Department for Education

The average Plan 2 loan borrower turning 30 years of age in the2025/26 financial year and making student loan repayments through PAYE is expected to pay £29,100 in income tax, £11,600 in employee National Insurance contributions and £5,600 in Plan 2 student loan repayments between the 2025/26 and 2029/30 financial years (figures rounded to the nearest £100).

Plan 2 borrowers turning 30 in 2025/26 are likely to be in the early stages of their careers, and many may not be earning enough to be making student loan repayment. These borrowers are not included in our average. Plan 2 borrowers may re-borrow or have borrowed on other plans. These student loan repayments have not been considered. Only PAYE student loan repayments have been considered. Note some Plan 2 borrowers will be making voluntary repayments direct to the Student Loans Company, making repayments from overseas or be on self-assessment.

The government is committed to supporting care leavers as they transition to independence.

Staying Put enables care leavers to prepare for independence more gradually in a stable and secure family setting. It enables young people to continue living with their former foster carer(s) when they turn age 18, potentially up to age 21, if both parties want this.

We are committed to Staying Put arrangements but must prioritise the introduction of the Staying Close duty in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which provides support to those who cannot benefit from Staying Put.

Staying Close offers tailored support for care leavers, including help to find and keep suitable accommodation and access to wraparound services such as health and wellbeing, education, training and employment. This measure ensures that eligible care leavers can receive support up to age 25, helping them to build stability and life skills and reducing the risk of homelessness and poor outcomes. This includes young people who might have previously been in a Staying Put arrangement.

The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders.

In the current financial year, the department has invested £50 million in the ASGSF, ensuring that adopted and kinship children may have access to therapeutic services designed to stabilise placements and address complex needs.

The government has launched the Families First Partnership programme, providing an additional £547 million, and bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to strengthen family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029.

Local authorities are responsible for determining how best to deploy these resources to meet increased demand for therapeutic support beyond the fair access limit.

The government is transforming apprenticeships into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners while supporting the industrial strategy. In August, new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors and shorter-duration options were introduced to help more people gain high-quality skills and drive business innovation.

The government has also launched 10 construction technical excellence colleges (TECs) and will expand the programme to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and defence. Selection for these TECs begins by the end of 2025, with delivery from April 2026.

Providers nationwide are funded to develop training aligned with local needs. In 2025/26, 67% of the £1.44 billion adult skills fund was devolved to 13 strategic authorities for locally tailored provision.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) unite employers, educators, and leaders to match local skills provision to demand. The Business West Chamber of Commerce leads the West of England and North Somerset LSIP.

To support the transition to V Levels, the government will retain the majority of existing vocational qualifications to minimise disruption for learners and providers. This includes Applied General Qualifications under 720 guided learning hours in T Level areas, as well as smaller reformed qualifications such as Alternative Academic Qualifications and Technical Occupational Qualifications. In non-T Level areas, all current qualifications will continue to be funded until V Levels or T Levels are introduced. Qualifications that have already been defunded will remain so.

The department is consulting with the sector on the introduction of V Levels, including transitional arrangements to achieve the qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper.

We must tackle antisemitism in every form to root this hatred out of our society. Education is critical to this.

The department has committed £7 million to fund projects and programmes to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.

Universities should have robust processes in place to deal with acts of harassment and abuse on campus. We have called on universities to use every tool available to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.

The department is providing £2 million to the Holocaust Educational Trust to deliver the ‘Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching’ programme. Teaching about antisemitism is integral to teaching this event.

The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality-assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton to the answer of 22 October 2025 to question ​​81502​.

The information requested is not held centrally by the department.

The Office for National Statistics produce annual population estimates for England at lower level geographies, broken down by age, and will likely hold the relevant information.

Information on the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is published in the statistical release, Special educational needs in England, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25. This includes information for each local authority on the number of pupils with SEN, their type of need, type of school attended and characteristics such as ethnicity, age sex, and free school meal eligibility.

Information on the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans maintained by each local authority is published in the statistical release, accessible at:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This includes information for each local authority on the number of plans maintained for all children and young people aged 0 to 25, including those educated other than in schools. It also covers the timeliness for issuing EHC plans, the number of requests for and number of EHC needs assessments carried out, the placement of children and young people with an EHC plan, and the number of plans which cease and the reasons why they cease.

The department has not received any representations from UK universities on funding partnerships with Chinese military institutions or companies connected to the military.

Universities are independent from government, and it is their responsibility to assess their arrangements. We encourage universities to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations.

The government supports the sector in managing risks through the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and a comprehensive package of legislative and regulatory measures including the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, export controls and the National Security and Investment Act.

