable children and young people with SEND to achieve and thrive at all stages of statutory education. It is already the case that those young people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) who need more time to complete their learning can retain their EHCP and, where necessary, remain in statutory education until age 25. The EHCP will continue to be reviewed regularly and will set out the support and provision the young person needs to achieve and thrive.
Disabled learners who go on to study in higher education will receive individual reasonable adjustments made by their university or other higher education provider under the Equality Act 2010 and can access Disabled Students’ Allowance for more specialist support.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support young people with Education, Health and Care Plans who stay in education after the age of 18.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education, health and care (EHC) plans can remain in place after age 18. If a young person has an EHC plan, it does not have to end when they leave school. Their plan can continue up to the age of 25, if they still have special educational needs and remain in education or training.
EHC plans must have a formal annual review every 12 months conducted by the local authority to ensure that the support and arrangements are relevant and fit the individual’s circumstances. The local authority can cease the EHC plan if it is no longer necessary for special educational provision to be made for the young person.
An EHC plan helps a person aged 18 or over by securing legally‑backed, tailored support across education, health, and social care so they can achieve their learning goals and move more confidently toward independence and employment.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has any plans to increase the yearly income threshold for postgraduate student loans to above £21,000.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The postgraduate loans schemes were introduced to help remove the financial barrier faced by those wishing to step up to achieve a postgraduate level qualification. They are part of the long-term commitment to make the UK more globally competitive by increasing the number of those with high level skills and knowledge. As part of the department’s ongoing work, we always consider a range of factors which can affect repayment thresholds and recognise the importance of ensuring that the system remains fair for borrowers, as well as being financially sustainable.
The department will announce the postgraduate loan threshold applicable from 2026/2027 financial year in due course.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to extend the funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund beyond this spending period.
Answered by Janet Daby
All funding after March 2026 is subject to the next spending review. This is no different from other grants and contracts. However, we recognise and value the positive impact of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in supporting families and its importance to many. Therefore, we will be discussing further with key stakeholders the best approach to the management of funds in future years. We will announce next steps as soon as possible.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a plan to support disabled children through education and social care.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.
The Law Commission are currently undertaking a review of disabled children’s social care legislation. The Law Commission are expected to submit their final recommendations to the government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to reform the social care system for disabled children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.
The Law Commission are currently undertaking a review of disabled children’s social care legislation. The Law Commission are expected to submit their final recommendations to the government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan published in March 2023, what steps she is taking to ensure families have confidence in the mediation process set out in that plan.
Answered by David Johnston
The reforms set out in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision Improvement Plan are geared towards making families’ overall experience of the SEND system more positive through more collaborative, consistent and transparent decision-making, thereby increasing parental confidence and leading to a less adversarial system.
The department wants to rebalance the SEND system through earlier identification of need and through support provided, where possible, in mainstream settings. The department is currently testing a range of measures through the Change Programme. The department believes the Change Programme will make the biggest improvements to the quality of Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, and the experience of getting them. These measures include multi-agency panels to improve the quality of decision making and parental confidence in the EHC needs assessment process, a single national EHC plan template and guidance, advisory tailored lists and measures to resolve disagreements more quickly through the use of strengthened mediation procedures.
Strengthening mediation is key part of the departments proposals. This is because where effective mediation takes place, disputes can be resolved earlier, without the need to appeal to the Tribunal. The department is working closely with the Council for disabled children to develop bespoke mediation guidance for families so that they understand the process, their rights and the benefits of mediation.
Recognising the importance of families receiving high-quality mediation, the department is working with the Civil Mediation Council and the College of Mediators to review and build on their existing professional standards for SEND mediators, first published in 2018, which apply to their joint register of accredited mediators. The department has engaged parents/carers, children and young people in the drafting and testing of the guidance and standards.
The department are also developing and testing a good practice delivery model for SEND mediation to help improve the quality and consistency of mediation provision, as well as gathering more data on the impact and outcomes of mediation.
All of these things taken together should help improve family confidence in the overall SEND system, as well as in the mediation process.