Department for Education

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.

Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.

The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.

The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.

I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.

Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.

The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.

The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.

I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.

Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.

The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.

The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.

I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

The department is providing mainstream schools and high needs settings with over £930 million to support with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. We are also providing £25 million in respect of schools with early years provision and £155 million for post-16 schools and academies and further education colleges. Taken together, this is an increase of over £1.1 billion. This funding is designed to provide schools with support to manage NICs pressures. We recognise that the balance between funding and costs will vary between schools.

The amount of public sector support was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. HM Treasury routinely uses the ONS classification of the public sector boundary, for example in relation to public sector spending, borrowing and debt.

This funding was then allocated to departments based on a weighted average of the headcount and wage/salary data that all departments submitted to HM Treasury.

Our funding system is not designed so that every school and college receives funding that fully matches their precise spending, as spending, including NICs costs, varies across institutions because of the decisions each takes on its staffing.

The department is providing mainstream schools and high needs settings with over £930 million to support with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. We are also providing £25 million in respect of schools with early years provision and £155 million for post-16 schools and academies and further education colleges. Taken together, this is an increase of over £1.1 billion. This funding is designed to provide schools with support to manage NICs pressures. We recognise that the balance between funding and costs will vary between schools.

The amount of public sector support was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. HM Treasury routinely uses the ONS classification of the public sector boundary, for example in relation to public sector spending, borrowing and debt.

This funding was then allocated to departments based on a weighted average of the headcount and wage/salary data that all departments submitted to HM Treasury.

Our funding system is not designed so that every school and college receives funding that fully matches their precise spending, as spending, including NICs costs, varies across institutions because of the decisions each takes on its staffing.

The department has spent money on social media influencers since July 2024. Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.

The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in growth-driving priority sectors. The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy confirmed that we will establish Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, provide funding for courses for defence related skills, and invest in cutting edge university facilities to increase places for defence skills provision. Delivering this package will be a joint endeavour between government and industry. The department has been working with the Ministry of Defence on this and further detail will be set out in the forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

Statutory care planning guidance is clear that everything should be done to minimise school changes and ensure transitions are well-planned and supported. Where a change is unavoidable, the child’s Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to reduce disruption, particularly during exams and other key periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures to rebalance the placement market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes addressing the barriers that prevent homes for looked-after children being established where they are needed.

Through the department’s Plan for Change, we’re investing £2 billion to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will mean more placements are available, allowing children to be placed closer to home and school when in their best interests.

From April 2026, Best Start Family Hubs will continue to provide universal and targeted services for families from pregnancy through age five and beyond. These include peer support sessions, stay-and-play activities, parent champions, and community outreach, all of which help build strong relationships, promote early bonding, and support development from birth.

Community-based activities such as stay-and-play sessions and parenting groups are a vital part of this offer, helping to reduce isolation, build parental confidence and promote early learning through play and shared experiences.

The government recognises the importance of adult literacy skills. That is why the department supports participation in English through our ‘essential skills’ entitlements funded through the adult skills fund (ASF). This provides the opportunity for fully funded study up to and including level 2 for eligible adults aged 19+ who do not have essential literacy skills.

Furthermore, the department supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the ASF, subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF and local rules on the provision of adult education.

As part of the ASF, Tailored Learning funding can also be used to support learners to improve their essential skills if they are not ready to study for a qualification or would benefit from learning in a more informal way.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

From January 2026, the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level, except for young apprentices under the age of 22. This will enable apprenticeship opportunities to be rebalanced towards young people, whose rate of apprenticeship starts has fallen by almost 40% over the last decade.

This decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including analysis by Skills England of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including other government departments such as the Department of Health and Social Care.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.

I refer the hon. Member for North Cornwall to the answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 54501.

I refer the hon. Member for North Cornwall to the answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 54501.

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.

If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.

If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

Where government reforms lead to the introduction of a new student loan plan type, the terms of the new loan, such as repayment threshold, interest rates and length of the loan are considered as a whole. They are then set in legislation to apply to that specific loan type, such as for Plan 5 which was introduced in 2023.

Comparing only one element, such as the threshold, of a historic plan to a new plan does not provide a balanced assessment. Though the Plan 5 repayment threshold is lower than for Plan 2, the Plan 5 interest rate is lower (RPI+0%) when compared with Plan 2 Plan (RPI+3% during study and varies with earnings post-study).

