Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Department has conducted or plans to conduct an equality impact assessment to examine the impact of universal school meal programmes on pupils with religious dietary requirements.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the school food standards to ensure that children are served healthy, nutritious meals at school. The standards do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs.
Head teachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies. We expect schools to act reasonably, providing choices that take account of cultural, religious and special dietary needs, and to work with parents in making appropriate arrangements.
The department aims to revise the school food standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support the work to create the healthiest generation of children in history. As part of this work, the department will complete a full equalities impact assessment, including the consideration of pupils with religious beliefs.
Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of new fee paying and charity run religious schools on community cohesion and social mixing among young people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Faith schools have played a longstanding role in, and remain an important element of, our education system. However, we are not expecting an increase in the number of new faith schools. In the current context of falling rolls, we expect there to be less demand for new school places and fewer new schools overall.
Departmental guidance on establishing new state funded schools sets out expectations on considering the impact of new schools on community cohesion. Where proposals for new independent schools are submitted, approvals are needed from the department and Ofsted
All schools have a vital role in promoting cohesion and are required to actively promote fundamental British values, which include mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, essential for building a strong, cohesive society.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87663, what first degree subjects have the lowest share of learners entering priority occupations; and what steps he is taking to improve alignment in those areas.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The proportion of first degree (level 6) higher education learners entering priority occupations by subject is published in the Accompanying tables for the Assessment of priority skills to 2030. This table is copied below.
Subject | Share of employed learners entering priority occupations (%) |
Nursing and midwifery | 97 |
Medicine and dentistry | 96 |
Medical sciences | 81 |
Architecture, building and planning | 79 |
Pharmacology, toxicology and pharmacy | 78 |
Allied health | 73 |
Computing | 70 |
Engineering | 68 |
Economics | 65 |
Physics and astronomy | 60 |
Mathematical sciences | 57 |
Chemistry | 56 |
Business and management | 53 |
Health and social care | 51 |
Languages and area studies | 49 |
Biosciences | 48 |
Geography, earth and environmental studies | 48 |
Politics | 48 |
Law | 47 |
Media, journalism and communications | 46 |
General, applied and forensic sciences | 44 |
Materials and technology | 44 |
History and archaeology | 44 |
Combined and general studies | 43 |
Psychology | 42 |
Philosophy and religious studies | 42 |
English studies | 39 |
Creative arts and design | 35 |
Sociology, social policy and anthropology | 33 |
Agriculture, food and related studies | 32 |
Performing arts | 31 |
Sport and exercise sciences | 25 |
Education and teaching | 10 |
Veterinary sciences | 8 |
The DfE and Skills England are working closely together to publish labour market information and support informed student choice, helping provision respond to economic demand and maintaining the breadth of provision needed for a strong and flexible workforce. Many jobs outside the priority occupations are highly productive and needed for the wider economy.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the absolute numbers of specialist teachers in academies and maintained schools for each subject for each year from Key Stages 1 to 4 inclusive.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Data on the number of specialist teachers in state-funded secondary mainstream schools is published in the School workforce in England statistical publication. Figures for each subject for each year can be found below. This data has been available since 5 June 2025.
Information on subjects taught is not collected from primary schools.
