Department for Education

Creative subjects are important elements of a rounded and enriching education. We are transforming technical and vocational education from age 14, putting technical education on an equal footing with academic study.

We are developing new vocational GCSEs, which will combine strong subject knowledge with practical learning and have nationally set content, supporting clear progression into high-quality post-16 education and training.

We recognise that successful delivery depends on schools having the expertise and resources they need and will launch a consultation later this year to seek views on how best to deliver these changes.

Alongside this, we are engaging widely with schools and further educational colleges in local areas including Cornwall, so that provision reflects local needs and creates strong pathways into further study and skilled employment across England.

The content of the working lives of teachers and leaders (WLTL) survey is reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it captures the breadth of teachers and leaders’ experiences and characteristics, whilst balancing the need to maintain comparability between waves and manage the burden on respondents.

The next review of survey content will take place in summer 2027 following the completion of fieldwork for the next wave of the survey in spring 2027 and in advance of the 2028 survey.

The new WLTL study utilised several mechanisms to obtain feedback from stakeholders on content for spring 2027, including inviting some teachers and leaders to take part in exploratory qualitative discussions, inviting feedback via meetings with sector representatives, technical experts and union representatives.

Stakeholders can make proposals to include questions/subject areas, but decision to include is decided based on a range of factors including evidence need, survey space, methodological quality, respondent burden, sensitivity of information being collected and proportionality.

Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures, which includes teacher salaries, support staff, school resources and other expenses. Through the schools national funding formula, schools attract funding for pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) for the first three years that they are in the statutory school system. Over the last three years, eligible primary pupils have attracted £590 in 2024/25, £595 in 2025/26 and £610 in 2026/27.

The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual children. The department does not hold data on the specific costs incurred by schools for educating primary pupils with EAL.

School support staff, including teaching assistants, play a vital role in children’s education. That is why this government is establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB), a new statutory body specifically for school support staff. Its purpose is to bring employers and employee representatives together to negotiate minimum standards for pay and conditions for school support staff in all state-funded schools in England. It will also advise on training and career progression.

Currently, the government does not have a role in setting school support staff pay and conditions.

Research published by the department explored the factors associated with recruitment and retention of support staff and found that leaders had mixed experiences.

The government has committed over £200 million to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion professional development to ensure that teaching staff across schools, post-16 settings and early years have the knowledge, skills and confidence to support children and young people with SEND. This will include a training offer for teaching assistants.

Pupil premium provides additional funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, who face additional challenges and are at greater risk of being not in education, employment or training (NEET). This funding is worth around £3.2 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.

The department publishes guidance for school leaders on the effective use of pupil premium. Schools must spend this funding in line with the evidence-informed ‘menu of approaches’, which covers high-quality teaching, targeted support and wider strategies to improve attainment. We have identified low attainment, including in English and maths, as the most prevalent risk factor for becoming NEET. The menu includes measures to address these literacy and numeracy challenges.

We work closely with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to promote evidence-based approaches and interventions that raise attainment for disadvantaged pupils. We are also funding the EEF to deliver pupil premium strategy reviews for schools that need additional support, which will help schools plan, implement and monitor improvements to their pupil premium strategies.

All schools are required to publish an updated pupil premium strategy statement annually by 31 December. Schools are held accountable for the outcomes they achieve with all their funding, including through inspections by Ofsted and by governors and trustees, and pupil premium is no exception.

The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.

The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.

The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.

The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.

The department has not sought to make a comparison between changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and family crisis, placement instability or family breakdown, which may be the result of multiple factors if they occur. However, the department is continuing to strengthen its understanding of permanence outcomes through the Family Routes longitudinal study, which tracks the experiences, needs and outcomes of children who leave care through adoption or special guardianship. This study can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-route-longitudinal-study.

