Department for Education

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We want to ensure that every family that needs support can access it. Extending free school meals to all children in households receiving Universal Credit represents a significant step towards achieving that objective. The expansion provides over half a million additional children with access to a free, nutritious lunchtime meal and is expected to lift around 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this Parliament.

The department has upgraded the eligibility checking system, which makes it easier to check if children are eligible for free meals. We also have worked closely across government, including with the Department for Work and Pensions, and with schools and local authorities to support implementation and raise awareness.

The department will monitor take-up as the expansion is implemented.

Economic growth is the central mission of the government and is vital to give the next generation the opportunities to thrive.

Higher education providers are autonomous institutions and are responsible for designing and delivering their own courses. This includes decisions on whether to offer internships, work placements or industrial secondments.

The department encourages universities to work with businesses to develop and manage these opportunities in ways that best meet the needs of their students, employers and academic staff.

The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.

The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.

The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.

Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.

Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.

The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.

The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.

The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.

Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.

Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.

The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.

The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.

The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.

Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.

Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.

The government recognises that faith schools operate within governance arrangements that require the consent of the relevant foundation, trustees or religious authority to voluntarily join an academy trust. However, under the Academies Act 2010, a voluntary application for academy status is made by the school's governing body.

The governing body must consult appropriately before conversion takes place. The department publishes guidance for schools about academy conversion which explains the statutory requirements around consultation.

The department has not conducted a specific comparative assessment of the financial resilience, per-pupil funding allocations, administrative overheads or academic performance of voluntary aided Catholic schools and Catholic schools within Catholic multi-academy trusts.

Academy trusts are required to publish annual accounts and the latest published data shows that 96% of academy trusts are operating with a cumulative surplus. Multi-academy trusts can realise efficiencies through economies of scale when delivering services across a group of schools.

Information on school and academy performance is published annually and is available through the department's performance data publications.

All looked after children are under local authority care if they are provided with accommodation for a continuous period of more than 24 hours, are subject to a care order, or are subject to a placement order.

The total number of children looked after by local authorities in England as of 31 March 2025 is 81,770.

Information on looked after children in unregistered care settings is not centrally held by the department.

The total number of children in temporary care, defined as children looked after exclusively under a series of short-term placements (respite), during the year ending 31 March 2025 is 500. Children may be provided with respite as 'children in need' or as 'children looked after', so this figure for looked after children will underrepresent the total number of children provided with short breaks.

The latest information on the numbers and placements for looked after children, relating to the year ending 31 March 2025, was published on 20 November 2025 in the annual statistical release 'Children looked after in England including adoptions'.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked Sir Martyn Oliver to write directly to the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new opportunities, while also changing how young people enter work and develop their careers.

The department is equipping young people with the knowledge and skills for a changing labour market, including through reforms to the curriculum and post-16 qualifications. This includes a greater emphasis on oracy, stronger digital and media literacy, and clearer pathways into further study, training and high-quality careers. We have also announced plans for new high-quality Vocational GCSEs for 14 to 16-year-olds, supporting progression into A levels, T Levels, V levels, apprenticeships and other post-16 routes and helping ensure students have the skills for the jobs of the future. V levels and T Levels have employer-informed content and can respond to technological and labour-market change, including AI.

The Early Careers Jobs Alliance brings together government, employers, trade unions and young people to outline how entry-level work is changing and produce practical support for businesses’ entry level pathways. Skills England is working with employers and providers to identify future skills needs, while the AI Economics Institute is improving understanding of AI’s impact on jobs and skills needs.

The government is also supporting young people to develop AI and technology skills directly, including through TechFirst, our flagship programme to expand pathways into the tech sector. In addition, more than £6 billion of recent AI investment is expected to create around 8,000 UK jobs, giving young people opportunities to apply and develop these skills.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. From September 2026, eligibility for free school meals (FSMs) was extended to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, providing over half a million additional children with access to a free, nutritious lunchtime meal. The department recognises the vital role played by FSMs and encourages all eligible families to claim the support to which they are entitled.

