Department for Education

We are investing over £1 billion more in the early years entitlements this year compared to 2025/26 and an above inflation increase to entitlements funding rates. In 2026/27, we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements. Coram–PACEY’s 2026 Childcare Survey found that the expansion of 30 hours of funded childcare significantly reduced costs for eligible working parents in England, in some cases making part time childcare effectively free during term time. In addition to funding increases, we are committing to consult on changes to how early years funding is allocated and distributed as part of the ongoing review of childcare provision and regulation.

By allowing funded hours to be stretched across the year, deducting closures from calculations, and enabling mixed‑provider models, the system is designed to work alongside all‑year childcare businesses, managing funding and fees transparently and within national limits, broadening parental choice.

We continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places; the key measure being the supply of available places is sufficient to meet requirements.

Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 states local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient in their area.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is clear that healthcare provision is only deemed to be special educational provision if it educates or trains a child or young person. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, as set out in paragraph 9.74 of the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Schools are not responsible for clinical healthcare tasks. Healthcare tasks can be delegated to staff in schools and other education settings where the responsible healthcare professional considers delegation safe and appropriate. While training may be necessary as part of delegation arrangements, it does not of itself transfer responsibility. The department is working with the Department for Health and Social care to produce guidance on clinical healthcare in schools.

Local authorities and integrated care boards must work together to put joint commissioning arrangements in place to ensure sufficient services and provision are available to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, both those with education, health and care plans and those without. This would include children and young people with cerebral palsy.

Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014 is clear that healthcare provision is only deemed to be special educational provision if it educates or trains a child or young person. Such decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, as set out in paragraph 9.74 of the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’.

Schools are not responsible for clinical healthcare tasks. Healthcare tasks can be delegated to staff in schools and other education settings where the responsible healthcare professional considers delegation safe and appropriate. While training may be necessary as part of delegation arrangements, it does not of itself transfer responsibility. The department is working with the Department for Health and Social care to produce guidance on clinical healthcare in schools.

Local authorities and integrated care boards must work together to put joint commissioning arrangements in place to ensure sufficient services and provision are available to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, both those with education, health and care plans and those without. This would include children and young people with cerebral palsy.

Recipient Average Costs per Financial Years

Application requests are made within the Fair Access Limit – we do not approve an amount different to the requested amount.

Local Authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies are responsible for submitting applications. The financial value of all applications submitted to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were below the £3,000 fair access limit. The department regularly reviews the costs per hour of therapy, and the number of hours of therapy per application. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies can top-up funding using their own resources.

The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support, including the long-term effects of any changes made to adoption support.

Recipient Average Costs per Financial Years

Application requests are made within the Fair Access Limit – we do not approve an amount different to the requested amount.

Local Authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies are responsible for submitting applications. The financial value of all applications submitted to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were below the £3,000 fair access limit. The department regularly reviews the costs per hour of therapy, and the number of hours of therapy per application. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies can top-up funding using their own resources.

The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support, including the long-term effects of any changes made to adoption support.

Recipient Average Costs per Financial Years

Application requests are made within the Fair Access Limit – we do not approve an amount different to the requested amount.

Local Authorities and Regional Adoption Agencies are responsible for submitting applications. The financial value of all applications submitted to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were below the £3,000 fair access limit. The department regularly reviews the costs per hour of therapy, and the number of hours of therapy per application. Local authorities and regional adoption agencies can top-up funding using their own resources.

The department is currently considering responses to its consultation on the future of Adoption Support, including the long-term effects of any changes made to adoption support.

The department has published the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper, alongside a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation, which set out our plans for reform, including those relating to funding. We have also published additional information on SEND Reform for those leading and working in mainstream schools, and a summary of what the SEND reforms mean for specialist provision, including special schools, which are available on GOV.UK.

In taking forward these plans, our aim is both to establish a fair mainstream school funding system that directs funding to where it is needed, enabling improved support for children with SEND, and to create a fair, transparent system that gives specialist schools stable, predictable funding to deliver high-quality education and integrated support for children with the most complex needs. We will consult on proposals for specific funding changes as these plans are further developed.

The independent expert panel has been appointed to oversee the development of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages. The panel will draw on evidence from academics, education leaders and practitioners, the Education Endowment Foundation, health and social care professionals, and UKRI. They will promote high-quality, evidence-based practice, to ensure accountability and alignment across the system.