The recent consultation, Adoption support that works for all, considers how adoption support can be strengthened at every stage. It explores proposals to improve universal and proactive support, including introducing multidisciplinary assessments that take a holistic view of the child. The consultation also recognises the vital role of education in supporting adopted and kinship children, and highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between health, education and children's social care services. A government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

The department has not sought to make a comparison between changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and family crisis, placement instability or family breakdown, which may be the result of multiple factors if they occur. However, the department is continuing to strengthen its understanding of permanence outcomes through the Family Routes longitudinal study, which tracks the experiences, needs and outcomes of children who leave care through adoption or special guardianship. This study can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-route-longitudinal-study.

The recent consultation, Adoption support that works for all, considers how adoption support can be strengthened at every stage. It explores proposals to improve universal and proactive support, including introducing multidisciplinary assessments that take a holistic view of the child. The consultation also recognises the vital role of education in supporting adopted and kinship children, and highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between health, education and children's social care services. A government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

The department has not sought to make a comparison between changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund and family crisis, placement instability or family breakdown, which may be the result of multiple factors if they occur. However, the department is continuing to strengthen its understanding of permanence outcomes through the Family Routes longitudinal study, which tracks the experiences, needs and outcomes of children who leave care through adoption or special guardianship. This study can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/family-route-longitudinal-study.

The recent consultation, Adoption support that works for all, considers how adoption support can be strengthened at every stage. It explores proposals to improve universal and proactive support, including introducing multidisciplinary assessments that take a holistic view of the child. The consultation also recognises the vital role of education in supporting adopted and kinship children, and highlights the importance of stronger collaboration between health, education and children's social care services. A government response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Applications for therapeutic support under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are now open, starting in the 2026/27 financial year and continuing into 2027/28. The ASGSF will continue in 2027/28 and an announcement will be made as soon as possible regarding when applications starting from April 2027 may be made.

In 2024/25, the ASGSF remained open throughout the multi-year Spending Review period until 31 March 2025. As funding beyond that date was subject to the outcome of the subsequent Spending Review, applications for support commencing on or after 1 April 2025 were temporarily paused pending confirmation of future funding arrangements. In 2025/26, the ASGSF opened for applications on 14 April 2025. In 2026/27, the ASGSF opened for applications on 10 February 2026.

The department recognises that delays to the opening of the ASGSF application window may create uncertainty for families and providers. Where urgent support is required, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may choose to self-fund support pending the opening of the application window.

Applications for therapeutic support under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are now open, starting in the 2026/27 financial year and continuing into 2027/28. The ASGSF will continue in 2027/28 and an announcement will be made as soon as possible regarding when applications starting from April 2027 may be made.

In 2024/25, the ASGSF remained open throughout the multi-year Spending Review period until 31 March 2025. As funding beyond that date was subject to the outcome of the subsequent Spending Review, applications for support commencing on or after 1 April 2025 were temporarily paused pending confirmation of future funding arrangements. In 2025/26, the ASGSF opened for applications on 14 April 2025. In 2026/27, the ASGSF opened for applications on 10 February 2026.

The department recognises that delays to the opening of the ASGSF application window may create uncertainty for families and providers. Where urgent support is required, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may choose to self-fund support pending the opening of the application window.

Applications for therapeutic support under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are now open, starting in the 2026/27 financial year and continuing into 2027/28. The ASGSF will continue in 2027/28 and an announcement will be made as soon as possible regarding when applications starting from April 2027 may be made.

In 2024/25, the ASGSF remained open throughout the multi-year Spending Review period until 31 March 2025. As funding beyond that date was subject to the outcome of the subsequent Spending Review, applications for support commencing on or after 1 April 2025 were temporarily paused pending confirmation of future funding arrangements. In 2025/26, the ASGSF opened for applications on 14 April 2025. In 2026/27, the ASGSF opened for applications on 10 February 2026.

The department recognises that delays to the opening of the ASGSF application window may create uncertainty for families and providers. Where urgent support is required, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may choose to self-fund support pending the opening of the application window.

The revised criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) were introduced in April 2025 and were designed to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF funding. An equalities impact assessment was published in July 2025.