In 2022, the department conducted a government consultation to assess the impact of policy reforms on higher education funding and finance, including changes to repayment thresholds from Plan 2 to Plan 5. Details on the consultation are available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62223cfb8fa8f549071fc82c/Higher_education_policy_statement_reform_consultation_-_Equality_analysis.pdf.

Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders will be able to qualify for student finance, including tuition fee loans and maintenance loans, and home fee status once they have acquired settled status in the UK. This is in line with most other persons on routes to settlement.

The Home Office has made clear that they will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details of the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

​Generative artificial intelligence (AI) will support with the delivery of the government’s Plan for Change.

The government has published the AI Opportunities Action Plan, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-opportunities-action-plan/ai-opportunities-action-plan. This considered barriers to AI take-up across the economy and made 50 recommendations. The further education sector will enable the delivery of short new courses in areas such as AI, digital, and engineering. These will be funded through the Growth and Skills Levy to support Industrial Strategy sectors from April 2026.

In August 2025, the department published a policy paper setting out the opportunities and challenges for the use of generative AI in the education sector. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education/generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-education?pStoreID=Http.

We are working with the education sector, educational technology industry experts, and academics to build the evidence base and support the education sector to use AI safely, responsibly, and effectively. This includes publishing free support, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/using-ai-in-education-settings-support-materials.

The Employer Skills Survey provides robust evidence about skills shortages in the labour market and skills gaps in the workforce. In 2024, skill-shortage vacancies were higher among businesses with two to four employees compared to those with 100 or more (42% vs 19%). Regarding internal skill gaps, the proportion of employees judged not fully proficient at their job was lower for businesses with two to four employees compared to those with 100 or more (1.8% vs 4.6%).

We have established Skills England as the single authoritative voice on the country’s current and future skills needs. It will ensure the views of all businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are considered to build a system delivering better skills for better jobs. It is already responding to employer need, including SME employers, by developing the first foundation apprenticeships and first short apprenticeships which will give employers greater flexibility in key sectors.

It is tackling barriers to small business engagement by reducing bureaucracy and duplication. Through collaboration with local partners, it is shaping high quality Local Skills Improvement Plans, which are empowering local areas to better align skills provision with local labour market needs, including helping to meet the ongoing workforce development and training needs of SMEs.

The department has not provided funding to the Centre for Hate Studies at the University of Leicester.

This government is committed to supporting educational partnerships between the UK and our overseas partners, including in further education.

The UK’s International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, spearheads overseas activities, opening up partnership opportunities and developing strong relationships. Sir Steve's international missions promote all sectors and areas of education. We are currently reviewing the UK’s International Education Strategy to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of the entire education sector and provides an attractive offer, including on vocational training and skills, to our global partners. We are working closely with the sector and aiming to publish the refreshed strategy this year.

The immigration White Paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base.

This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education (HE) provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic HE and skills system. We will set out more details around the levy in the Autumn Budget.

We are committed to engaging with the sector on the design of the international student levy and want to understand specific concerns providers have as early as possible.

The department is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.

T Levels are a key element of our skills strategy and all T Levels contain a mandatory industry placement of at least 45 days with an employer, focused on developing practical and technical skills for that area. Providers are responsible for arranging these placements. To support employers, funding is available in 2025/26 to help cover essential costs.

The government has announced a £625 million skills package for the construction sector. This will include measures designed to raise awareness, boost access and improve the quality of training available, ensuring that more young people are equipped with the skills the construction sector urgently needs. As part of this package, the government has committed £100 million alongside a £32 million contribution from the Construction Industry Training Board to fund up to 40,000 Industry Placements each year for all level 2 and level 3 construction learners.

Ensuring every child has the best start in life and the chance to achieve and to thrive are the foundation stones of the government’s Opportunity Mission.

The department will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education to begin the hard work needed to deliver these changes.

We will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to ensure that children and families who need support the most, especially those from low-income backgrounds or with additional vulnerabilities, can access it. These hubs will be open to all families but will be located in disadvantaged communities where support is most needed.

Local authorities will identify family hub sites and the numbers of hubs and services delivered will vary depending on local needs.

The department will be providing guidance to local authorities in time to support service delivery from April 2026.

Green skills are essential to driving economic growth and achieving the UK’s net zero target by 2050. Clean energy and advanced manufacturing have been identified as priority sectors in the Industrial Strategy.

To support this, the government will invest an additional £1.2 billion annually in skills by 2028/29, expanding opportunities across high-growth industries. As part of this, over £100 million will be directed toward engineering skills development through education, apprenticeships, and the establishment of Technical Excellence Colleges in key sectors like advanced manufacturing.