The panel will also engage with stakeholders from the wider community, including children, young people, families, practitioners, local authorities and representative organisations to make sure their recommendations are informed by a wide range of views and lived experience. A parent engagement group to support the panel's work is being established.

The panel will publish their recommendations on draft Specialist Provision Packages for the department and the Department of Health and Social Care to decide on. The departments will be accountable for decision-making on the Specialist Provision Packages.

The government has not made any assessment of the financial sustainability of the private school sector. It is for private schools, as private businesses, to ensure their businesses remain viable.

The department engages regularly with Mayoral Strategic Authorities on a wide range of issues, including the devolved skills powers and funding they hold, and their role as leaders in their local skills systems. Skills devolution is an important mechanism for enabling more responsive and locally tailored provision that meets the needs of learners, employers and regional economies.

The government recognises the value of empowering Strategic Authorities to shape skills provision in line with local priorities. Through ongoing engagement, the department will continue to explore opportunities to build on existing devolution arrangements, ensuring that skills investment supports local growth and delivers outcomes that reflect the needs of communities across England.

The government recognises that care-experienced children, including children who are looked after, living in kinship care or adopted, can face additional challenges.

The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, backed by over £600 million of funding for the next three years, provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to eligible children during the school holidays. The programme is specifically targeted at children eligible for free school meals from households with annual earnings of £7,400 or less, focussing on families facing the greatest levels of disadvantage.

Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised places to children who do not meet the eligibility criteria but could benefit from HAF, in line with local needs and priorities such as care-experienced children.

The government is also strengthening support for care-experienced children through wider reforms, including enhanced support for children in kinship care, extension of the Virtual School Head role and investment in kinship care support.

The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.

We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.

Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.

To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.

We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.

We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.

The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.

We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.

Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.

To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.

We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.

We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.

The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.

We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.

Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.

To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.

We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.

We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.

All embedded communicators are members of the Government Communication Service.

The department uses the Government Commercial Agency contract with Banner for the purchase of branded goods and merchandise. The Banner contract manager has confirmed that no branded goods or merchandise has been bought by the department since the Government Chief Commercial Officer letter was sent.

The department is committed to ensuring that all children have the best possible start in life and is committed to improving school readiness with a clear ambition for 75% of children to reach a good level of development by 2028.

Support for parenting and the home learning environment is central to this, as what happens at home has the biggest impact on a child’s life chances. We are supporting families of children aged 0–5 to build strong foundations for development through everyday interactions such as talking, playing and reading.

To deliver this, Best Start Family Hubs have been expanded nationally, with a hub now available in every local authority area, making it easier for families to access universal support close to home.

Further, the government is rolling out universal childcare entitlements, helping more families access high-quality early education and childcare while supporting children’s learning and development before they start school.

​As the last government set out when announcing the expansion of government funded childcare in 2023, this aimed to tackle the fact that ‘the employment rate and hours worked by parents, particularly mothers, drops after childbirth and persists until after their children reach school age’.

Access to childcare continues to be a key factor in helping parents to work. Official statistics from the 2025 Childcare and Early Years Parent survey highlight that around two thirds (66%) of mothers in families with children aged 0 to 4 years said that having reliable childcare helped them to work, and that in the absence of the working parents offer for 9 months to 2 year olds, 40% in receipt of the offer said that they would be working fewer hours.

However, we know that many of those who need and benefit from early education and childcare miss out. Children who attend high-quality early education and childcare between ages 2 and 4 on average perform better at every stage of school, with children from low-income families benefiting the most. Nearly 1.5 million children aged 9 months to school age are excluded from the full 30-hour entitlement because their parents do not meet the eligibility rules. Children in lower income areas face both fewer childcare places and fewer high-quality providers on their doorstep. Childcare is a key barrier to those on low incomes working more, with a disproportionate impact on women.

This is why the department is leading an Early Education and Childcare Review to improve the system so that it is simpler, fairer and focused on children, ensuring support reaches the families who need it most. Through this, as the former Secretary of State for Education set out, universal childcare is something towards which we should build.

​As the last government set out when announcing the expansion of government funded childcare in 2023, this aimed to tackle the fact that ‘the employment rate and hours worked by parents, particularly mothers, drops after childbirth and persists until after their children reach school age’.