The department has upgraded the Eligibility Checking System, making it easier to identify children who are eligible for FSMs. We have also worked closely across government, including with the Department for Work and Pensions, as well as with schools and local authorities, to support implementation and awareness of the expanded entitlement.

The department does not routinely assess the number of children who are entitled to FSMs but do not receive them.

The department will continue to monitor take-up of FSMs following implementation of the expansion, including through the school census.

The department aims to ensure that all guidance is accessible and usable for all those required to read it.

The department will continue to consider opportunities to improve the accessibility and readability of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ as part of our ongoing review of the guidance.

The government is committed to introducing an Alternative Student Finance (ASF) product compatible with Islamic finance principles and continues to make progress towards its delivery.

ASF will be introduced as soon as possible following the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement and will mirror the mainstream student finance offer, requiring the same repayments to the scheme as those required for conventional loans.

To ensure compliance with Islamic finance principles, the ASF product will be based on the principle of mutual support, where participants contribute to a shared fund which will then be used to support others accessing the scheme. Before the launch, the product will also be certified as compliant with Islamic finance principles by an independent board of Islamic finance experts.

Further information on the approach to ASF is available on the GOV.UK website.

The department does not routinely collect or publish data in a form that would enable the total public funding received by each university based accredited Initial Teacher Training (ITT) provider in England to be identified on a comparable basis for each of the last three years.

The department is unable to estimate the amount received by the University of Cambridge, or any other university based accredited ITT providers, through loan financed tuition fees or research funding. Tuition fee loans are administered through the student finance system and published data is not available at a teacher training provider level. Research funding is allocated and published separately by Research England. Department for Education grant funding is provided through a range of separate programmes, including grants to support the delivery of ITT. Details of the department‘s grant schemes are recorded on the Government Grants Information System in accordance with government grant transparency requirements.

The government is clear that AI should support teaching and learning while ensuring that assessments continue to reflect students’ own knowledge, skills and understanding.

​The department has published support materials to help schools and colleges use AI safely and effectively, including guidance for leaders and educators on the risks and opportunities associated with AI.

The vast majority of GCSE and A level assessments are taken under close supervision, without access to the internet or AI tools.

Ofqual, as the independent regulator, has published its approach to regulating the use of AI in qualifications and assessments, focused on maintaining fairness, validity, security and public confidence, and this is available on the Ofqual website.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) guidance is also clear that work submitted for assessment must be a student's own, and that misuse of AI may constitute malpractice. This guidance is available on the JCQ website.

Education should prepare young people to thrive in a world shaped by AI, but the value of their achievements must remain beyond doubt.

The department welcomes the Centre for Young Lives’ 2026 State of the Nation report on childhood vulnerability and shares the report’s ambition that every child should be supported to thrive.

The department is delivering substantial reforms to support vulnerable children and families. Tackling child poverty is a key government priority and is central to giving every child the best start in life.

The Child Poverty Strategy sets out the steps being taken to reduce child poverty in the short term while putting in place the foundations for long-term change. It brings together action across government to boost family incomes, reduce the cost of essentials and strengthen local support for families.

The department is also supporting intensive earlier help for families, more expert child protection and greater use of family networks. Our Families First Partnership programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over this spending review period and provides families and children with access to improved local support, to break the cycle of late intervention and help more children and families stay together safely.

The department has no plans to require accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers to publish annual accounts at the level of individual departments, faculties, academic units or other delivery units.

Accredited ITT providers operate through a range of organisational structures, including higher education institutions, schools, multi-academy trusts and private organisations. These organisations are subject to relevant financial reporting, company, charity and regulatory requirements, as applicable.

Accredited ITT providers must also continue to meet the department's requirements for accreditation and continued quality assurance of ITT.

Accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers play a critical role in the education system and it is right that they are inspected by Ofsted to ensure high quality. The previous inspection cycle was accelerated from 6 to 3 years, following the introduction of the Core Content Framework in 2020 which marked a significant change to ITT.