The department provides grant funding through the strategic priorities grant to the Office for Students for distribution to providers in line with terms and conditions set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. None of these terms and conditions relate to programmes involving Chinese military institutions or companies connected to them.

The department has not received any representations from UK universities on funding partnerships with Chinese military institutions or companies connected to the military.

Universities are independent from government, and it is their responsibility to assess their arrangements. We encourage universities to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations.

The government supports the sector in managing risks through the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and a comprehensive package of legislative and regulatory measures including the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, export controls and the National Security and Investment Act.

The department provides grant funding through the strategic priorities grant to the Office for Students for distribution to providers in line with terms and conditions set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. None of these terms and conditions relate to programmes involving Chinese military institutions or companies connected to them.

The department has not received any representations from UK universities on funding partnerships with Chinese military institutions or companies connected to the military.

Universities are independent from government, and it is their responsibility to assess their arrangements. We encourage universities to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations.

The government supports the sector in managing risks through the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and a comprehensive package of legislative and regulatory measures including the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, export controls and the National Security and Investment Act.

The department provides grant funding through the strategic priorities grant to the Office for Students for distribution to providers in line with terms and conditions set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. None of these terms and conditions relate to programmes involving Chinese military institutions or companies connected to them.

The department records sickness absence categorised to show the broad reason for the absence, with one option titled ‘anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses’. As of 31 October 2025, five or fewer members of staff in the department were on sickness absence for six months or more, and were still absent on that date, with a recorded reason for the sickness absence of ‘anxiety, stress, depression and other psychiatric illnesses’. Due to the small numbers involved, figures are rounded to the nearest five and are not reported separately. The department does not hold more detailed information on the individual circumstances of these cases.

Statistics on mental ill-health related absence across the Civil Service, including for the department, are publicly available in the Civil Service sickness absence reports on GOV.UK. These are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence. The next release is due on 18 December.

The department is committed to supporting staff wellbeing and provides a range of services, including occupational health support, access to an Employee Assistance Programme, and trained Mental Health First Aiders.

We know that disadvantaged pupils face barriers to engagement with education. A recent report from the Child Poverty Action Group found that more than 1 in 4 pupils aged 11 to 18 eligible for free school meals in the UK say they have missed school at least once because they did not have something they needed to attend. Absence data reinforces this with the rate of overall absence for pupils eligible for free school meals continuing to be almost twice that of pupils not eligible.

The government’s landmark decision to remove the two-child limit will lift almost half a million children out of poverty; this comes alongside our actions to tackle the cost of the school day, through expanding free school meals, cutting the cost of uniform and delivering free breakfast clubs in primary schools, which will all remove barriers to school attendance and attainment. Mental health support teams are also providing earlier support in school for young people.

Our real-time attendance data and toolkits for schools enable early identification of pupils at risk of persistent absence and include a self-assessment tool that explicitly asks schools how they track and respond to the absence of pupils entitled to free school meals. Schools can also use Pupil Premium funding to provide attendance support for disadvantaged students.

The government believes that work and study placements overseas, including internships, can help students to develop their skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. That is why, in the current academic year, the department is funding over 35,200 Turing Scheme placements, an estimated 61% of which are for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

An evaluation of the Turing Scheme in its first year of operation showed that 91% of higher education and 80% of further education students on work placements believed that their Turing Scheme placement enhanced their career and prospects.

As set out at the UK-EU Summit in May, we are working towards association to Erasmus+ on mutually agreed financial terms. Erasmus+ provides opportunities for young people to study, train, or gain work experience abroad. Erasmus+ placements provide valuable international experiences, helping young people develop new skills, broaden horizons, and enhance future career prospects.

The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders. Decisions to fund additional therapy beyond the fair access limit rest with individual local authorities.

This financial year, we have invested £50 million in the ASGSF, giving adopted and kinship children access to therapeutic services that stabilise placements and address complex needs.

The government has introduced the Families First Partnership programme, with an extra £547 million, bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to improve family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029. Local authorities should decide how best to use these resources to support adoptive and kinship families.

The department does not collect data on how many families require therapy beyond the fair access limit.

This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families.

To ensure lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our reforms, we have launched a national conversation on SEND with children, young people and their families, experts, charities and other sector organisations through our SEND Ministerial development group, regional and online engagement sessions, and ministerial roundtables. Further information is available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-reform-national-conversation/.

The experiences shared during these engagement opportunities will be vital in ensuring that our proposals effectively deliver meaningful reforms for families. We will continue engagement as part of a formal consultation following the White Paper publication, and the responses received will be carefully considered in shaping the reforms.

