Department for Education

The department has permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), provided they meet income thresholds set out in public guidance.

This ensures that children can access support regardless of their background or circumstances, including the immigration status of their parents.

The income thresholds for NRPF households were designed to account for the differences in household income between NRPF households and those with access to additional state support to ensure parity.

The government has set out plans to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. We continue to keep all aspects of the free school meals system, including the guidance for families with no recourse to public funds, under review.

The government’s Opportunity Mission is focused on breaking the link between a child’s background and their future success, through coordinated action to improve social and income mobility. It sets priorities to give children the best start in life, ensure they achieve and thrive at school, strengthen post‑16 skills and opportunities, and support family security. Social mobility and opportunity are shared priorities across government. As the Minister for Skills, I promote the core objectives around social mobility, by helping to expand high‑quality skills, training and progression routes so that more young people can move into good employment, education or training.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

On Monday 23 February, we launched a full 12‑week consultation on our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms because we want to hear directly from people across the country who have an interest in these reforms.

To do that, we are building on our national conversation and delivering one of the widest engagement programmes we have ever run, reaching professionals, families, and children and young people to help shape these reforms together.

We are hosting a series of online and in‑person events throughout the 12-week consultation period in every region, including the East Midlands, with some sessions delivered in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children.

The department has a dedicated mailbox for SEND reform consultation responses and is accepting both written and non-written responses to consultation questions. The mailbox is available at: SENDreform.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk.

The consultation, including accessible versions, can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.

Information regarding GCSE and A level student counts by local authority is published by the department in the ‘Key stage 4 performance’ and ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical releases. Data is published from 2018/19 to 2024/25.

The requested data for GCSE students in 2018/19 to 2024/25 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0272ce41-9736-47f9-abc5-08de834ce335.

The requested data for A level students in 2020/21 to 2024/25 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e636057-8448-4e04-f84b-08de834d471d.

The data for A level students in 2017/18 to 2019/20 can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/eee0c01a-c6b4-4f22-f84d-08de834d471d.

The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the whole curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities.

The science curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to choose how they teach topics across the key stages, and this can include the study of female scientists. We are in the process of refreshing the national curriculum, including the sciences. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for teaching from September 2028.

Exam boards are responsible for developing qualification specifications that meet the subject content requirements set by the department and are accredited by Ofqual. While the department is responsible for decisions that relate to the scope of the subject content to be taught and assessed, exam boards are responsible for their own specifications.

No assessment has been made. Tuition fees are covered by tuition fee loans, so students do not need to pay them while they study.

Regarding students from lower-income backgrounds, we are acting to support them through future proofing our maintenance loan offer by increasing maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27.

Additionally, from 2028/29, maintenance grants will support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash in students’ pockets without increasing their debt.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget.

The estimated write offs are reflected in the Resource and Accounting Budget (RAB) charge, the government subsidy anticipated on student loans issued in any particular financial year. The RAB charge is forecast at 32% of total full-time plan 2 loans issued in 2024/25.

The Office for Students is updating its Prevent monitoring framework in line with the 2023 Prevent statutory guidance. It will publish a new framework and guidance in September, which will come into force at the start of 2027, where they will make greater use of Prevent review meetings to target areas of concern and gather more detailed evidence where necessary.

The department will, where required, use its enforcement powers under section 30 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015, including issuing directions enforceable by court order, to secure full compliance with the Prevent duty.

The government has no current plans to create a national register of all children.

Using data to improve school attendance is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Thanks to our world-leading data collection, the department has access to near real-time attendance data for mainstream schools, including academies.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also introducing a requirement for every local authority in England and Wales to hold compulsory Children Not in School registers, and accompanying duties on parents to provide information for these registers. This will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas.

Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers as repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold, repayments are made at a constant rate of 9%. This rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial year under the repayment threshold of £29,385.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Having an outstanding student loan is not a barrier to accessing a mortgage, however regular student loan repayments will be considered alongside other living costs as part of the affordability check for mortgage applications.

Interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation. Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) from the previous March and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030 (at the earliest), movements in RPI will be aligned with The Consumer Prices Index as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements. As these loans are not available for prospective students in England, there is no impact on degree and course choices.

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education.

Targeted maintenance grants from the academic year 2028/29 onwards will provide up to £1,000 extra support per year to students from low income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy. It will be crucial that the subject list is informed by the best and most up-to-date evidence on skills needs, and we will confirm which subjects will be eligible for grants closer to launch. The grants will be available to new and continuing students undertaking full-time courses at levels 4 to 6, including technical qualifications and degrees, at university or college.

In parallel, we have established a Task and Finish Group to tackle regional disparities in access and the most systemic barriers across the journey into higher education for disadvantaged students.

Having sufficient and skilled further education (FE) teachers is key to deliver on the government’s skills missions and help learners achieve good outcomes. The department continues to assess retention in the FE workforce based on available data and sector engagement.

The most recent published figures indicate that for FE teachers starting in 2016, 51% were still in post by 2019. For those starting in 2014, 39% were still in post by 2019. The department also collects workforce data through the annual Further Education Workforce Data Collection.

To improve retention, the department is delivering several programmes, including the targeted retention incentive for teachers in priority shortage subjects, reforms to initial teacher education and a strengthened professional development pathway with additional support for special educational needs and disabilities training.

We will also continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Improving Education Together group, to understand drivers of retention and support meaningful improvement in teacher experience.