All ITT providers passed a rigorous accreditation process against new quality requirements in September 2024. In September 2025, 100% of continuing ITT providers had been rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ in the previous cycle, with new providers to be inspected in their second year of delivery.

Given the starting point of high quality in the ITT market, a 4-year inspection cycle ensures government has appropriate oversight over the quality of ITT, whilst also ensuring value for money. The department continues to monitor the quality of ITT and inspections undertaken so far indicate the continuation of a strong ITT provider market.

The University of Cambridge’s initial teacher education provision was last inspected by Ofsted from 29 April to 2 May 2024. The university received a grade of ‘outstanding’ for all aspects of its primary phase and secondary phase initial teacher education.

The timing of inspections is for Ofsted to decide. Ofsted inspects all providers of initial teacher education on a four-year inspection cycle and does not confirm the exact timings of future inspections until it formally notifies the provider. Ofsted also uses its risk assessment methodology when determining when to inspect providers. This means inspections for some providers may occur more than once during a four-year inspection cycle.

The government accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommendation that Progress 8 should remain the headline key stage 4 performance measure. The government subsequently consulted on possible reforms to the composition of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and is currently considering the consultation responses. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course. There was no available Progress 8 data in 2025 because prior attainment data was not available for that cohort. The department has therefore not undertaken modelling of the effect of proposed breadth slots on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025.

The government accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommendation that Progress 8 should remain the headline key stage 4 performance measure. The government subsequently consulted on possible reforms to the composition of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and is currently considering the consultation responses. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course. There was no available Progress 8 data in 2025 because prior attainment data was not available for that cohort. The department has therefore not undertaken modelling of the effect of proposed breadth slots on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025.

The government accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review's recommendation that Progress 8 should remain the headline key stage 4 performance measure. The government subsequently consulted on possible reforms to the composition of Progress 8 and Attainment 8 and is currently considering the consultation responses. The government will publish its response to the consultation in due course. There was no available Progress 8 data in 2025 because prior attainment data was not available for that cohort. The department has therefore not undertaken modelling of the effect of proposed breadth slots on the ranking of the 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores in 2025.

The Secretary of State for Education sets the initial teacher training (ITT) criteria, which accredited providers must meet to deliver ITT that leads to qualified teacher status. These criteria include the requirements for high-quality training, including the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which draws on the best available evidence to set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching.

Accredited ITT providers are accountable for ensuring that their provision is compliant with the ITT criteria, including governance criteria to ensure management structures facilitate the effective operation of high-quality ITT programmes. Ofsted independently inspects all accredited ITT providers to assure the quality of ITT provision and compliance with the ITT criteria.

As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own staffing decisions. The department does not prescribe individual providers’ internal appointment processes, arrangements for verifying academic qualifications or research integrity arrangements, and does not have plans to do so.

The Secretary of State for Education sets the initial teacher training (ITT) criteria, which accredited providers must meet to deliver ITT that leads to qualified teacher status. These criteria include the requirements for high-quality training, including the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which draws on the best available evidence to set out the knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching.

Accredited ITT providers are accountable for ensuring that their provision is compliant with the ITT criteria, including governance criteria to ensure management structures facilitate the effective operation of high-quality ITT programmes. Ofsted independently inspects all accredited ITT providers to assure the quality of ITT provision and compliance with the ITT criteria.

As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own staffing decisions. The department does not prescribe individual providers’ internal appointment processes, arrangements for verifying academic qualifications or research integrity arrangements, and does not have plans to do so.

The University of Cambridge is an autonomous institution that is rightly establishing an independent investigation. The university published further details about this on 4 September, which are available at their website.

It is not for the government to dictate the terms of the university’s investigation. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have both met with the vice chancellor of the university and other senior leaders to seek assurance that their investigation will be rigorous and conducted with urgency.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. The OfS has an independent board, which makes its own decisions about how to use its regulatory powers, including when and how to engage with registered providers regarding their compliance with the conditions of registration. The statutory basis for the OfS’ regulatory powers is set out in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

The department awaits the outcomes of the investigation, and I understand that the OfS currently has no plans to open regulatory action on this issue.