This government is determined to deliver reform that stands the test of time and rebuilds the confidence of families. To ensure lived experience and partnership are at the heart of our solutions, we are currently engaging with children, young people and their families, experts, charities and other sector organisations through our special educational needs and disabilities Ministerial development group, regional and online engagement sessions, and ministerial roundtables as well as through our online portal which can be accessed here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-reform-national-conversation/.

We want to hear from as many people as possible, from parents and young people to those working in schools, colleges and early years – building a consensus on what works to help deliver lasting reform. The experiences shared during these engagement opportunities will be vital in ensuring that our proposals effectively deliver meaningful reforms for families. We will also continue engagement as part of a formal consultation following the Schools White Paper publication, and the responses received will be carefully considered in shaping the reforms.

The department does not hold published national data on the number of pupils who completed two weeks of work experience in the last three years. Schools currently report on whether pupils have had an experience of a workplace rather than the duration of that experience.

According to school and college performance data captured through the Compass+ online self-assessment tool, more students are experiencing workplaces than in previous years. Overall performance on Gatsby Benchmark 6 (experiences of workplaces) in the 2024/25 academic year improved by 2% points from 2023/24 to 74% on average for all schools and colleges.

The department is funding the Careers and Enterprise Company to deliver the first phase of activity to prepare schools and employers to deliver the government’s commitment to ensure every pupil has access to two weeks’ worth of work experience during their secondary education.

The writing framework is the department’s initial step in a broader, long-term strategy aimed at enhancing the teaching of writing and raising attainment in schools. It was developed with input from an expert panel, all of whom had to declare any potential conflicts of interest, and with support from a wider group of other experts and organisations, including a range of commercial programme providers, academics and leading practitioners, to ensure a diverse and valuable range of perspectives.

The writing framework does not support or promote any specific individual or organisation. The framework also makes it clear that there is no requirement for schools to adopt commercially produced programmes. However, the framework offers guidance to help schools evaluate their options and ensure any programme they choose is underpinned by a strong, evidence-based rationale.

The writing framework is the department’s initial step in a broader, long-term strategy aimed at enhancing the teaching of writing and raising attainment in schools. It was developed with input from an expert panel, all of whom had to declare any potential conflicts of interest, and with support from a wider group of other experts and organisations, including a range of commercial programme providers, academics and leading practitioners, to ensure a diverse and valuable range of perspectives.

The writing framework does not support or promote any specific individual or organisation. The framework also makes it clear that there is no requirement for schools to adopt commercially produced programmes. However, the framework offers guidance to help schools evaluate their options and ensure any programme they choose is underpinned by a strong, evidence-based rationale.

Capita, as administrator of the teachers’ pension scheme, is processing Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) for retired members affected by the McCloud remedy as quickly as possible. As of 15 October 2025, 69,798 RSSs have been issued to retired members.

Payments are made as soon as possible following the return of completed RSSs. To speed up delivery, the department is working with Capita to increase staffing, automate processes, improve IT systems, and prioritise complex cases. Members will continue receiving their original pension until remedy choices are implemented, and any backdated payments will include interest to ensure no financial disadvantage.

This is a high priority for the department and we are committed to resolving this with Capita and ensuring retired members receive their RSSs as quickly as possible.

The government understands the impact of epilepsy and other long-term medical conditions on the way pupils feel included and supported in school life. The statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. The government has committed to reviewing the statutory guidance, and we intend to consult on revised guidance. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Our aim is to ensure that schools are better equipped to support all pupils with medical conditions, including those with epilepsy, as part of our wider ambition to create more inclusive schools through the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

The government understands the impact of epilepsy and other long-term medical conditions on the way pupils feel included and supported in school life. The statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. The government has committed to reviewing the statutory guidance, and we intend to consult on revised guidance. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Our aim is to ensure that schools are better equipped to support all pupils with medical conditions, including those with epilepsy, as part of our wider ambition to create more inclusive schools through the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

The Competition and Markets Authority’s 2022 report on the children’s social care market found that the 15 largest providers of placements for looked-after children were making an average profit of 22.6% on children’s homes.

In addition, reports from Revolution Consulting found that aggregate profits among the top 20 children’s homes providers, measured using the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) method, increased from 18.8% to 19.8% between 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the average EBITDA margin was 19%, although this figure excludes Caretech, the largest provider.

The department’s work to improve the data that both we and local authorities have access to on the children’s social care placement market, and the financial oversight scheme we are legislating for through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, will enable greater central government oversight. This work will help us to keep the market under close review.

The Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy sets out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs; widens access to high-quality education and training; supports innovation, research, and development; and improves people’s lives.