Analysis shows that in 2024/25, users of the fund had an average spend of only £3,170. In 2025/26, the average spend was reduced slightly to £2,537, well within the Fair Access Limit of £3,000. There were 22,166 recipients of funding in 2025/26, including nearly 1,800 specialist assessments, demonstrating continued access to support. Local authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies may supplement funding where additional support is assessed to be required.

In February, the department announced the continuation of the ASGSF to the end of the Spending Review period in 2028. A consultation on the longer-term future of adoption support, including a call for evidence, concluded in May and the department is continuing to assess input and findings.

Adoptive families are eligible to access support through the Families First Partnership programme’s Family Help offer. The programme guide recognises that some adopted children may experience emotional, social and developmental challenges linked to their early life experiences and that prompt support is important when difficulties risk escalating to family breakdown. Family Help and front door teams are expected to work with adoption teams to help determine the support families need.

The department is monitoring implementation and emerging impact through quarterly programme data collections and structured engagement with local authorities. From April 2026, the department is also measuring safeguarding partners’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of the reforms through a quarterly survey. Ofsted will continue to evaluate children’s experiences and progress through its inspection framework.

The department does not collect information centrally on the number of adoptions that have been disrupted or adoption breakdowns.

Annual statistical release publications contain information on looked after children who have been adopted or are in the adoption process. The published information available relates to children who started to be looked after during each collection year and whether they are known to have had a previous permanent arrangement. This data is in table C1 of the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistical release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/e29ff5f1-b011-4b2d-a0f7-08de00c387a4.

Figures showing numbers at 31 March 2026 will be published on 19 November 2026.

Tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities is a job for us all. This government will root out antisemitism wherever we find it. The government has accepted all 27 recommendations from the Bell Review, including encouraging schools and colleges to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism, providing dedicated training for leaders, improving the reporting and recording of antisemitic incidents, and developing resources to help staff identify and challenge antisemitism. Key guidance will be strengthened, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, and schools and colleges will receive further support to discuss sensitive geopolitical issues and respond to complex cases.

The government is also clear that antisemitic abuse has no place on university campuses. The Office for Students' E6 condition of registration requires providers to have effective measures in place to address harassment. The department continues to work closely with universities and the Union of Jewish Students, including funding training to improve understanding of antisemitism and support effective responses to incidents on campus.

This government recognises that the student finance system we inherited is not working as fairly or effectively as it should.

This government increased the Plan 2 repayment threshold in 2025 for the first time since 2021 and increased it again to £29,385 on 6 April 2026. The threshold will remain at this level for three years from April 2027 until April 2030, at which point it will increase annually in line with inflation. The department will publish an equalities impact assessment alongside the legislation implementing the Plan 2 repayment and interest threshold freeze. This will include the impact on lifetime repayments and other borrower impacts.

We have also capped maximum interest rates on Plan 2 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, protecting students and graduates from the risk of temporary increases in inflation causing higher interest to accrue on their loan balances.

The government continues to keep the student finance system under review to ensure it remains fair, protects lower and middle earners through income-contingent repayments, and balances the interests of students, graduates and taxpayers.

This government recognises that the student finance system we inherited is not working as fairly or effectively as it should.

This government increased the Plan 2 repayment threshold in 2025 for the first time since 2021 and increased it again to £29,385 on 6 April 2026. The threshold will remain at this level for three years from April 2027 until April 2030, at which point it will increase annually in line with inflation. The department will publish an equalities impact assessment alongside the legislation implementing the Plan 2 repayment and interest threshold freeze. This will include the impact on lifetime repayments and other borrower impacts.

We have also capped maximum interest rates on Plan 2 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, protecting students and graduates from the risk of temporary increases in inflation causing higher interest to accrue on their loan balances.

The government continues to keep the student finance system under review to ensure it remains fair, protects lower and middle earners through income-contingent repayments, and balances the interests of students, graduates and taxpayers.

This government recognises that the student finance system we inherited is not working as fairly or effectively as it should.