The University of Cambridge is an autonomous institution that is rightly establishing an independent investigation. The university published further details about this on 4 September, which are available at their website.

It is not for the government to dictate the terms of the university’s investigation. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have both met with the vice chancellor of the university and other senior leaders to seek assurance that their investigation will be rigorous and conducted with urgency.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in England. The OfS has an independent board, which makes its own decisions about how to use its regulatory powers, including when and how to engage with registered providers regarding their compliance with the conditions of registration. The statutory basis for the OfS’ regulatory powers is set out in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017.

The department awaits the outcomes of the investigation, and I understand that the OfS currently has no plans to open regulatory action on this issue.

The subject price groups used for higher education funding derive from the former Higher Education Funding Council for England teaching funding methodology, which categorised subjects according to their relative delivery costs.

The framework was retained by the Office for Students (OfS) in 2018 and is currently used to determine the allocation of high-cost subject funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG).

The department is working together with the OfS to review and reform the SPG. The reform will ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy, as well as ensuring that funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students accessing and participating in higher education.

The department has not been in contact with the University of Cambridge since 1 July 2026 regarding its status as an accredited initial teacher training provider.

The government is committed to breaking the link between a child’s background and future success.

The department recognises that disadvantage can affect children’s development before they start school, which is why we have a target for 75% of children to reach a good level of development by the end of reception by 2028.

Early education gives all children, and especially disadvantaged children, the best start in life. The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) improves educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children who are eligible for free early years entitlements in an early years setting.

Building on the largest ever uplift in 2025/2026, the EYPP rate has increased by 15% to £1.15 per hour in 2026/2027, equivalent to up to £655 per eligible child per year.

In addition, the Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies service is backed by £900 million between 2026 and 2029. Every local authority is funded to provide parenting and home learning support for families with children aged 0 to 5, helping children build strong foundations for development before they start school.

The department will soon publish guidance on managing external speakers and events in higher education (HE) with regard to the Prevent duty. This will encourage HE providers to consider where there is a risk of speech that might amount to a terrorism offence, a risk of speech deemed likely to amount to a terrorism related offence and a speech that is lawful but may create a permissive environment for radicalising influences. Different options for mitigations should be considered depending on the risks identified. Further details will be set out in the guidance.

Pupils learn the facts about menstrual and reproductive health as part of compulsory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). In July 2025, we updated the RSHE statutory guidance and the new curriculum came into force in September 2026.

The RSHE guidance is clear that facts about menstruation should be taught at an appropriate age. The guidance does not set any age limits for teaching this content.

Health and wellbeing content to be covered by the end of primary school includes facts about the menstrual cycle, including physical and emotional changes. The guidance is clear that whilst the average age of the onset of menstruation is twelve, periods can start at eight, so covering this topic before girls’ periods start will help them understand what to expect and avoid distress. The menstrual cycle is also taught in science at key stage 3 (ages 11 to 14).

The government has commissioned Oak Academy to make lesson materials freely available.

The government is committed to improving education and training for young people by strengthening collaboration across the post-16 education and skills system.

Further education colleges, higher education (HE) institutions, sixth-form colleges, independent training providers, employers and local partners all play an important role in ensuring provision is high-quality, coherent and responsive to local and national skills needs.

Accountability statements require colleges to set out how they support local, regional and national skills priorities and encourage them to work with employers, HE institutions and wider stakeholders. Local Skills Improvement Plans also bring employers and providers together to shape provision and improve routes into further study, training and employment.

The department is establishing Regional Improvement Teams to work with local partners, strengthen provider collaboration and support improvement across the system. All publicly funded providers are expected to deliver high-quality education and training, with standards independently assessed through Ofsted or Office for Students arrangements, helping young people progress with confidence into higher-level learning or employment.

Education is a devolved matter and this response outlines the information for England only.

