Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether disabled young carers in families affected by sodium valproate-related harm are being (a) identified and (b) supported within the education system.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We know that families with children with disabilities, including those affected by sodium valproate harm and where the children may be caring for other family members, are crying out for change.
The department’s upcoming full Schools White Paper will build on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high-quality support early on and can thrive at their local school. This work includes the new standards on inclusion introduced by Ofsted in their new education inspection framework last November, and we are pleased to note that the needs of pupils with disabilities and those who are young carers are fully recognised in the inspection toolkit for the new framework.
Schools are also required to identify and record all pupils who are young carers on the school census regardless of the reason they may be providing care for family members.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Questions 102720, 102721, 102722 and 102723.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The response to Written Parliamentary Questions 102720, 102721, 102722 and 102723 was published on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools to teach about healthy relationships in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers.
We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography.
We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce misogynistic attitudes amongst pupils in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers.
We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography.
We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure a joined-up approach to the implementation of the Schools White Paper, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Review, and the Curriculum Review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Every child deserves an education that meets their needs, one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review was clear that whilst many young people are succeeding through the current system, too many are still leaving full-time education without the essential knowledge and skills they need to adapt and thrive in a rapidly changing world, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, and from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The department will set out its proposals in the upcoming Schools White Paper, which will build on the Curriculum and Assessment Review and the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support teacher health and wellbeing.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is working in partnership with the sector to improve staff mental health and wellbeing, and boost retention.
We are continuing to fund the charity, Education Support, to provide free professional supervision and counselling to school and college leaders. Professional supervision enables leaders to work with qualified supervisors to develop strategies to support their mental wellbeing. Since April 2024, over 1,300 leaders have been supported.
The department has also worked with the sector and mental health experts to co-create the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter. The Charter sets out commitments from the department, Ofsted, and education settings to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff. As of December 2025, over 4,200 schools and colleges have signed up to the Charter.
The department has developed its Improve Workload and Wellbeing service alongside school leaders, which contains a range of resources for schools to reduce workload and improve staff wellbeing.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote social cohesion by improving faith literacy in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
High quality religious education (RE) can support community cohesion by developing pupils’ knowledge of the values and traditions of Britain and other countries, and by fostering understanding among people of different faiths and cultures. All state-funded schools are required to teach RE to pupils from the age of 5 to 18.
The department has welcomed the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation for Dr Vanessa Ogden CBE, a former Review panellist specialising in RE, to lead a sector group to develop a draft RE curriculum for the government’s consideration. The sector group’s work will reflect the role the subject plays in building understanding between communities.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to statement in the OBR’s report entitled Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, that the Government has announced in the Budget that SEND provision will be fully absorbed into existing RDEL limits from 2028-29, whether this absorption will be in the Department for Education’s budget.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The autumn budget made clear that future special educational needs and disabilities funding implications will be managed within the overall government departmental expenditure limits envelope, such that the government would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the statutory override ends at the end of 2027/28.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to assess the impact of Relationships Education on pupils' (a) attitudes and (b) behaviour in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers.
We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography.
We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department will issue to secondary schools on addressing (a) harmful or (b) misogynistic attitudes among pupils in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers.
We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography.
We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.