The government has established Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are employer-led strategies designed to ensure post-16 technical education and vocational training align with local labour market needs. Business West is leading the development of the local LSIP working with the West of England Combined Authority, local businesses and delivery partners. The plan will be published in Summer 2026. Businesses are supported to partner with colleges and training providers to deliver vocational programmes, apprenticeships, and national initiatives such as Skills Bootcamps and T Levels.

The volume of appeals to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal means that some families face a year-long wait for a hearing, lengthening the time it takes for children and young people to get the support they need. We are working with the Ministry of Justice and His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure appeals are heard faster, including through the recruitment of 70 new judges, more cases being resolved ‘on paper’, hearings being held in school holidays, and the prioritisation of appeals for those who are moving between education phases.

As of 6 November 2025, the total number of Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) issued is 70,616. As of the same date, the total that remain outstanding is 71,955.

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward, as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

Capita, as the scheme administrator, keeps affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx. As responsibility for this work transitions to Tata Consultancy Services as the new scheme administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in Summer 2026, the department is working with Tata to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to all affected scheme members.

This is a high priority for the department, and officials continues to closely monitor progress and work with Capita to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not disadvantaged.

As of 6 November 2025, the total number of Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) issued is 70,616. As of the same date, the total that remain outstanding is 71,955.

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward, as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

Capita, as the scheme administrator, keeps affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx. As responsibility for this work transitions to Tata Consultancy Services as the new scheme administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in Summer 2026, the department is working with Tata to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to all affected scheme members.

This is a high priority for the department, and officials continues to closely monitor progress and work with Capita to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not disadvantaged.

As of 6 November 2025, the total number of Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) issued is 70,616. As of the same date, the total that remain outstanding is 71,955.

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward, as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

Capita, as the scheme administrator, keeps affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx. As responsibility for this work transitions to Tata Consultancy Services as the new scheme administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in Summer 2026, the department is working with Tata to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to all affected scheme members.

This is a high priority for the department, and officials continues to closely monitor progress and work with Capita to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not disadvantaged.

The government is committed to ensuring that high quality arts, music and physical education is not for the privileged few but an entitlement for all. We will ensure that the reformed national curriculum will support access to art and design, music and physical education, as well as access to drama within English. We will also ensure GCSEs in arts subjects and physical education are inclusive and fit for purpose.

Next year, we will launch the procurement of a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education and a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to support excellent teaching, strengthen partnerships between schools and national and local organisations, and promote arts and sporting opportunities for children and young people. In addition, the government has already committed £76 million for the Music Hubs grant this academic year, with future funding to be announced in due course.

The department is processing the information received through the Digital Expenditure Reporting Return and will publish a summary of quality assured data in the New Year.

Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November, we have accepted the recommendations for computing and will go further by including artificial intelligence (AI) within the curriculum. We are also exploring a potential level 3 qualification in data science and AI. This will empower students to harness the opportunities of AI, whilst navigating its risks responsibly.

We will work with subject experts to embed AI and issues like bias in technology within the refreshed computing curriculum in an age-appropriate way. Content will be shaped through expert engagement, with a public consultation on draft proposals next year.

To support the teaching of AI now, the department-funded National Centre for Computing Education offers free online courses for teachers on machine learning, ethics and generative AI. In July, the government also published updated relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance introducing new content on AI which will be mandatory from 1 September 2026.

Schools, trusts and local authorities can use their budgets at their discretion to purchase technology for their pupils. The department does not mandate a specific device to pupil ratio or recommend how much funding should be allocated for devices.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the department delivered over 1.95 million laptops and tablets to schools, academy trusts and local authorities in England through the ‘Get Help With Technology’ programme, launched in March 2020, which supported remote learning for disadvantaged children. The last devices were delivered by March 2022 and the service closed in June 2022.

The programme represented an investment of approximately £400 million, covering procurement and distribution of devices, alongside connectivity support for families without internet access.

Data on dispatched devices is published in statistical releases via the Explore Education Statistics portal here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data/2022-april.

The department monitors pupil access to devices via the Technology in Schools Survey here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-in-schools-survey-report-2022-to-2023.

The department recognises that it is normal for young people to experience some stress around exams. It is important that this stress is identified early and the right support is in place to help young people manage it in a healthy and constructive way. Schools play a key role in supporting students through this, and mental health charities such as YoungMinds have published guidance on staying well during revision and exams. Their guidance is available at:

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/media/mqljrydj/staying-well-during-revision-and-exams.pdf.

The department is providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHST), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review carefully considered evidence on wellbeing and found that many factors can impact student mental health. The Review recommended reducing exam volume to help improve the overall student experience. We will work closely with Ofqual and exam boards to reduce GCSE exam time by 2.5 to 3 hours for the average student, while maintaining high standards and protecting the integrity and validity of the qualifications system.