This government increased the Plan 2 repayment threshold in 2025 for the first time since 2021 and increased it again to £29,385 on 6 April 2026. The threshold will remain at this level for three years from April 2027 until April 2030, at which point it will increase annually in line with inflation. The department will publish an equalities impact assessment alongside the legislation implementing the Plan 2 repayment and interest threshold freeze. This will include the impact on lifetime repayments and other borrower impacts.

We have also capped maximum interest rates on Plan 2 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, protecting students and graduates from the risk of temporary increases in inflation causing higher interest to accrue on their loan balances.

The government continues to keep the student finance system under review to ensure it remains fair, protects lower and middle earners through income-contingent repayments, and balances the interests of students, graduates and taxpayers.

Studying in the UK on Erasmus+ does not make EU students eligible for UK student finance support, including maintenance loans.

We have negotiated a 30% discount, securing participation for the 2027 programme year at a cost of approximately £570 million. The department will report the costs arising from our participation to Parliament, including costs related to the implementation of the programme, in its annual accounts.

No decision has been taken on UK participation from 2028 and therefore it would be inappropriate to score those costs at this stage.

Sexual misconduct has no place in higher education (HE), and every student should feel safe.

Since August 2025, HE providers have been required to comply with the Office for Students’ (OfS) registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct, including having comprehensive policies and arrangements to prevent and respond to incidents.

The OfS conducted its first national sexual misconduct prevalence survey in 2025 and will repeat it in 2027. It intends to publish institution-level data to increase transparency and strengthen the evidence base.

Aila is Oak National Academy’s optional artificial intelligence lesson assistant and teachers who choose to use it can create bespoke lesson resources and save time.

Aila does not train or fine-tune a model and Oak has opted out of its inputs for use by the underlying model provider for training.

As an arm’s-length body, Oak is responsible for the development and operation of its products, including Aila, with oversight from its board. Officials at the department worked with Oak as part of assurance processes during its development.

Aila was developed to support teachers with lesson planning and draws on Oak’s curriculum resources. Oak is responsible for the content it makes available to teachers, including through Aila, and the use of this platform. This is governed by Oak’s terms and conditions, available at: https://www.thenational.academy/legal/terms-and-conditions.

Aila is Oak National Academy’s optional artificial intelligence lesson assistant and teachers who choose to use it can create bespoke lesson resources and save time.

Aila does not train or fine-tune a model and Oak has opted out of its inputs for use by the underlying model provider for training.

As an arm’s-length body, Oak is responsible for the development and operation of its products, including Aila, with oversight from its board. Officials at the department worked with Oak as part of assurance processes during its development.

Aila was developed to support teachers with lesson planning and draws on Oak’s curriculum resources. Oak is responsible for the content it makes available to teachers, including through Aila, and the use of this platform. This is governed by Oak’s terms and conditions, available at: https://www.thenational.academy/legal/terms-and-conditions.

Aila is Oak National Academy’s optional artificial intelligence lesson assistant and teachers who choose to use it can create bespoke lesson resources and save time.

Aila does not train or fine-tune a model and Oak has opted out of its inputs for use by the underlying model provider for training.

As an arm’s-length body, Oak is responsible for the development and operation of its products, including Aila, with oversight from its board. Officials at the department worked with Oak as part of assurance processes during its development.

Aila was developed to support teachers with lesson planning and draws on Oak’s curriculum resources. Oak is responsible for the content it makes available to teachers, including through Aila, and the use of this platform. This is governed by Oak’s terms and conditions, available at: https://www.thenational.academy/legal/terms-and-conditions.

Aila is Oak National Academy’s optional artificial intelligence lesson assistant and teachers who choose to use it can create bespoke lesson resources and save time.

Aila does not train or fine-tune a model and Oak has opted out of its inputs for use by the underlying model provider for training.

As an arm’s-length body, Oak is responsible for the development and operation of its products, including Aila, with oversight from its board. Officials at the department worked with Oak as part of assurance processes during its development.

