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: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any policy decisions relating to SEND reform were taken prior to the conclusion of formal consultation exercises; and whether stakeholders were informed where consultation did not extend to specific proposals.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Listening to the views of families and experts has been critical as the department has developed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, and it is more important than ever now our formal consultation is open.
As is set out clearly on GOV.UK, we welcome views across the full set of proposals relating to SEND reform and we will consider views on all aspects of SEND reform.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has received representations on the (a) adequacy and (b) scope of consultation on SEND reforms; and what steps she has taken in response.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Listening to the views of families and experts has been critical as the department has developed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, and it is more important than ever now our formal consultation is open.
As is set out clearly on GOV.UK, we welcome views across the full set of proposals relating to SEND reform and we will consider views on all aspects of SEND reform.
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: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with Education, Health and Care Plans are not currently receiving education in formal school settings; and what steps she is taking to consider this cohort in the development of SEND policy reforms.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the placements of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, including those not in formal education settings, is published annually here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. The most recent data was published on 26 June 2025 and the next publication is scheduled for summer 2026.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of children’s happiness at school.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is committed to improving pupils’ experience of school, which can affect attendance, engagement, attainment and wider wellbeing.
As set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, the government will work with partners to produce a Pupil Engagement Framework to be published later this year. This framework will help schools to measure and improve the key factors that determine pupils’ engagement in education, including their sense of belonging and safety, inclusion and relationships with teachers and fellow pupils. By the end of the Parliament, we expect every school to monitor children’s sense of belonging and engagement, up from around 60% of schools today, and take action in line with the Framework so more children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and disabilities, will feel a strong sense of belonging in school.
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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a national dyslexia strategy for schools in England; and what steps her Department is taking to support the sharing of best practice in identifying and supporting pupils with dyslexia across schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN), including dyslexia.
The department is consulting on proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. To support the sharing of best practice, the department will appoint an independent expert panel to develop National Inclusion Standards that set out evidence-informed tools and strategies for educators to draw on to identify and support students with SEN. This comes alongside significant investment to bolster capacity and expertise with an investment of £1.8 billion so every community has access to 'Experts at Hand’.
In addition, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme aims to improve reading outcomes for children that need additional support, including those with SEN. We are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered including guidance on autistic burnout in future SEND Code of Practice revisions.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In February, the government published the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper and consultation on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform. This included a commitment to update the SEND Code of Practice to clarify the responsibilities of education settings and local partners, as well as making the guidance easier to use and navigate. The update will place a stronger emphasis on an evidence-based approach and early intervention as part of a whole-setting commitment to inclusion.
Furthermore, the development of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages will provide a clear framework for how children are best supported. Educators will be able to draw on these to put in place evidence-based support as needs are identified, including for autistic children and young people.
We will undertake a separate, full public consultation on the proposed changes to the Code.