Department for Education

Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.

The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.

The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.

Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.

As set out in the answer to Question 1175 on 2 June 2026, the department’s influencer marketing spend in 2025 to 2026 totalled £589,671. Influencer marketing forms part of the department’s wider marketing approach, reflecting changes in how audiences consume information and helping campaigns reach people who may be harder to engage through traditional channels. This figure includes the costs attributed to influencer activity, such as influencer fees, production and paid media costs. The department cannot separately identify the aggregate influencer and agency fees requested because some engagements were procured and recorded as part of wider campaign delivery packages.

The government is investing £200 million in a new special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion training package to help teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and support staff across early years settings, schools and colleges feel more confident supporting children and young people with SEND. The programme forms an important part of the government’s plans to improve inclusion and expertise across mainstream education settings.

The SEND teacher training programme will be delivered in phases, and the department has set out a timeline for the key elements.

From late September, the department will publish free in-house training materials to help all staff in schools and colleges to understand proposed SEND reforms, build a shared vision for inclusion, and plan professional development for the rest of the year. The first phase of the early years training programme is also available from September.

In December and spring 2027, the department will publish further materials covering pedagogy, creating inclusive environments and working with parents.

In Autumn 2027, we will launch new fully funded SEND and inclusion training courses for teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and further education support staff in mainstream schools. A more comprehensive early years offer will also launch at this point, including in-depth webinars and local support networks.

‘Every child achieving and thriving’ establishes the department’s plan to deliver improved outcomes for all children, regardless of their background or where they live. Our ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards and for the disadvantage gap to be halved.

We will recruit 6,500 additional expert teachers, expand access to high-quality enrichment opportunities, and Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams are helping all schools navigate a pathway to improvement. We are also launching two place-focused missions to drive improvement in areas where outcomes remain stubbornly low.

The department is transforming technical education from age 14, placing technical and academic pathways on an equal footing and ensuring every young person has access to high-quality routes into skilled employment and further study. We will work with Mayoral Strategic Authorities to design locally tailored vocational pathways for students from age 14 in every region.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises the impact that lengthy allegations investigations can have on foster carers and the children they care for. Through the proposed new Fostering Quality Standards, currently out for consultation, we are seeking to improve the allegations process to make it more proportionate and timely, while maintaining robust safeguards for children. The consultation will inform next steps on improving the allegations process for all foster carers, including those approved by independent fostering agencies.

We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements by 2029. As part of this programme, our enhanced regional hub model is improving regional coordination and visibility of fostering capacity across local authority and non-profit independent fostering agency provision. This will help local authorities make better use of all available fostering provision when identifying the most appropriate placement for a child, while increasing fostering capacity across the sector so children can be matched with homes that best meet their needs.

Fostering is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recognises the impact that lengthy allegations investigations can have on foster carers and the children they care for. Through the proposed new Fostering Quality Standards, currently out for consultation, we are seeking to improve the allegations process to make it more proportionate and timely, while maintaining robust safeguards for children. The consultation will inform next steps on improving the allegations process for all foster carers, including those approved by independent fostering agencies.

We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements by 2029. As part of this programme, our enhanced regional hub model is improving regional coordination and visibility of fostering capacity across local authority and non-profit independent fostering agency provision. This will help local authorities make better use of all available fostering provision when identifying the most appropriate placement for a child, while increasing fostering capacity across the sector so children can be matched with homes that best meet their needs.

The government remains committed to our ambition that half of all food served in public settings is either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards, and we are open to considering all lawful means of achieving this.

The school food standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards for food and catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.

The National Procurement Policy Statement already sets expectations for government contracts to favour products certified to high environmental standards that we think high-quality British producers are well-placed to meet.

The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

Statistics on permanent exclusions by local authority are published in the department’s suspension and permanent exclusions statistical release, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2024-25.

This information has been available since 9 July 2026. Data can be accessed using the publication’s ‘Create table’ function. The relevant table produced using this function is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a3216df4-c96d-477a-2e38-08df07a6df71.

Backed by £400 million capital investment, the school-based nursery programme will deliver tens of thousands of new places by expanding early education and childcare places where it is most needed. This will help more families access funded childcare and give children the best start in life.