Access to childcare continues to be a key factor in helping parents to work. Official statistics from the 2025 Childcare and Early Years Parent survey highlight that around two thirds (66%) of mothers in families with children aged 0 to 4 years said that having reliable childcare helped them to work, and that in the absence of the working parents offer for 9 months to 2 year olds, 40% in receipt of the offer said that they would be working fewer hours.

However, we know that many of those who need and benefit from early education and childcare miss out. Children who attend high-quality early education and childcare between ages 2 and 4 on average perform better at every stage of school, with children from low-income families benefiting the most. Nearly 1.5 million children aged 9 months to school age are excluded from the full 30-hour entitlement because their parents do not meet the eligibility rules. Children in lower income areas face both fewer childcare places and fewer high-quality providers on their doorstep. Childcare is a key barrier to those on low incomes working more, with a disproportionate impact on women.

This is why the department is leading an Early Education and Childcare Review to improve the system so that it is simpler, fairer and focused on children, ensuring support reaches the families who need it most. Through this, as the former Secretary of State for Education set out, universal childcare is something towards which we should build.

​As the last government set out when announcing the expansion of government funded childcare in 2023, this aimed to tackle the fact that ‘the employment rate and hours worked by parents, particularly mothers, drops after childbirth and persists until after their children reach school age’.

Access to childcare continues to be a key factor in helping parents to work. Official statistics from the 2025 Childcare and Early Years Parent survey highlight that around two thirds (66%) of mothers in families with children aged 0 to 4 years said that having reliable childcare helped them to work, and that in the absence of the working parents offer for 9 months to 2 year olds, 40% in receipt of the offer said that they would be working fewer hours.

However, we know that many of those who need and benefit from early education and childcare miss out. Children who attend high-quality early education and childcare between ages 2 and 4 on average perform better at every stage of school, with children from low-income families benefiting the most. Nearly 1.5 million children aged 9 months to school age are excluded from the full 30-hour entitlement because their parents do not meet the eligibility rules. Children in lower income areas face both fewer childcare places and fewer high-quality providers on their doorstep. Childcare is a key barrier to those on low incomes working more, with a disproportionate impact on women.

This is why the department is leading an Early Education and Childcare Review to improve the system so that it is simpler, fairer and focused on children, ensuring support reaches the families who need it most. Through this, as the former Secretary of State for Education set out, universal childcare is something towards which we should build.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our plan for change.

Children become eligible for the working parent entitlement from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.

Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.

Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.

Children born in April, May or June 2025 will have qualified to access the offer from April 2026. Due to the termly deadlines, children who were born in July and August 2025 will not be able to access the offer until September 2026. We cannot determine which parents of those children born in those cohorts were eligible as we do not hold information on income-based eligibility.

As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the department is leading a cross-government review into the early education and childcare support that is provided by different parts of government. The Review is supporting the vision for early education and care set out in the publication ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, one that strengthens children’s life chances across the country, supports parents’ work choices, is simpler and easier to use, and improves access.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our plan for change.

Children become eligible for the working parent entitlement from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.

Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.

Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.

Children born in April, May or June 2025 will have qualified to access the offer from April 2026. Due to the termly deadlines, children who were born in July and August 2025 will not be able to access the offer until September 2026. We cannot determine which parents of those children born in those cohorts were eligible as we do not hold information on income-based eligibility.

As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the department is leading a cross-government review into the early education and childcare support that is provided by different parts of government. The Review is supporting the vision for early education and care set out in the publication ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, one that strengthens children’s life chances across the country, supports parents’ work choices, is simpler and easier to use, and improves access.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our plan for change.

Children become eligible for the working parent entitlement from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.

Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.

Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.

Children born in April, May or June 2025 will have qualified to access the offer from April 2026. Due to the termly deadlines, children who were born in July and August 2025 will not be able to access the offer until September 2026. We cannot determine which parents of those children born in those cohorts were eligible as we do not hold information on income-based eligibility.

As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the department is leading a cross-government review into the early education and childcare support that is provided by different parts of government. The Review is supporting the vision for early education and care set out in the publication ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, one that strengthens children’s life chances across the country, supports parents’ work choices, is simpler and easier to use, and improves access.

Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive they need to be in school. The department is committed to improving the attendance of all pupils. Thanks to the efforts of the sector, we saw record improvements in 2024/25 with around 150,000 fewer children persistently absent nationally.

The department publishes figures from the school census on pupil absence in England. The latest data covers the 2024/25 academic year and is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/2024-25.

Published data for the percentage of pupils classified as persistent absentees (defined as missing 10% or more of possible sessions) in schools in South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset since the 2018/19 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/87184f2c-0671-4abc-c9f4-08dee0eeb30d.

Full year absence statistics for 2019/20 were not published due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department has appointed 19 individuals, excluding Civil Servants and Special Advisers, through the route of regulated public and unregulated public appointments, and direct ministerial appointments.

All appointees made through these routes into the department are published at: https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/announcements and https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/direct-ministerial-appointments-announcements.

The 15 or 30 hours must be accessible free of charge to parents and there must not be any mandatory charges for parents in relation to the free hours.

Paragraph A1.38 of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities states that local authorities must take all steps available to ensure that the free entitlements are available free of charge and that providers do not charge parents for top‑up fees or any general charges, including but not limited to supplementary charges on top of the government-funded hours.

The statutory guidance also emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed on to parents, including that any additional costs should be clear on websites, contracts, and invoices.

The department only collects data on pupils who are both eligible for and claiming free school meals. Children not claiming free school meals could be eligible or ineligible to claim them. As a result, no recent estimate has been made of the number of children eligible for but not registered to receive free school meals.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.

The department does not hold data on the number of parents or carers that are entitled to government funded childcare and have purchased additional hours.

We are delivering more support to working families. Eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and older are now benefiting from 30 hours of funded childcare per week (over 38 weeks a year). Families using their full entitlement can save an average of £8,000 per child per year.

In 2026/27 we expect to provide over £9.5 billion in early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24.

As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the department is leading a cross-government review into the early education and childcare support that is provided by different parts of government. The Review is supporting the vision for early education and care set out in the ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ publication, one that strengthens children’s life chances across the country, supports parents’ work choices, is simpler and easier to use, and improves access.

The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.

The department does not hold data on the number of parents or carers that are entitled to government funded childcare and have purchased additional hours.

We are delivering more support to working families. Eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and older are now benefiting from 30 hours of funded childcare per week (over 38 weeks a year). Families using their full entitlement can save an average of £8,000 per child per year.

In 2026/27 we expect to provide over £9.5 billion in early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24.

As announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, the department is leading a cross-government review into the early education and childcare support that is provided by different parts of government. The Review is supporting the vision for early education and care set out in the ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ publication, one that strengthens children’s life chances across the country, supports parents’ work choices, is simpler and easier to use, and improves access.

The government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.

Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.

In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.

AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider, or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).

Secondments into and out of the Civil Service are a valuable means of sharing expertise and building capability to support delivery of government priorities. Recent secondments with Serco have supported building procurement, commercial and service delivery experience amongst other areas.

​​My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, regularly meets colleagues across government to discuss issues in education, including issues relating to school governance and ownership.

The department’s priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff during periods of extreme heat. Schools are supported through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Office heat‑health alerts, alongside clear guidance on practical mitigations such as adapting the school day, improving ventilation, ensuring hydration and reducing strenuous activity.

The department’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe to do so, as attendance supports pupils’ learning, wellbeing and safeguarding, and helps ensure children remain in a supervised environment. Decisions on whether to close or restrict attendance are taken locally by school leaders, who are best placed to assess safety in their setting.

Where it is not safe for all pupils to remain on site, schools may adapt their approach, including adjusting the school day or providing high quality remote education to support continuity of learning. Schools are expected to inform parents of any disruption and prioritise provision for vulnerable pupils and children of critical workers, in line with emergency planning guidance.

The department also provides clear public health messaging and encourages schools to share advice with families on staying safe in hot weather, including staying hydrated, avoiding peak heat, and keeping indoor environments cool.

The department set out its strategy in the ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ report. We are working with the sector to address barriers to recruitment and retention and create more opportunities to enter the profession and gain relevant qualifications.

The department sets the criteria that qualifications must meet in order for staff to be included in the staff to child ratios. These are known as ‘full and relevant’ qualifications. We will continue to simplify the number of early years qualifications on offer.