Headcount of qualified specialist teachers holding a qualification in a related subject by subjects taught and Key Stage, in England for 2024/25:
Subject taught | Key Stage 3 | Key Stage 4 |
All subjects | 156,459 | 166,445 |
All Design and Technology | 8,632 | 6,422 |
All EBacc Subjects | 109,096 | 111,201 |
All Modern Foreign Languages | 9,349 | 9,351 |
All Sciences | 32,134 | 31,908 |
Art & Design | 8,913 | 7,062 |
Biology | 1,270 | 3,878 |
Business Studies | 539 | 4,029 |
Chemistry | 1,007 | 2,982 |
Combined Arts / Humanities / Social Studies | 54 | 28 |
Computer Science | 3,676 | 3,588 |
Design and Technology - Combined | 6,867 | 3,192 |
Design and Technology - Electronics/Systems and Control | 95 | 94 |
Design and Technology - Food Technology | 1,217 | 1,711 |
Design and Technology - Graphics | 250 | 425 |
Design and Technology - Other | 358 | 517 |
Design and Technology - Resistant Materials | 362 | 482 |
Design and Technology - Textiles | 416 | 653 |
Drama | 4,621 | 3,750 |
Engineering | 162 | 885 |
English | 26,792 | 26,624 |
French | 6,669 | 5,281 |
General/Combined Science | 27,488 | 24,455 |
Geography | 9,804 | 9,351 |
German | 1,593 | 1,410 |
History | 12,281 | 11,268 |
ICT | 1,768 | 1,269 |
Mathematics | 23,492 | 23,941 |
Media Studies | 121 | 729 |
Music | 4,962 | 4,173 |
Other Humanities | 249 | 249 |
Other Modern Foreign Language | 778 | 330 |
Other Social Studies | 249 | 1,536 |
Other science | 271 | 672 |
PE/Sports | 18,005 | 17,879 |
Physics | 745 | 2,060 |
Religious Education | 5,729 | 5,417 |
Spanish | 3,782 | 3,427 |
Source: School Workforce Census November 2024.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK aid channelled through international partners for education in Pakistan is not used to fund the teaching of intolerant or discriminatory content.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Our education programmes in Pakistan focus on marginalised communities and set ambitious targets for reaching girls and religious minorities, including through: improvements in teaching quality, inclusion, and system reform, which contribute to curriculum development that is aligned with international best practice. All programmes are subject to due diligence and safeguarding and materials are reviewed for equity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and religion before being shared with government counterparts.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether UK aid supporting education in Pakistan ensures that the content delivered meets UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, and equality, including towards minorities, and women and girls.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Our education programmes in Pakistan focus on marginalised communities and set ambitious targets for reaching girls and religious minorities, including through: improvements in teaching quality, inclusion, and system reform, which contribute to curriculum development that is aligned with international best practice. All programmes are subject to due diligence and safeguarding and materials are reviewed for equity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and religion before being shared with government counterparts.
Asked by: Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ringfence a proportion of UK aid for Pakistan’s education sector to support curriculum reform in line with UNESCO standards.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Our education programmes in Pakistan focus on marginalised communities and set ambitious targets for reaching girls and religious minorities, including through: improvements in teaching quality, inclusion, and system reform, which contribute to curriculum development that is aligned with international best practice. All programmes are subject to due diligence and safeguarding and materials are reviewed for equity across gender, ability, ethnicity, and religion before being shared with government counterparts.
Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing the subsidy for Ofsted inspections on independent religious schools in (a) Leicester and (b) England.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department launched an eight-week consultation on 25 September 2025 on the subject of reducing the subsidy for Ofsted inspection fees. The consultation document is publicly available and sets out how Ofsted-inspected private schools will be affected by the proposed fee increases.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Review of Religious Education (a) considers a (i) broad and (ii) balanced range of (A) academic, (B) educational and (C) community perspectives and (b) is not disproportionately influenced by submissions from any single lobby.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE. The Review aims to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review is being informed by evidence, data, and in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, employers, universities and trade unions. This includes over 7,000 responses to the public call for evidence and a range of research and polling.
The Review Group published its interim report in March 2025, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf.
The Group will publish its final report with recommendations, including recommendations for religious education, this autumn.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of attacks against Christian communities in Sudan; and what diplomatic steps he is taking to help ensure the (a) protection of places of worship and (b) promotion of religious freedom in that country.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to championing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. The Government's strategy on FoRB was published in July and is firmly rooted within our overall approach to human rights and governance. The Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith, made a statement at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on 4 March, highlighting our concerns regarding the coercion of non-Muslims in Sudan to change their beliefs through denial of work, food aid, and education. He has also visited Port Sudan three times since December 2024 to press the parties to comply with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians from continued atrocities. We will be raising this issue again at the UNHRC next month when, as part of the Sudan Core Group, we push for a renewal of the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan's mandate - an impartial mechanism that investigates human rights violations and abuses. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Officials have also spoken with representatives from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on different occasions since the start of the conflict. We have used these exchanges to request that their leadership make every effort to protect civilians and cease atrocities.