The department has already made an impact, awarding £82 million in capital funding to more than 600 primary and maintained nursery schools, which is expected to deliver over 11,000 new nursery places by September 2027. This includes 3 schools in Fylde: Clifton Primary School, Singleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, and Treales Church of England Primary School.

Schools report that by the end of September 2026 450 new and expanded nurseries will have created over 9,000 new places since the start of the programme.

Local authorities have until 5pm on 30 September 2026 to submit their funding proposals for phase 3.

Following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, all schools with primary-age pupils will be required to offer a free breakfast club. New groups of schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027/28 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support.

There is currently one school delivering a free breakfast club in the Fylde constituency, Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary School, who joined the programme during the early adopter phase. For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage.

We look forward to more schools in Fylde joining the programme as national rollout continues, getting the benefits of a healthy breakfast, a soft start to the day, and childcare savings to more children and families.

Trust inspection will consider how trusts drive educational quality, and how they contribute to an inclusive, collaborative system. Officials in the department and Ofsted are working together, and with the sector, to ensure the system works well and delivers the benefit that we expect including addressing the needs of pupils with special educational needs.

Academy trusts must have regard to the statutory Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance. The guidance is clear that, where a pupil is permanently excluded, and where a suspension would take the pupil’s total number of suspended school days above 15 in a term, or where the pupil would miss a public examination or national curriculum test, the governing body must consider and decide on the pupil’s reinstatement within 15 school days of receiving notice of the exclusion.

Academy trusts must comply with their legal and contractual obligations. Where a failure amounts to a breach of the relevant funding agreement, the department may use the intervention powers available under that agreement. Depending on the circumstances and the precise terms of the trust’s funding agreements, this may include requiring remedial action, issuing a termination warning notice and, ultimately, terminating the agreement.

The government is committed to improving access to holiday provision for school-aged children. Families can receive support with costs through Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare and the Flexible Support Fund.

Through the holiday activities and food programme, we are investing over £600 million across 2026/27 to 2028/29 to provide free holiday club places, healthy meals and enriching activities for eligible children during school holidays in England.

We are also providing local authorities with £12.9 million in 2026/27, to support their statutory duty to secure sufficient childcare. As part of this duty, local authorities ensure they understand supply and demand for school-age childcare, including paid holiday provision. It is clear in published guidance that holiday childcare includes inset days.

For the year commencing 1 April 2025, the average number of employees in the department on permanent homeworking contracts was 70, a proportion of less than 1% of the department (with an average of 8,081 employees for the same period).

Staff typically have a permanent homeworking contract either for historical reasons (such as a contractual right that was preserved on TUPE transferring in to the department) or as a reasonable adjustment under the Employment Rights Act.

The department does not hold the specific information requested.

However, the 2025 school census shows that pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans are more likely to travel further to school than other pupils travelling to mainstream schools. 17% of pupils attending mainstream secondary schools compared with 28% of pupils with EHC plans across all school types, live 3 or more miles from their school.

The reforms set out in the ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ consultation aim to create a more inclusive school system that enables more children and young people to have their needs met in local mainstream settings. As a result, we expect fewer children and young people to need to travel long distances to access appropriate education.

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

The government recognises the significant contribution and sacrifice made by members of our armed forces and their families. In the 2026/27 financial year, expenditure on the service pupil premium (SPP) in England is £26.8 million.

The SPP provides additional funding to state-funded schools to support the pastoral needs of children from service families. It is intended to help schools address the challenges that service children can face as a result of service life, including mobility between schools, parental deployment and separation from family members. Schools can use the funding in ways that best meet the needs of their service children, helping them to thrive both academically and emotionally.

This funding reflects the government's commitment to supporting service children and ensuring that they receive the support they need to succeed in education.

Pearson Education Limited was awarded the contract to deliver key stage 2 tests on behalf of the Standards and Testing Agency in April 2024, following an open procurement process in line with the relevant legal procurement regulations and commercial requirements. The contract term was four years and had an initial value of £85 million. This was later reduced to £79 million as activity relating to optional key stage 1 tests was descoped.

Pearson informed the government on 1 July 2026 that they were not ready to upload results to the online portal for schools, and they needed additional time to ensure the system was ready for schools to access. Pearson has fully apologised for failing to return results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents. Ministers have been closely involved in monitoring the situation with Pearson since we first became aware of problems with Modmark, Pearson's online marking platform.