As part of changes introduced by Clause 11 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will amend Section 25 of the Children Act 1989 (CA 1989) to allow for authorisation of a deprivation of liberty in ’Relevant Accommodation’ under the CA 1989, the department can confirm that the same regulation making powers that exist currently for the Secretary of State in relation to Secure Accommodation will also be available for ’Relevant Accommodation’.

It will be made clear in regulations that Secretary of State approval will be required to deprive children under the age of 13 of their liberty via Section 25 of the CA1989 in Relevant Accommodation. As per updated guidance published on 17 November, there is no such regulatory requirement regarding Secretary of State approval for applications to the High Court under its inherent jurisdiction for a deprivation of liberty order – this does not amend the requirements or guidance on the use of Section 25.

The department has no plans to restore the academy conversion support grant. Voluntary conversion is a choice for schools and trusts to make.

​​As the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme administrator, Capita are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices and aim to complete payments as quickly as possible. The relevant regulations provide for a member’s RSS choice to be put into payment as soon as is reasonably practicable. As part of the implementation arrangements for payments, it was not possible to start payments until June 2025 as time was needed to allow for recruitment, training, development of instructions, and IT enhancements to be made and implemented.

​Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented, at which point backdated interest will be applied to their payment.

​Payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority, and the department is continually exploring ways to improve payment and processing times with Capita, which includes providing further funding for additional staff and automating payment and processing functions.

Local authorities and social care practitioners are required to support children in a way that meets their needs and best interests. This support will look different on an individual case basis. In considering their safeguarding policies and how best to support children questioning their gender, leaders and practitioners should be led by the guidance and regulations most relevant to their setting or role. They can also be informed by the evidence and principles set out in the Cass Review.

Further resources on support for children questioning their gender can be found via the NHS here: https://www.genderreferralservice.nhs.uk/.

Local authorities and social care practitioners are required to support children in a way that meets their needs and best interests. This support will look different on an individual case basis. In considering their safeguarding policies and how best to support children questioning their gender, leaders and practitioners should be led by the guidance and regulations most relevant to their setting or role. They can also be informed by the evidence and principles set out in the Cass Review.

Further resources on support for children questioning their gender can be found via the NHS here: https://www.genderreferralservice.nhs.uk/.

On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England.

The government’s response to the report includes a commitment to commits to strengthening pupils’ foundational understanding of financial education in maths and citizenship, with digital resources to support teaching. New statutory citizenship at key stages 1 and 2 will also ensure that primary aged children are introduced to key content on media literacy, financial literacy, law and rights, democracy and government and climate education. These principles will be extended to the secondary core content to reflect the age range of pupils and will focus on more complex content, particularly digital elements of financial literacy.

The department expects schools to develop and improve their careers provision to be inclusive for all young people in line with the world-class Gatsby Benchmarks, including benchmark 3, which focuses on addressing the individual needs of each pupil.

Data on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out and assessments outstanding is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This includes data for the North East. The latest data was published on 26 June 2025. ​​​

Following the above publication of EHC plan statistics, departmental officials met with all North East local authorities during July and August 2025, including Northumberland County Council. Officials discussed the published data including the overall timeliness of assessments and actions each local area was taking to improve services and reduce wait times for children, young people and their families undergoing an EHC needs assessment.

The department will continue to work with North East local area partnerships to monitor the delivery of special educational needs and disabilities services and offer support when required.

The department provided over 20,000 defibrillators to almost 18,000 schools, ensuring that all state-funded schools in England have access to a device.

The programme is now closed; however, schools who wish to purchase defibrillators are able to buy them through the NHS Defibs4Schools programme, which provides defibrillators of a suitable specification. Defibs4Schools can be contacted at: defibs4schools@supplychain.nhs.uk.

Schools have the autonomy to decide how they teach first aid, including teaching additional topical content and which resources to use.

It is for schools to decide what training equipment may be suitable to facilitate the delivery of CPR training at their school, based on their individual circumstances. The department provides advice on free resources in its defibrillator guidance to schools, including the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) RevivR CPR training and BHF CPR training pack for secondary schools. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools.

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to publish a Local Offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those without an education, health and care plan.

Every local authority must have a SEND information, advice and support service. These provide free and impartial advice to children and young people with SEND and their parents and carers.

The department works with national organisations such as Contact, IPSEA and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums. We also fund local parent carer forums across England who gather the views and experiences of local SEND families to help shape and inform policy and provision and offer a valuable peer support network for parents and carers navigating the SEND system.