Aila was developed to support teachers with lesson planning and draws on Oak’s curriculum resources. Oak is responsible for the content it makes available to teachers, including through Aila, and the use of this platform. This is governed by Oak’s terms and conditions, available at: https://www.thenational.academy/legal/terms-and-conditions.

In July 2024, the government established the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. The final report, published in November 2025, makes several recommendations about mathematics, including that the government retains the amount and type of content in the key stage 1 to 3 curriculum, but re-sequences topics so pupils can master them deeply, with opportunities for more complex problem solving. The government accepted these recommendations and committed to deepen pupils’ understanding, including via non-routine problem solving. Work is underway to redraft national curriculum programmes of study and subject content for the first group of GCSEs in response to these recommendations. The department expects there will be a public consultation on the proposals in due course.

Higher education providers in England are independent, autonomous institutions. Decisions about which courses they offer are a matter for each provider and the government has not made a specific assessment of the impact of individual institutional decisions such as this.

Where a provider decides to close a department, the Office for Students, as the independent regulator, requires it to have a student protection plan in place. The plan will always include minimum measures for ensuring that existing students complete their course and continue to access student finance or transfer to other providers. We expect the University of Nottingham to honour its commitments to its current students.

Some specialist agriculture and horticulture training institutions are independent specialist colleges, while others are campuses or facilities within larger institutions.

The table below shows the number of students and the amount of total programme funding at the independent, specialist institutions in published 16 to 19 funding data.

Independent specialist agricultural and horticultural or land-based colleges

Note: Equivalent data is not available for academic year 2006/07.

The student and funding data in the table is not comparable between years because changes in structure (for example, college mergers) have reduced the number of independent specialist institutions of this type.

Using the programme cost weighting element of the 16-19 funding formula as a proxy for the total number of students receiving relevant education, the highest “specialist” programme cost weighting is for land-based subjects studied in specialist provision. Programme cost weighting recognises that this provision costs significantly more to deliver because of the need for specialist facilities, equipment, land, livestock, machinery and smaller teaching groups. Students can attract this both in the independent specialist colleges covered in the table above and in specialist campuses or facilities within larger institutions. The table below shows how many students received this programme cost weighting, although not all students at specialist colleges will necessarily be studying subjects which attract this programme cost weighting.

Note: Equivalent data is not available for the academic year 2006/07.

The government is committed to ensuring that families can access joined-up support through Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH). The department’s guidance sets out minimum expectations for BSFH staff to identify risk factors that contribute to potential offending behaviour, to be aware of child criminal exploitation and relevant support programmes and services, and to work with serious violence prevention programmes.

Local authorities are responsible for shaping delivery to reflect local needs and for determining how they deliver against these wider services expectations.

All local authorities have published a Best Start in Life local plan, setting out how services will be integrated to support a cohesive multi-agency approach for children and young people. They have also developed BSFH delivery plans explaining how programme funding will be used to deliver against programme expectations.

The department supports and monitors BSFH delivery through these plans, local-authority data returns and regular engagement with local authorities.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) continues to provide adopted and kinship children with a high standard of tailored therapeutic support. The government has increased the fund's budget by 10%, from £50 million to £55 million. Since its introduction, the fund has helped nearly 61,000 children access the support they need, strengthening family relationships and helping to prevent family breakdown. Where a child's assessed needs require additional support, local authorities and regional adoption agencies can use their own funding to provide therapy beyond that funded through the ASGSF and should make decisions in line with individual assessments. It is for local authorities to determine their own resourcing priorities, but the Families First Programme guidance is clear that adoptive families are eligible to access Family Help support.

The department does not hold information on applications that local authorities have decided not to submit, nor their reasons for this decision. Similarly, the department is unable to monitor any unmet need within local areas. The department has no plans to introduce exceptional funding for children and young people whose needs cannot be met within the Fair Access Limit.

​​The department has worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and health partners throughout the delivery of the Meningitis B vaccination offer, including support for vaccine uptake among eligible young people.

