Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support children who miss substantial periods of school due to cancer treatment.

We recognise how important it is that children undergoing cancer treatment get the right support. This includes having continued access to high-quality education during periods when they are unable to attend school.

Local authorities have a duty under section 19 of the Children's Act 1996 to provide suitable and (normally) full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education.

Where full-time education is not possible due to a child’s health needs, local authorities must arrange part-time education on whatever basis they consider to be in the child's best interests.

Full and part-time education should still aim to be equivalent to the education the child would receive in their mainstream school. Any part-time education should be reviewed regularly, with the aim of eventually increasing the number of hours up to full-time as soon as the child’s health allows.