Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children with SEND are out of education.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes data on compulsory school-aged children missing education (children not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education). In autumn 2025/26, local authorities in England reported 34,700 children missing education.
Of this total, just under 8% of children were recorded as requiring SEN support and just over 8% were recorded as having an education, health and care plan. This compares with 14% and 5%, for the overall school population.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to schools for hockey provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools play a vital role in giving many pupils their first experience of playing sport, including hockey, in a structured and inclusive environment. This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every child can access high quality physical education and school sport.
That is why, in June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a new approach to PE and school sport, focused on building strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies of sport, such as England Hockey, to support greater participation and physical activity.
National Governing Bodies provide valuable resources, workforce development and teacher support to help schools deliver high‑quality sporting opportunities, both within the PE curriculum and through enrichment activity. The department is preparing to procure a national partner to lead the new PE and School Sport Partnerships, which will provide an opportunity to regularly assess the adequacy of support available to schools across PE and school sport, including hockey provision.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what factors have affected the timing of her responses to Questions (a) 96357, (b) 96475 and (c) 96477.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Questions 96357, 96475 and 96477 was published on 20th April 2026.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated to the construction of the Frankley Hill specialist school in New Frankley, Birmingham.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Frankley Hill School in Birmingham is currently at an early stage of development. At this stage, a specific project budget has not yet been confirmed. A feasibility study is underway, including site surveys and initial design work, which will inform the overall project budget.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state secondary school places are available within Hertsmere constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
School level data on state-funded schools with capacity in any of the year groups from reception to year 11 is published in the annual publication available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2024-25. This publication contains the latest available data for school capacity and sixth form places, as from 1 May 2025.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the statutory guidance on school attendance to allow exemptions for term-time holiday fines for families where the parents have to work during school holidays.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The school year is structured so that there are opportunities for holidays outside of term-time. All schools have the discretion to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances, judging each application on the specific facts. However, generally a holiday would not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Schools and local authorities also have considerable flexibility to plan term dates themselves and hold inset days and other occasional days at quieter times of the year, helping families to plan breaks at times that suit them.
Where term-time holidays are taken without permission, it is right that the law protects children’s right to a full-time education. The national framework for penalty notices is designed to improve fairness by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country, and on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules.
Asked by: Rachel Blake (Labour (Co-op) - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the number of modern foreign languages offered at GCSE level.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Decisions about which languages to offer at GCSE in England are taken by four independent awarding organisations: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel and WJEC. These organisations have the freedom to create GCSEs based on subject content set by the department.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current school food standards in improving children’s nutritional outcomes.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They are designed to ensure children receive the energy and nutrients they need during the school day, while giving schools flexibility to design menus that work for their pupils and local circumstances.
Since the School Food Standards were introduced in 2015, evidence on sugar, fibre and childhood obesity has changed significantly and childhood obesity prevalence has increased. We are committed to raising the healthiest generation ever, so we are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and supports children’s health, wellbeing and learning. Details of the consultation are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new school meals guidance encourages use of local suppliers.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.
The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.
We are consulting on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England until 12 June 2026. We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.
The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring free school meals provide (a) sustainable, (b) nutritious and (c) locally sourced food.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The action we are taking to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will ensure that over 500,000 additional children will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.
We are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including at breakfast and lunch, better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning. Details of this consultation are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course.
The government remains committed to our ambition that half of all food served in public settings is either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards and we are open to considering all lawful means of achieving this. We are working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.