​The department has amplified the campaign of DHSC and health partners to promote vaccine uptake through the health system directly to eligible cohorts.

​​The department has also used a range of channels to raise awareness among schools, colleges and universities, including the Education Hub and Teacher Bulletin. It has also worked with UCAS, Universities UK and the Association of Colleges to reach students directly. This has included targeted communications to university and international students, alongside joint communications with health partners.

​​We continue to monitor uptake and consider opportunities to promote the offer further, with eligible young people encouraged to receive both doses. First doses are available until 31 December 2026 and second doses until 31 March 2027.

​​The department has worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and health partners throughout the delivery of the Meningitis B vaccination offer, including support for vaccine uptake among eligible young people.

​The department has amplified the campaign of DHSC and health partners to promote vaccine uptake through the health system directly to eligible cohorts.

​​The department has also used a range of channels to raise awareness among schools, colleges and universities, including the Education Hub and Teacher Bulletin. It has also worked with UCAS, Universities UK and the Association of Colleges to reach students directly. This has included targeted communications to university and international students, alongside joint communications with health partners.

​​We continue to monitor uptake and consider opportunities to promote the offer further, with eligible young people encouraged to receive both doses. First doses are available until 31 December 2026 and second doses until 31 March 2027.

The Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) sets out a core minimum entitlement of what should be covered for all trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) during their teacher training and induction. It includes learning to teach and model a range of social and emotional skills to support pupil’s social and emotional development, know who to contact for pupil mental health concerns and how to support their own mental wellbeing.

The ITTECF deliberately does not detail approaches to specific additional needs. Instead, it includes approaches to teaching that are effective for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is working with an expert working group of special school leaders and ITT providers to further strengthen the experience of SEND training in ITT.

For continuing professional development, the government is investing over £200 million in professional development on SEND and inclusion across schools, colleges and nurseries. There will also be a new requirement set out in the SEND Code of Practice for all settings to ensure that staff receive training on SEND and inclusion.

The department consulted earlier this year on proposals for reforming the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system, including how support is given through education, health and care (EHC) plans. Working closely with the Ministry of Defence, we have sought and received extensive feedback from service families with children with SEND about the particular challenges faced by their need to relocate regularly. We will set out further proposals for reform based on the consultation responses.

Education is a devolved matter, and across the UK there are different approaches to supporting those with special educational or additional needs, including different eligibilities for accessing statutory documents such as an EHC plan. When a family moves across borders, statutory documents from the other UK nations can help inform decisions over the support for a child and we encourage this practice in the SEND Code of Practice.

I have held discussions on these issues with ministerial colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland, and we will continue to look to improve the continuity of support for children in these circumstances.

We inherited a student loan system that is unfair and in need of reform but we also have to put that in the context of the wider public finances and the pressures our economy faces.

We increased the repayment threshold for Plan 2 loans to £28,470 in April 2025, its first increase since 2021, and we increased it again on 6 April this year to £29,385. This threshold will remain at this level until April 2030, at which point it will increase annually by inflation. Maintaining the Plan 2 repayment threshold in the 2027/28, 2028/29 and 2029/30 financial years is expected to have only small impacts on individual lifetime student loan repayments.

The department will continue to keep the student finance system under review to ensure it remains fair, protects lower and middle earners through income-contingent repayments, and balances the interests of students, graduates and taxpayers.

The new Renewal and Retrofit Programme (RRP) will improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so that buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The programme will initially focus on replacing the worst-condition, life-expired temporary buildings alongside installation of energy generation and efficiency measures in the 2026/27 academic year. There was no application process and projects are currently being selected. The department is working with responsible bodies for those projects, including local authorities for maintained schools.

As the programme expands from 2027, it will support a broader range of renewal projects while considering measures to improve resilience to flooding and overheating. The department will set out further details in due course on how schools and colleges can join the programme when it is expanded from 2027.

The department presented the details of the RRP programme with a group of local authorities at the Education Estates conference in October.