The government will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund in the 2025/26 academic year. This includes funding the Free Courses for Jobs offer, which gives eligible adults the chance to access a high value level 3 qualification for free, helping support them to gain higher wages or a better job in key sectors, for example in heat pump installation.

The government will also support adult learners through our technical education offer, including through a range of apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps.

The government offers a range of training options, including apprenticeships and BTECs, to support employers of all sizes in the hospitality sector to benefit from and develop the skilled workforces they need.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) give small and medium businesses a stronger role in identifying local skills issues and working collaboratively with skills providers and other local stakeholders to resolve them. From October, Business West and Somerset Chamber of Commerce will begin the process of developing a new 3-year LSIP for Somerset, which includes the Yeovil constituency.

The department and Skills England engage regularly with the hospitality sector, including industry bodies such as UK Hospitality, regarding training for the sector and the government’s plans for skills.

To support apprenticeships in small and medium-sized enterprises the government pays full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been, or are, in local authority care, when they undertake apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers.

The government also continues to pay £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16 to 18, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.

The government is committed to offering every primary aged child a free breakfast club and is currently working with 750 early adopter schools to test how best to implement this policy ahead of national rollout. Transport will be considered as part of this.

Free breakfast clubs should be at least 30 minutes immediately before the start of the compulsory school day. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england.

Local authorities’ statutory duty requires them to arrange free travel to enable an eligible child to travel to school for the beginning of the school day, and to return home at the end of the school day. While local authorities are not required to make travel arrangements to enable eligible children to attend breakfast clubs, we encourage them to work with schools to find solutions wherever possible.

Digital assistive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes any device, software or system used to support individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). When used effectively, AT can play a vital role in supporting pupils with SEND to achieve and thrive in mainstream education.

That is why we are investing over £1.6 million to pilot assistive technology lending libraries through the SEND and alternative provision Change Programme. In participating areas, this will allow up to 3,800 mainstream schools to borrow and trial technology on a temporary basis, to identify the right products to support their pupils.

The local authorities that will be participating in the trial of assistive technology lending libraries are:

• Bedford
• Bradford
• Brighton and Hove
• Calderdale
• Central Bedfordshire
• County Durham
• East Sussex
• Enfield
• Gateshead
• Gloucestershire
• Hartlepool
• County of Herefordshire
• Islington
• Leeds
• Leicester
• Leicestershire
• Luton
• Manchester
• Oldham
• Portsmouth
• Rochdale
• Rutland
• Shropshire
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Swindon
• Telford and Wrekin
• Trafford
• Wakefield
• West Sussex
• Worcestershire

Teaching assistants (TAs) play a vital role in children’s education, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

A departmental survey in 2023, ‘The use of teaching assistants in schools’, found that TAs across all school settings most commonly support pupils with SEND, including those with education, health and care (EHC) plans. Half (50%) spent most of their time delivering interventions for pupils with additional needs.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has highlighted that research suggests evidence based, structured interventions, delivered by TAs, can have a positive impact on pupil outcomes. The EEF’s guidance report, ‘Deployment of Teaching Assistants’, makes a number of recommendations to help schools make decisions about how to deploy their TAs to ensure they are used effectively.

This government also recognises that the availability of training and career progression opportunities for TAs helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high-quality education.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The study of languages is compulsory under the national curriculum at key stages 2 and 3 for all maintained schools, and will become compulsory in academies, subject to the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The government continues to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education, which is developing a new model of language support for schools and online continuing professional development for teachers that will support high-quality language teaching. This programme is designed to have national reach, ensuring that all schools can benefit regardless of their location.

​To further support languages education, the department is offering a £26,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2025, or alternatively, a £28,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German, or Spanish. Additionally, Oak National Academy is developing modern foreign languages lesson resources for key stages 2 to 4, to be fully released by autumn 2025, helping teachers deliver high-quality lessons and reduce planning time.

I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.

I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.

I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21190.

I refer the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21190.

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

The rate of young people’s apprenticeship starts has fallen over the last decade and we want to re-balance the programme towards young people beginning their careers.

As a first step, the department has introduced new foundation apprenticeships, an employment-based training offer that gives young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills.

The first seven foundation apprenticeships became available in August 2025, including a foundation apprenticeship in onsite trades which supports the development of onsite construction skills, including carpentry and joinery.

These foundation apprenticeships will be underpinned by an employer incentive payment of up to £2,000 to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career. This is in addition to the existing employer and provider payments for taking on younger apprentices.