Erasmus+ is open to learners, trainees and staff in higher education, further education, vocational education and training, schools and adult education. It is also open to young people and youth workers in the youth sector, as well as staff in sports organisations.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 112455 was published on 20 March 2026.

Higher education (HE) must be a space for robust discussion, intellectual rigour and exposure to new ideas. These expectations on our universities are long standing and not negotiable.

There are already routes of redress for students where they believe that a HE provider has breached its duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. As we have previously set out, students can already make complaints relating to free speech to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, whose service is free at the point of use.

The Office for Students (OfS) already regulates providers in relation to free speech and academic freedom through their existing conditions of registration. The OfS has also issued extensive guidance to HE providers on commencement of their duties, which supports students navigating these issues.

As autonomous institutions, higher education (HE) providers are responsible for setting their own timetabling and student support arrangements and in doing so, must take the needs of all students including mature learners, into account.

In January 2027 the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will launch and transform the HE student finance system. The LLE will give adults, up to the age of 60, access to a flexible, four year loan entitlement to use over their working lives to study full courses and individual modules. The LLE will broaden access at levels 4 to 6 for a range of learners, including those returning to education later in life or studying whilst working.

We are also reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, providing disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing loans for living costs from academic year 2028/29.

Together, these reforms modernise the student finance system and ensure that mature students can access the support they need to participate and succeed in HE.

Under the Erasmus+ Regulation, and as set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, the same EU communication and visibility requirements apply to Jean Monnet Actions. Jean Monnet Actions are open to any eligible institution that chooses to apply for a Jean Monnet project and is successful in securing funding.

Under the Erasmus+ Regulation, and as set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, the same EU communication and visibility requirements apply to Jean Monnet Actions. Jean Monnet Actions are open to any eligible institution that chooses to apply for a Jean Monnet project and is successful in securing funding.

Higher education (HE) institutions must successfully apply for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) before applying for funding for any project, whether they are applying for mobilities or partnerships, or as an individual organisation or consortium. Signing the charter means committing to providing participants with all the necessary support for their placements, including linguistic preparation.

The deadline for submitting applications for the ECHE has been extended to 24 March 2026 for HE institutions intending to participate in the 2027 funding call.

The ECHE is a mandatory prerequisite for participating in Erasmus+ activities related to HE, so any HE institutions wishing to participate in Erasmus+ in 2027 must ensure they meet the 24 March deadline. Applications can be made on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

The department has commenced discussions with the British Council with a view to them being appointed as the National Agency for Erasmus+.

The National Agency will be set up in time to accept bids for the 2027 Erasmus+ funding call which opens in November 2026.

The department has not had recent correspondence with universities on the enforcement of the free speech duties. This answer does not cover any correspondence which the Office for Students may have had with universities on enforcement of freedom of speech.

The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. However, it is essential we keep our higher education system financially sustainable.

To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress and excel in higher education, we are future proofing our maintenance offer by increasing loans for living costs in line with forecast inflation every academic year. This approach ensures that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year cash increases in support and provides long term certainty on the financial support students will receive while studying.

The department will also provide extra support for care leavers, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rate of loan from the 2026/27 academic year.

Additionally, we are reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, providing disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing loans for living costs from the 2028/29 academic year.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by the previous government and, given the inherited fiscal situation, the department is making tough but necessary decisions.

Graduates only begin repaying their student loan once earnings exceed the earnings threshold, after which they pay 9% of income above that level. At the end of the tax year, a borrower with total earnings below the annual student loan repayment threshold, may reclaim any repayments made where a pay period threshold was exceeded.

If earnings fall below the repayment threshold, borrowers are not required to make repayments, regardless of their plan. Any outstanding loan, including interest accrued, will be cancelled after the loan term ends, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

The median repayment duration of loans for students in the final cohort of Plan 2 borrowers, those who commenced study in the 2022/23 academic year, is 30 years. This is consistent with the average borrower in this cohort not being forecast to fully repay their loan and instead have some loan debt written off after 30 years. Information on repayment behaviour for this cohort is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

The department does not hold figures comparing the lifetime repayment duration for male and female Plan 2 borrowers or the total interest paid over the life of the loan.

We have successfully negotiated fair terms for the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027, the final year of the EU’s 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

Any participation in Erasmus+ into the next Multiannual Financial Framework will need to be agreed in the future and be based on a fair and balanced contribution.

This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. We commenced provisions from the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 on 1 August 2025 that strengthen provider duties on free speech, including a requirement to put in place free speech codes of practice, and require the Office for Students (OfS) to promote free speech, while banning non-disclosure agreements on complaints about bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

The OfS has also issued extensive guidance to higher education (HE) providers on commencement of their duties. The OfS’ Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the HE sector to offer advice and share best practice, so HE providers themselves are more effectively protecting free speech and academic freedom.

The department is seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal elements of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 at the earliest opportunity.

Interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation. Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) (from the previous March) and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030 (at the earliest), movements in RPI will be aligned with Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

The Further Education Outcomes statistics publication provides data on the progression from further education courses to sustained employment in the following academic year. It is published annually each November, with the most recent edition available at:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23#explore-data-and-files.

Note this does not show the logistics sector specifically or assess the impact of funded qualifications on employment rates.

The document referred to is a proposal and is not currently law.

The UK will be utilising EU funds, and so EU legislation relating to their use may apply in certain circumstances.