The Post-16 Pathways Implementation Plan, published on 20 May 2026, sets out the phased roadmap for post-16 technical and vocational qualifications from 2027.

Occupational Certificates are being developed in Early Years Practitioner and Catering and Hospitality, alongside Foundation Certificates in Digital Systems and Data, and Education, for first teach in September 2027.

From 2028 onwards, additional Occupational and Foundation Certificates will be introduced across a wider range of subject areas, including Health and Care Services, Construction, Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care, and Creative and Design. Subjects planned beyond 2027 remain subject to final content.

We are committed to regularly updating the Implementation Plan over the four-year reform period. The latest update was published on 16 September 2026 with the next update expected in spring 2027.

To ensure initial teacher training is consistently high-quality, the department regulates the initial teacher training (ITT) market by accrediting ITT providers to deliver courses leading to qualified teacher status and the setting of ITT criteria, which all accredited providers should follow as a condition of their accreditation.

Ofsted independently inspects the quality of ITT provision and compliance with the ITT criteria. Where an inspection identifies that a provider is not meeting the expected standard in all evaluation areas, Ofsted will re-inspect within 12 months.

The Secretary of State for Education may withdraw the accreditation of an ITT provider where the provider no longer meets the requirements of accreditation. The circumstances that may lead to withdrawal are outlined in the ITT criteria and include non-compliance with one or more of the specified criteria, or failure to achieve the expected standard in Ofsted re-inspection.

The department has not withdrawn accreditation from any ITT provider since September 2024.

Funding for high-cost subjects through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is allocated on a formulaic basis, not through a competitive application process. Media, journalism and publishing courses do not attract high-cost subject funding through the SPG in the 2026/27 academic year.

Previous funding for media, journalism and publishing courses until 2024/25 inclusive, and other creative and performing arts subjects until 2025/26 inclusive, represented just over 1% of total funding once tuition fees are taken into account. Funding rates for these subjects were lower than for subjects in price groups A and B, which had previously been evaluated to have higher costs. These courses, like others, continue to benefit from increases to tuition fee limits.

The department is working with the Office for Students to review and reform the SPG. The reform will ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy, as well as ensuring funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students in accessing and participating in higher education.

Funding for high-cost subjects through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is allocated on a formulaic basis, not through a competitive application process. Media, journalism and publishing courses do not attract high-cost subject funding through the SPG in the 2026/27 academic year.

Previous funding for media, journalism and publishing courses until 2024/25 inclusive, and other creative and performing arts subjects until 2025/26 inclusive, represented just over 1% of total funding once tuition fees are taken into account. Funding rates for these subjects were lower than for subjects in price groups A and B, which had previously been evaluated to have higher costs. These courses, like others, continue to benefit from increases to tuition fee limits.

The department is working with the Office for Students to review and reform the SPG. The reform will ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy, as well as ensuring funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students in accessing and participating in higher education.

Our ambition is to give every young person access to high-quality academic and technical education pathways from age 14 and to support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. We recognise that having access to high-quality vocational qualifications at school, alongside a strong academic core, is essential to help pupils consider the range of post-16 pathways available.

Schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach. However, as part of their duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, schools are expected to offer a range of subject options to help meet the aspirations of all pupils.

There are a range of Level 1 and 2 Technical Awards already available, which can be found in the 2027 performance tables list, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores.

Progress towards and attainment of Level 2 mathematics and English are essential for helping young people seize opportunities in life, learning and work. The department’s 16 to 19 English and mathematics policy gives students this opportunity, requiring those without Level 2 to continue to study English and mathematics and the ability to sit a GCSE or Functional Skills Qualification, when appropriate.

To support this, the department has introduced a 100-hour minimum teaching requirement per subject per academic year. We are introducing new 16 to 19 Level 1 mathematics and English qualifications to give students the time and support they need to consolidate foundational skills and knowledge. We are also revising provider performance measures to better recognise where students make progress.

