Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its proposed Management Information System procurement framework on (a) competition and choice in the schools information management market, (b) prices paid by schools, (c) product quality and (d) innovation in education technology.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In November 2025, the department completed a market assessment to inform the options available to support the sector when procuring managing information systems. In December 2025, approval was given for work to proceed to establish a department-owned framework for Management Information Systems for all schools to access. This framework is being setup through an open competition in line with Procurement Act 2023. There is no cap on the number of suppliers who can be appointed to the framework, but all suppliers will be required to demonstrate they meet the procurement criteria. This framework will refresh annually, providing new market entrants and any unsuccessful suppliers the opportunity to bid and be appointed to the framework. It is intended that this will allow for strong, competitive tension to enable schools to receive good-quality products and a price that truly represents value for money.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of its proposed Management Information System procurement framework on the procurement freedoms conferred on schools and academy trusts by legislation.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has a legitimate interest in pursuing the maximisation of economy and efficiency in relation to services provided within the public education system and has sufficient general powers to pursue a central purchasing body procurement such as our Management Information System Framework and to request trusts use that service through the Academy Trust Handbook. Alongside services and frameworks, we are also supporting schools to take evidence-based approaches to help them plan and deploy their resources most effectively. Every pound saved on avoidable costs is a pound back in the classroom.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document to require schools to provide part-time teachers with confirmed work schedules before contractual resignation deadlines.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
For most teachers, resignation arrangements, including dates, are set out in the Burgundy Book. This is a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ unions. The department has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book. Resignation details are therefore currently the responsibility of employers, which, in a school setting, is normally the local authority or Academy Trust.
We are encouraging schools and multi-academy trusts to adopt a strategic approach to flexible working, including having open conversations with staff, designing clear processes for managing requests that reflect the needs of staff, leaders and pupils, and ensuring these processes are aligned with workforce planning and timetabling to support clarity around working arrangements.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of schools issuing timetables and working patterns after teacher resignation deadlines on part time teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
For most teachers, resignation arrangements, including dates, are set out in the Burgundy Book. This is a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ unions. The department has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book. Resignation details are therefore currently the responsibility of employers, which, in a school setting, is normally the local authority or Academy Trust.
We are encouraging schools and multi-academy trusts to adopt a strategic approach to flexible working, including having open conversations with staff, designing clear processes for managing requests that reflect the needs of staff, leaders and pupils, and ensuring these processes are aligned with workforce planning and timetabling to support clarity around working arrangements.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve subject-specific training in religious education for primary teachers, in the context of evidence from the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education that more than 56% receive 0 to 3 hours of training during initial teacher training, including 18% who receive none.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
To gain qualified teacher status (QTS), trainees must demonstrate that they meet all the Teacher’s Standards, including Standard 3: Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge. While the department does not prescribe the curriculum of initial teacher training (ITT) courses, ITT providers must ensure their courses are designed to incorporate the minimum entitlement set out in the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
This sets out the core content that defines great teaching during ITT and the two-year induction for early career teachers (ECTs). Ofsted inspect all providers, and considers the extent to which the curriculum is expertly designed to prepare trainees to teach their subject(s) and phase. We have committed to a full review of the ITTECF in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for trainee teachers and ECTs.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what percentage of teaching hours delivered by teachers with no relevant post-A Level qualification is in (a) Physics (b) Religious Education and (c) History, broken down by (i) multi-academy trust and (ii) local authority.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the school workforce, including subjects taught in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the School workforce in England statistical publication. The publication is available to view at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that adopted children receive appropriate pastoral support in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) access to, and (b) outcomes in, higher education for adopted children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 106805, what steps her department is taking to ensure that all local authorities give serious consideration to implementing auto-enrolment for free school meals.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We want to make sure that every family that needs support can access it.
Local authorities are responsible for managing their own processes for identifying children eligible for free school meals. We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage eligible families to register.
By introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for free school meals from the start of the 2026/27 academic year, this will make it much easier for local authorities, schools and parents to know which children are entitled to receive free meals. Our improvements to the digital system used to review eligibility will also make it easier for parents to understand their entitlement.
As with all government policies, we continue to keep free school meals under review.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made of the effectiveness of the Independent Fostering Agencies at improving the retention of experienced foster carers; and what steps she is taking to ensure that Regional Care Cooperatives and Local Authorities prioritise (a) adequate and transparent financial support (b) high‑quality training and (c) responsive post‑approval support.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department’s fostering plan, published on 4 February, focuses predominantly on strengthening local authority fostering provision, which has seen the biggest decrease in foster carers in recent years. At the same time, we want to see an expansion of third sector provision, as well as learning from private providers who achieve good outcomes for children and how their best practice can be spread across the system. Our call for evidence explores options to improve financial transparency across local authorities and independent fostering agencies (IFAs).
Wider reforms will also mean that local authorities, working together as regional care co-operatives, can co-ordinate their approach to private provision more effectively. This will mean they can plan and purchase support from IFAs, using collective negotiation to improve value for local government, and ensure that care meets the needs of children.