We will use all available contractual provisions to hold Pearson to account and are considering all options for future delivery. An independent review, led by Dame Christine Gilbert, has been launched into how such serious failures occurred and is expected to report to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in October 2026.

Pearson Education Limited was awarded the contract to deliver key stage 2 tests on behalf of the Standards and Testing Agency in April 2024, following an open procurement process in line with the relevant legal procurement regulations and commercial requirements. The contract term was four years and had an initial value of £85 million. This was later reduced to £79 million as activity relating to optional key stage 1 tests was descoped.

Pearson informed the government on 1 July 2026 that they were not ready to upload results to the online portal for schools, and they needed additional time to ensure the system was ready for schools to access. Pearson has fully apologised for failing to return results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents. Ministers have been closely involved in monitoring the situation with Pearson since we first became aware of problems with Modmark, Pearson's online marking platform.

We will use all available contractual provisions to hold Pearson to account and are considering all options for future delivery. An independent review, led by Dame Christine Gilbert, has been launched into how such serious failures occurred and is expected to report to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in October 2026.

Pearson Education Limited was awarded the contract to deliver key stage 2 tests on behalf of the Standards and Testing Agency in April 2024, following an open procurement process in line with the relevant legal procurement regulations and commercial requirements. The contract term was four years and had an initial value of £85 million. This was later reduced to £79 million as activity relating to optional key stage 1 tests was descoped.

Pearson informed the government on 1 July 2026 that they were not ready to upload results to the online portal for schools, and they needed additional time to ensure the system was ready for schools to access. Pearson has fully apologised for failing to return results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents. Ministers have been closely involved in monitoring the situation with Pearson since we first became aware of problems with Modmark, Pearson's online marking platform.

We will use all available contractual provisions to hold Pearson to account and are considering all options for future delivery. An independent review, led by Dame Christine Gilbert, has been launched into how such serious failures occurred and is expected to report to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in October 2026.

Providing a good quality of service for members is a key aim for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

The department is aware that the scheme administrator is currently experiencing high levels of member contact, largely due to the ongoing delivery of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy alongside normal business activities.

This department is in discussions with Capita about how the delays can be resolved. Officials continue to monitor progress closely and work with Capita to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible.

Delivery of the Transitional Protection remedy remains a key priority for the department and officials continue to work closely with the scheme administrator to support the ongoing work.

As of 2 September 2026, 77,555 Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) have been issued to retired members, of which 34,783 had been returned.

Providing a good quality of service for members is a key aim for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.

The department is aware that the scheme administrator is currently experiencing high levels of member contact, largely due to the ongoing delivery of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy alongside normal business activities.

This department is in discussions with Capita about how the delays can be resolved. Officials continue to monitor progress closely and work with Capita to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible.

Delivery of the Transitional Protection remedy remains a key priority for the department and officials continue to work closely with the scheme administrator to support the ongoing work.

As of 2 September 2026, 77,555 Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) have been issued to retired members, of which 34,783 had been returned.

The department does not hold data on all professional development completed by teachers. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements.

The department does deliver professional development for teachers to support children and young people with reading difficulties, for which we have information on take up.

For example, ‘Reading Ambition for All’ is a continuous professional development programme delivered by our regional improvement for standards and excellence English Hubs, which is primarily aimed at reading leaders, special educational needs co-ordinators and senior leaders. The programme draws on the latest research on how children learn to read and explores the appropriate teaching, support and provision for the lowest attaining children in reading, with a particular focus on those with special educational needs and disabilities. So far, 1,181 schools have taken part in this programme.

Additionally, the national professional qualification (NPQ) for leading literacy supports leaders of literacy to develop all pupils’ language capability and word reading skills, as well as how to contribute to effective professional development linked to literacy in their own setting. The latest published data shows that over 7000 teachers have taken this NPQ since it was introduced.

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

The department is making a significant investment in the core schools budget in the 2026/27 financial year, with an extra £2.3 billion for schools.

The schools national funding formula (NFF), which distributes funding for mainstream schools, accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. This funding recognises the financial challenges small and remote schools can face, such as fewer opportunities to find efficiencies, the significant role they play in the rural communities they serve and that without such, pupils could face long travel distances to attend school.