Attainment has improved since the introduction of the mathematics and English Condition of Funding in 2014. Level 2 mathematics and English achievement by age 19 reached 73.2% in 2024/25, still above pre-COVID pandemic levels. In the 2025/26 academic year, there were 30,226 grade 4 passes in English GCSE and 22,012 grade 4 passes in mathematics GCSE by resit students.

Progress towards and attainment of Level 2 mathematics and English are essential for helping young people seize opportunities in life, learning and work. The department’s 16 to 19 English and mathematics policy gives students this opportunity, requiring those without Level 2 to continue to study English and mathematics and the ability to sit a GCSE or Functional Skills Qualification, when appropriate.

To support this, the department has introduced a 100-hour minimum teaching requirement per subject per academic year. We are introducing new 16 to 19 Level 1 mathematics and English qualifications to give students the time and support they need to consolidate foundational skills and knowledge. We are also revising provider performance measures to better recognise where students make progress.

Attainment has improved since the introduction of the mathematics and English Condition of Funding in 2014. Level 2 mathematics and English achievement by age 19 reached 73.2% in 2024/25, still above pre-COVID pandemic levels. In the 2025/26 academic year, there were 30,226 grade 4 passes in English GCSE and 22,012 grade 4 passes in mathematics GCSE by resit students.

Progress towards and attainment of Level 2 mathematics and English are essential for helping young people seize opportunities in life, learning and work. The department’s 16 to 19 English and mathematics policy gives students this opportunity, requiring those without Level 2 to continue to study English and mathematics and the ability to sit a GCSE or Functional Skills Qualification, when appropriate.

To support this, the department has introduced a 100-hour minimum teaching requirement per subject per academic year. We are introducing new 16 to 19 Level 1 mathematics and English qualifications to give students the time and support they need to consolidate foundational skills and knowledge. We are also revising provider performance measures to better recognise where students make progress.

Attainment has improved since the introduction of the mathematics and English Condition of Funding in 2014. Level 2 mathematics and English achievement by age 19 reached 73.2% in 2024/25, still above pre-COVID pandemic levels. In the 2025/26 academic year, there were 30,226 grade 4 passes in English GCSE and 22,012 grade 4 passes in mathematics GCSE by resit students.

The department is committed to ensuring that young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyslexia, can access high-quality post-16 education and progress into employment, apprenticeships or further study. Providers are expected to make reasonable adjustments and provide tailored support so learners can participate in study and work-related learning.

The department wants every young person to benefit from high-quality, inclusive work experience during secondary education. We are working with the Careers & Enterprise Company and Careers Hubs to help secondary schools and specialist settings increase workplace experiences, including through employer brokerage and SEND-focused resources. In addition, through Jobcentre Plus, eligible young people can access voluntary work experience opportunities, tailored where appropriate to reflect individual needs and circumstances.

Supported internships offer 16 to 24-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan a structured work-based study programme, substantial placement and job coach support. In 2026/27, we are testing this model for young people without an EHC plan, backed by up to £9 million.

The department is expected to publish an equality impact assessment in relation to the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze after the next Autumn Budget. This assessment will include consideration of the impact on borrowers' lifetime repayments, alongside other impacts on borrowers.

The department does not regulate online education providers and these providers are not required to register with the department. The department, therefore, does not hold information on the number of online secondary schools in England.

However, the department does operate a voluntary Online Education Accreditation Scheme for eligible providers of full-time online education. Ofsted acts as the quality assurance body for the scheme and carries out accreditation visits for providers that apply.

The department does not regulate online education providers and these providers are not required to register with the department. The department, therefore, does not hold information on the number of online secondary schools in England.

However, the department does operate a voluntary Online Education Accreditation Scheme for eligible providers of full-time online education. Ofsted acts as the quality assurance body for the scheme and carries out accreditation visits for providers that apply.

The department does not regulate online education providers and these providers are not required to register with the department. The department, therefore, does not hold information on the number of online secondary schools in England.

However, the department does operate a voluntary Online Education Accreditation Scheme for eligible providers of full-time online education. Ofsted acts as the quality assurance body for the scheme and carries out accreditation visits for providers that apply.