Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 September 2025 to Question 73665 on Pupils: English Language, what proportion of children starting primary school cannot speak English to an acceptable standard.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold specific data on the proportion of children starting primary school who are unable to speak English to an acceptable standard.
Information on teacher assessments of children’s development at the end of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), specifically the end of the academic year in which a child turns five, is published as part of the annual statistical release, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results/2023-24.
The latest data on the percentage of children at expected level for communication and language, including speaking, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d481e08f-ef55-4809-f8d6-08de0724494a.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help support students who are retaking (a) maths and (b) English GCSE whilst in further education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to supporting high quality teaching and learning for students who are continuing their English and maths study during 16 to 19 under the maths and English condition of funding. The department has already introduced the requirement for providers to offer 100 hours minimum of classroom teaching per subject, supported by additional funding for providers, and set clearer expectations on which students should typically be entered into November resits, to avoid unnecessary repeated resits which we recognise are demoralising for students.
We are also introducing new level 1 stepping stone qualifications to support post-16 students to consolidate foundational skills and knowledge, preparing those with lower prior attainment for successful GCSE resits the following year. In addition, we are working with the further education Commissioner to gather and share effective practice, to help providers support their students.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with her Northern Ireland counterpart on substitute teachers unable to get permanent jobs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and covering teacher absences.
Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of supply teachers, which includes deciding whether they contract supply teachers directly or use employment agencies.
Education is a devolved matter. The department is in contact with Northern Ireland counterparts at an official level to discuss and share valuable knowledge about supply teachers and the supply system in England and Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of existing funding levels for the Music and Dance Scheme; and whether she plans to (a) uplift bursary rates in line with inflation and (b) provide multi-year funding settlements to give greater certainty to participating schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bedford, to the answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 78882.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that all primary schools must adopt a national sun safe policy.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools are responsible for safeguarding children in their care. We expect all schools to make sensible decisions about sun safety when temperatures are high.
The department’s Education Hub website signposts the UK Security Agency’s advice for teachers and other educational professionals on looking after children before and after hot weather, and the Health and Safety Executive’s advice for schools as employers.
We also expect schools to engage parents and pupils in discussions about what precautions are acceptable, including how schools adhere to the UK Security Agency’s advice around whether staff should administer sunscreen to younger pupils, whether children are allowed to carry their own sunscreen or cover up, wear sunglasses and a hat.
The department has no plans to introduce a national sun safe policy for primary schools. We believe schools are best placed to determine what measures are practical within the context of their school to minimise the risks arising from pupils being exposed to the sun during the school day.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that all primary schools are keeping children safe from the exposure to the sun during the school day.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools are responsible for safeguarding children in their care. We expect all schools to make sensible decisions about sun safety when temperatures are high.
The department’s Education Hub website signposts the UK Security Agency’s advice for teachers and other educational professionals on looking after children before and after hot weather, and the Health and Safety Executive’s advice for schools as employers.
We also expect schools to engage parents and pupils in discussions about what precautions are acceptable, including how schools adhere to the UK Security Agency’s advice around whether staff should administer sunscreen to younger pupils, whether children are allowed to carry their own sunscreen or cover up, wear sunglasses and a hat.
The department has no plans to introduce a national sun safe policy for primary schools. We believe schools are best placed to determine what measures are practical within the context of their school to minimise the risks arising from pupils being exposed to the sun during the school day.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are on waiting lists for Education, Health and Care plan assessments in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment.
Information is published on the number of requests for an EHC needs assessment and the number of assessments carried out. The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Northumberland, Newcastle, the North East and England for the 2024 calendar year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/99797c00-9a15-49d0-7af8-08de11c58191.
The number of EHC needs assessments which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Northumberland, Newcastle, the North East and England for the 2024 calendar year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e0532abe-628f-452a-7af9-08de11c58191.
This information is not available at constituency level.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Independent - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to distribute funds to support chess in schools during 2025-26.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The core funding schools receive is not ringfenced, and it is for headteachers to decide how best to manage their budgets.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve special educational needs support services for dyslexia in English schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.
The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.
A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.
The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve early detection of dyslexia in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.
The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.
A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.
The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.