​​I refer the hon. Member for Stockton West to the answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 69622.​

Financial education is integrated into the curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 (ages 11-16) through citizenship education and elements of the mathematics curriculum. Together this covers such areas as personal budgeting, saving for the future, managing credit and debt and calculating interest.

Financial education is not compulsory post-16, however, providers are free to teach it and our 16-19 study programme guidance sets an expectation that students take part in other non-qualification activity to develop life skills, including managing personal finances.

There are a range of financial education-related qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds to study, in including qualifications and courses at levels 1 and 2, with both the mathematics GCSE and L2 Functional Skills Qualifications supporting financial education. At Level 3 there is the T Level in Finance and Core Maths, which also covers financial literacy.

The current curriculum and assessment review will consider coverage of areas including applied knowledge and skills young people will need in life and work such as financial education.

Upskilling in English and mathematics is a key feature of all apprenticeships and young apprentices aged 16-18 at the start of their apprenticeship are required to achieve English and mathematics qualifications.

The department publishes statistics on those not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England, however, these estimates are not available at lower-level geographies due to limitations with sample sizes. Therefore, NEET rates for young people aged 16 to 24 in Cornwall and Camborne and Redruth constituency are not available. Statistics for England can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.

Data showing the number of young people aged 16 and 17 years old who were known to Cornwall local authority and the number and proportion of those NEET or activity not known is accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5dbec461-d6ee-4ee3-19fd-08dde95206d2. These statistics are published as transparency data so some caution should be taken when using these figures.

Additionally, 16 to 18 destination measures are published, showing the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is six months of continual activity. The latest publication includes destinations in 2022/23 by parliamentary constituency boundaries at that time, and data for Cornwall local authority and Camborne and Redruth parliamentary constituency can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5994cbf5-1e91-4af3-19ff-08dde95206d2.

The department does not produce these estimates.

Graduate Outcome survey data published by HESA shows that around 70% of UK domiciled students who graduated with an undergraduate degree from a UK higher education provider during the 2022/23 academic year were in high-skilled employment fifteen months after graduation. This data was published in July 2025 and can be found in Table 12 here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb272/figure-12.

The Office for National Statistics have also published ad hoc statistics on employment in graduate roles. Available data for 2023 can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/2492onslocalemploymentingraduateandnongraduaterolesbyqualificationandsectorbyukregion2023.

The department’s Apprenticeships by Industry Characteristics publication contains apprenticeship starts figures, including by sector, constituency, and size of businesses. This data has been available since 29 May 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics/2022-23.

Apprenticeship starts by constituency are available in the apprenticeships statistics publication. This data has been available since 17 July 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25.

​​Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

​This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and ​skills offer, which will offer greater flexibility to employers and learners in England ​and support the industrial strategy. Apprenticeships standards, developed in ​conjunction with employers, are designed to provide learners with full competence in ​a specific occupation.​

​In August 2025, the government introduced the first seven foundation apprenticeships to give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, including construction and health and social care. Foundation apprenticeships support entry level occupations by providing a broad curriculum focussing on the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed for the job, as well as employability skills to support the transition from full time education to work. The onsite trades foundation apprenticeship, for example, include aspects of a range of specialist occupations, such as brick layer, carpenter, and painter and decorator, supporting entry level competence as a construction worker.

The core Adult Skills Fund covers a very wide breadth of qualifications including those related to butchery and poultry dressing (for example the Level 2 Certificate for Proficiency in Meat and Poultry Industry Skills). The department sets funding rates which are designed to incentivise the delivery of “high value” courses in the Adult Skills Fund. Butchery courses (insofar as they are included in the Manufacturing Technologies Sector Subject Area) are in the “High” funding band which means providers receive more funding per learner than courses relating to other industries.

The government also funds training through the Level 2 Butcher apprenticeship standard and the Level 3 Advanced Butcher apprenticeship standard.

Pupils learn the facts about menstrual and reproductive health as part of compulsory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). This includes fertility, the potential impact of lifestyle on fertility for men and women, and the menopause. In July 2025 the department updated the RSHE statutory guidance to provide specific examples of period problems, including pre-menstrual syndrome; heavy menstrual bleeding; endometriosis; and polycystic ovary syndrome, to ensure pupils understand when to seek help from healthcare professionals. The new curriculum comes into force from September 2026. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

The Period Product Scheme, which launched in 2020, provides free period products to girls and women in schools and colleges in England from years 5 to 13. The scheme aims to remove periods as a barrier to accessing education and to support menstrual health.