In the 2026/27 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £58,600, and all other eligible schools up to £85,200. In addition to this, all small schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2026/27, including the NFF lump sum set at £152,700. This provides a fixed amount of funding that is not affected by pupil numbers.

I refer the hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire to the answer of 2 September 2026 to question 13817.

The UK has taken the positive step of rejoining Erasmus+ from 2027, the EU’s flagship education exchange and partnerships programme. Erasmus+ will give learners, trainees and staff across schools, further and higher education, adult education, youth and sport opportunities to study, train, work or volunteer abroad. These experiences will bring language learning to life, inspiring more young people to study modern foreign languages and helping build the skills the UK needs to compete internationally.

Alongside this, the government is committed to strengthening the languages pipeline and increasing uptake of modern foreign languages. We are taking forward the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, supporting high-quality teaching through the National Consortium for Languages Education, and helping recruit specialist teachers through a £20,000 tax-free bursary, or a £22,000 scholarship for French, German and Spanish trainees. We also support a broad range of language qualifications, with GCSEs and A levels available in up to 15 languages.

The government is committed to preventing young people from becoming involved in violence and knife crime. Through statutory relationships, sex and health education, secondary schools are required to teach pupils about personal safety, risk and the factors that can lead to harmful behaviours, including violence.

As part of the government's ‘Protecting Lives, Building Hope: A Plan to Halve Knife Crime’, the department announced the Safety in and Around Schools Partnership, a targeted support programme for around 250 schools in areas most affected by knife crime. The Partnership will strengthen children's sense of safety, increase schools' awareness of knife crime risks and effective violence prevention approaches, and improve access to local support services.

The department has also worked with the Youth Endowment Fund to deliver a series of webinars for school and college leaders, sharing evidence on effective approaches to preventing violence and improving safety in education settings.

Schools are also encouraged to work with police, youth services, violence reduction units and voluntary sector organisations to provide age-appropriate education and support that reflects local needs and helps young people understand the risks and consequences of knife crime.

We are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding nationally between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Through the High Needs Provision Capital Allocations, Thurrock has been allocated just under £2 million in 2025/26 and just over £2.4 million in 2026/27. Essex has been allocated just under £21 million in 2025/26 and just over £21.2 million in 2026/27. Allocations for 2027/28 will be published in spring 2027.

This funding is expected to support a significant expansion of inclusion bases and adaptations to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream settings. It can also be used to create additional special school places for children and young people with the most complex needs.

Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are uncommon acute-onset conditions that can cause a sudden deterioration in a child’s emotional, cognitive and functional abilities. Symptoms can lead to the acute onset of special educational needs and can have an immediate impact on learning, wellbeing, participation and attendance.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, including those with PANS and PANDAS. Schools should ensure that pupils with medical conditions can access and enjoy the same opportunities as their peers, including school trips and physical education.

In doing so, schools must have regard to the department’s statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

In March, the department consulted on revised guidance on supporting children and young people with medical conditions. This will be published in due course.

The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results at criminal courts in England for offences relating to school attendance.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool shows how many people have been prosecuted and convicted each year, and how many have had their cases withdrawn or received an unsuccessful outcome. The All Offences data tool shows how many cases have been prosecuted and convicted each year. To find school attendance offences, users should select Home Office offence codes 11203 and 11204. Monthly breakdowns can be used to calculate figures for each academic year.

The data does not provide figures specifically for Cornwall. However, users can extract monthly figures for the Devon and Cornwall Police Force Area. This area covers a wider geographical area than Cornwall and cannot be used to provide a Cornwall-only figure.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool and All Offences data tool are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-march-2026.

The Ministry of Justice publishes statistics on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results at criminal courts in England for offences relating to school attendance.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool shows how many people have been prosecuted and convicted each year, and how many have had their cases withdrawn or received an unsuccessful outcome. The All Offences data tool shows how many cases have been prosecuted and convicted each year. To find school attendance offences, users should select Home Office offence codes 11203 and 11204. Monthly breakdowns can be used to calculate figures for each academic year.