Having these qualification requirements ensures a consistent level of knowledge and skills across all settings, so that every child receives a quality early education and receives the best start in life. Any individual that does not hold a full and relevant qualification can only work as an unqualified member of staff.

To check whether a qualification is considered full and relevant, practitioners and managers can now use the department’s digital registry at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-an-early-years-qualification.

We want more people to achieve a level 3 qualification. To do this, we are working to develop an Assessment Only route for experienced staff to achieve level 3 recognition, which is similar to those in other education professions.

Best Start in Life and Best Start Family Hubs are about place-based working. That is why the department has asked local authorities to publish a plan for children's outcomes in their area and why Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme guidance recognises the strong foundations already in place, including deeply embedded and trusted local partnerships, infrastructure and experience.

Mayors and combined authorities play an important role in coordinating and supporting their local authorities in this work and in helping to develop place-based approaches. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, Best Start in Life regional leads and departmental officials regularly engage with stakeholders, including metro mayors and combined authorities regarding place-based approaches across skills, education and wider families’ services. For example, this includes learning from and sharing best practice, including the work done by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Cradle to Career programme in Birkenhead.

The department published updated non-statutory guidance on school uniform last autumn, which encourages schools to ensure their policies are reasonable, inclusive and practical. This includes taking account of the needs and comfort of pupils, for example by allowing flexibility in uniform requirements during periods of very hot weather, particularly on occasions where the UK Health Security Agency has issued weather-health alerts. This could include allowing pupils to wear shorts or PE kit, or relaxing rules on blazers in very hot weather.

The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 back in families’ pockets.

Transitional protections meant that any child who had once received FSM would continue to receive it, even if their family circumstances had changed. No child who is eligible for FSM will lose their lunch before the expansion takes effect.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, all transitional protections will end and schools and local authorities will need to recheck FSM eligibility annually.

Local authorities play an important role in supporting these children’s educational outcomes and should continue work with schools to identify and verify eligibility for FSM where a parent or carer meets the relevant eligibility criteria.

Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/free-school-meals-guidance-for-local-authorities-local-authority-maintained-schools-academies-and-free-schools.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children across England out of poverty and putting £500 back in families’ pockets.

Transitional protections meant that any child who had once received FSM would continue to receive it, even if their family circumstances had changed. No child who is eligible for FSM will lose their lunch before the expansion takes effect.

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, all transitional protections will end and schools and local authorities will need to recheck FSM eligibility annually.

Local authorities play an important role in supporting these children’s educational outcomes and should continue work with schools to identify and verify eligibility for FSM where a parent or carer meets the relevant eligibility criteria.

Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools-and-local-authorities/free-school-meals-guidance-for-local-authorities-local-authority-maintained-schools-academies-and-free-schools.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. The statutory guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

All early years providers are already required to meet the safer sleep requirements set out in the EYFS statutory framework, available at: https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.

Ofsted is responsible for inspecting registered early years providers against the EYFS requirements and can take regulatory action where providers fail to meet them.

The department continually reviews safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. We are planning to update the wording in the EYFS framework so that the safer sleep requirements are set out directly in the statutory framework, rather than through a link to NHS safer sleep guidance, from September 2026, subject to parliamentary and legislative process.

Ofsted has also announced it will inspect safer sleep practice at every early years inspection. This sits alongside additional investment to strengthen inspection and regulatory activity, including funding to deliver an additional 3,000 unannounced inspections each year, helping to strengthen oversight of compliance with safer sleep requirements.

The interview with Gemma Collins was not subject to consultation with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advocacy organisations or education professionals prior to publication.

The department does not consult on every interview we publish. The content was specifically focused on post-16 vocational pathways and was designed to reach young people who may feel disconnected from traditional academic routes. It was a single interview published to coincide with an announcement on regional funding for apprenticeships and our plans for the transition to V Levels.

The department takes the concerns of SEND families extremely seriously. Before publishing the ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper, we held a national conversation involving thousands of conversations and over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables across the country. Ministers continue to hold regular meetings with campaigners and disabled children's organisations.

The department is conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children Not in School registers provisions in the Act. However, the assessment cannot be completed until the statutory guidance, which we intend to publicly consult on, and secondary legislation is settled.

The department is continuing to engage with the Information Commissioner’s Office on the assessment to ensure that all data protection risks have been identified and mitigated before any processing of data begins.