Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 105279, whether the Office for Students has had discussions with commercial pilot training providers on registration with that office.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Registration with the Office for Students (OfS) is voluntary and open to providers that meet the statutory definition of an English higher education provider. This includes those delivering higher‑level courses within the scope of the OfS regulatory framework.
Operational decisions concerning engagement with potential applicants regarding registration, including discussions with commercial pilot training providers, are matters for the OfS as an independent regulator.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken since July 2024 to (i) expand childcare provision and (ii) help tackle the affordability of childcare costs for working families.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government began a phased expansion of funded childcare in 2024, introducing 15 hours of funded childcare for eligible working parents of two-year-olds in April 2024 and extending this entitlement to children aged from nine months to three years in September 2024. This expansion grew further in September 2025, when eligible working parents of children from nine months to school age were given access to 30 hours of government-funded childcare per week, saving families using their full entitlement up to £7,500 per eligible child per year. As a result, the department expects to provide over £9.5 billion in 2026/27 for the early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the sector compared with 2023/24.
The School-based Nursery Programme is a £400 million capital investment to deliver on the department’s commitment to create tens of thousands of places in school-based nurseries, helping more families access funded childcare and giving children the best start in life. We awarded £37 million of capital funding to 300 schools to create up to 6,000 nursery places, helping parents access affordable, quality childcare where it is needed.
Schools were invited to bid for up to £150,000 capital funding from a £45 million pot, with an increased focus on supporting families from disadvantaged areas to access early years provision. We will announce successful projects for this phase in the spring.
Asked by: Will Stone (Labour - Swindon North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Statement of Expectations relating to student housing will include specific measures to ensure independent students can access housing for twelve months whilst at university; and whether enforcement mechanisms will be in place.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises that independent students, including care leavers, care experienced students and estranged students, may require additional support to access higher education (HE), including access to student accommodation.
As universities and landlords are autonomous, the department has no remit to intervene in the provision of student residential accommodation. Nevertheless, the forthcoming Statement of Expectations for the HE sector will urge HE providers to plan strategically for the supply of sufficient suitable accommodation for their students and include guidance on how providers can support the needs of vulnerable students.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of school buildings in Surrey.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and other bodies responsible for keeping school buildings safe and operational by providing condition funding, guidance and advice.
The Education Estates Strategy sets out our 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges, supported by £38 billion investment in education capital to 2029/30 and unprecedented long-term funding, with £3 billion per year by 2034/35 into capital maintenance in addition to almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme. There are over 500 schools already in the programme, including 6 in Surrey.
The department collects consistent data on the condition of the school and college estate, which helps inform capital policy and programmes. The full data from the Condition Data Collection (CDC1) programme from 2017 to 2019 is presented at regional level in the House of Commons library here: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/files.
A summary of the data can be accessed in the CDC1 key findings report here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-data-collection-2-cdc2-programme. The successor programme, Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2), will provide an update on the condition of the government funded school buildings.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the national approach to behaviour and attendance will include specific guidance on reasonable adjustments for pupils with speech and language challenges.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Some pupils, including pupils who have speech and language needs, may face additional challenges that can impact their behaviour and attendance.
Specialist support, such as from speech and language therapists, can play an important role in breaking down communication barriers so that those pupils can engage fully in education.
Our ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance requires schools, trusts and local authorities to take a support first approach to absence and work with families to remove individual barriers to attendance.
All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy that is lawful, proportionate and reasonable, and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Any special educational needs or disability a pupil may have, including speech and language needs, must be considered when applying their behaviour policy.
Schools are expected to consider reasonable adjustments on a case-by-case basis, informed by the pupil’s individual needs, to ensure they can access education on an equal basis to their peers.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to review the regulation of the private tutoring sector.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including out-of-school settings such as private tutoring.
Last year, the government launched a call for evidence on safeguarding in out-of-school settings, aiming to better understand current sector safeguarding practices and invited views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including regulation.
The department is currently analysing responses, with support from independent external analysts, given the significance of the issue.
The department also intends to undertake further engagement, including focus groups with parents and small providers and sector roundtables with safeguarding experts and sector representatives, before issuing a full response in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her Department's press release entitled Government modernises exam records with new app published on 8 January 2026, what data protection guidance is given to students accessing their results via the Education Records app.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
There is a full privacy statement included on the Education Record. This sets out what information the department collects, what they do with it and how it is shared. It also includes how analytics data are used and that personal data is only shared with education providers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, how much additional financial support schools in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock will receive.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Education Estates Strategy sets out plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges.
The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We are investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a nomination round now open to select a further 250 schools by early 2027.
The department is also investing £1 billion to improve and renew the estate including launching a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to 2029/30 and £325 million for digital connectivity in schools, including Connect the Classroom. We are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30 to create 60,000 specialist places, including supporting a transformative expansion of inclusion bases.
Future annual capital funding allocations for responsible bodies and the details of schools prioritised for individual programmes will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to help bring awareness to the National Year of Reading within schools and alternative provision settings.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change during 2026 and beyond.
It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.
The department is raising awareness of the National Year of Reading in schools through a range of methods, such as via departmental communication channels, the National Year of Reading mailing list and social media, communications from the National Literacy Trust and promotion via the English Hubs network.
For libraries, The Reading Agency are providing public libraries with resources, toolkits and print and digital materials to activate the National Year of Reading.
Schools, alternative provision settings and all interested parties are encouraged to sign up to www.goallin.org.uk to receive regular updates on the National Year of Reading.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has to help bring awareness to the National Year of Reading.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change during 2026 and beyond.
It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.
The department is raising awareness of the National Year of Reading in schools through a range of methods, such as via departmental communication channels, the National Year of Reading mailing list and social media, communications from the National Literacy Trust and promotion via the English Hubs network.
For libraries, The Reading Agency are providing public libraries with resources, toolkits and print and digital materials to activate the National Year of Reading.
Schools, alternative provision settings and all interested parties are encouraged to sign up to www.goallin.org.uk to receive regular updates on the National Year of Reading.