The data does not provide figures specifically for Cornwall. However, users can extract monthly figures for the Devon and Cornwall Police Force Area. This area covers a wider geographical area than Cornwall and cannot be used to provide a Cornwall-only figure.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool and All Offences data tool are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-march-2026.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes statistics on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results at criminal courts in England for offences relating to school attendance. This data is available through the Outcomes by Offence data tool which shows how many people have been prosecuted each year and the All Offences data tool which shows how many cases have been prosecuted each year. To see data for school attendance offences select Home Office Offence codes 11203 and 11204, and to calculate the number per academic year select monthly breakdowns.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool and All Offences data tool can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-march-2026.

The MoJ does not publish a breakdown of prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results for Cornwall. However, users can extract monthly figures for the Devon and Cornwall Police Force Area.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes statistics on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results at criminal courts in England for offences relating to school attendance. This data is available through the Outcomes by Offence data tool which shows how many people have been prosecuted each year and the All Offences data tool which shows how many cases have been prosecuted each year. To see data for school attendance offences select Home Office Offence codes 11203 and 11204, and to calculate the number per academic year select monthly breakdowns.

The Outcomes by Offence data tool and All Offences data tool can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-statistics-quarterly-march-2026.

The MoJ does not publish a breakdown of prosecutions, convictions and sentencing results for Cornwall. However, users can extract monthly figures for the Devon and Cornwall Police Force Area.

The causes of school absence are complex, and penalty notices are one part of a wider toolkit to help ensure children receive the education they are entitled to. The government remains committed to a support- first approach, with enforcement only used where support is not appropriate, has not been engaged with, or is not proving effective.

Recent data suggests this approach is having a positive impact. In 2024 to 2025, the rate of absence due to unauthorised holidays fell from 0.53% to 0.48%, equating to around 1.3 million fewer missed sessions compared with 2023 to 2024. Penalty notices are primarily targeted at term-time holidays, which accounted for 93% of notices issued in 2024 to 2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, alongside the rest of the ministerial team, have responsibility for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy in England.

The department is investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding nationally between the 2025/2026 and 2029/2030 financial years, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or who require alternative provision.

Leicester has been allocated just over £3.9 million in the 2025/26 financial year and just under £4.5 million in the 2026/27 financial year through High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA). In addition, Leicester is receiving £3.24 million through the Experts at Hand offer, which is supporting earlier access to specialist advice and support for children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings.

We will publish allocations for 2027/28 in spring 2027.

The department has not made an assessment of the teacher training capacity for SEND inclusion in Leicester East specifically. We are, however, investing over £200 million nationally over three years on inclusion training packages, and there will be a new requirement set out in the SEND Code of Practice for all settings, to ensure that staff receive training on SEND and inclusion.

This government is committed to supporting local areas to create high-quality places that are suitable to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

To support this, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND, or who require alternative provision, across early years settings, schools, and colleges.

This funding is expected to fund a transformative expansion of inclusion bases, as well as adaptations to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream settings. It can also be used to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

We have published dedicated Inclusive Education Estates Guidance to support local authorities and settings to identify high-impact adaptations in mainstream settings and enhance the inclusivity and accessibility of the physical environment.

The government recognises the importance of consistent identification of special educational needs and disabilities, so that children and young people receive the right support as early as possible. We are improving the evidence base for identifying needs, while emphasising that access to support in education should not depend on a diagnosis.

To support greater consistency across the system, we are working with an expert panel to develop National Inclusion Standards. These standards will provide educators with evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches to help identify need and support children and young people with additional needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to develop the Standards and strengthen the underpinning evidence base.

In addition, we are investing £4 million in research led by UK Research and Innovation to develop and roll out approaches to early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support in education settings by 2028.

The government recognises the importance of consistent identification of special educational needs and disabilities, so that children and young people receive the right support as early as possible. We are improving the evidence base for identifying needs, while emphasising that access to support in education should not depend on a diagnosis.

To support greater consistency across the system, we are working with an expert panel to develop National Inclusion Standards. These standards will provide educators with evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches to help identify need and support children and young people with additional needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to develop the Standards and strengthen the underpinning evidence base.

In addition, we are investing £4 million in research led by UK Research and Innovation to develop and roll out approaches to early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support in education settings by 2028.