Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the take up of free school meals is for those eligible; and what measures are in place to increase take up.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. The latest school census data shows 2,171,916 pupils claimed benefits-based free school meals (FSM). In total, 25.7% of all pupils claimed benefits-based FSM. This is an increase from the previous academic year, where 24.6% claimed a free meal. A further 1,265,399 pupils received a meal under our universal infant free school meal policy, representing 88.4% of non-FSM eligible infant pupils. This is increase on 87.6% the previous academic year.

Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals of all children from households in receipt of universal credit will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals.

To support take-up, we are also updating the Eligibility Checking System, which will make it easier for LAs, schools and parents to check if children are eligible for FSM and can therefore receive a healthy, nutritious meal during the school day. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that councils with above-average demand for children’s social care receive adequate resources under the revised needs-based formula.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The existing formula, last updated in 2013/14, is significantly outdated and no longer reflects current levels of need. Since then, many local authorities have experienced substantial changes in deprivation, child population density, and other factors that drive demand for services.

The Children and Young People’s Services formula provides a more accurate and robust assessment of each local authority’s relative need for children’s services. It does so by analysing a combination of child and neighbourhood characteristics that best predict whether a child will engage with social care. These include child‑level factors such as age, gender, and eligibility for free school meals, alongside neighbourhood indicators such as deprivation and poor health.

This approach ensures that councils with the greatest levels of relative need receive the largest shares of available funding, enabling them to effectively deliver vital services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide (a) support and (b) training to school staff in respect to teaching pupils about violence against women and girls.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has overhauled the curriculum with a new, reformed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum that champions healthy attitudes and relationships to equip our children with the tools they need to tackle harmful influences and help them thrive. The government does not prescribe what training resources schools should use. Schools are free to choose the materials and support that best suits their need.

On 18 December, the government published its strategy to address violence against women and girls. The department is investing an additional £11 million to support the strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours. Further details of the programmes will be shared in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of children who are home-schooled have Muslim parents.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not collect data on the religion of the parents of children in Elective Home Education (EHE).

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the anticipated £5 million cost of further education maintenance grants for years 2029 to 2030 and 2030 to 2031, set out in Budget 2025: Policy Costings, published on 26 November, how many students they expect to receive the grants for each of these years; and what the average cost of each maintenance grant will be.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government will introduce means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year for students studying courses aligned with the government's missions and the Industrial Strategy. The grants will be available to new and continuing students from the 2028/29 academic year onwards, and will be paid in addition to maintenance loans, increasing the financial support available to the most disadvantaged students without increasing their debt.

The costing for the policy published at Autumn Budget 2025 sets out the forecast increase in annually managed expenditure on student loans resulting from the assumed behavioural response from the introduction of maintenance grants, in the form of increased participation. The estimate can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

A full equality impact assessment of how the introduction of maintenance grants may affect students will be published alongside the legislation necessary to introduce the grants in advance of their introduction.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of students who will benefit from the forthcoming means-tested maintenance grant who would not otherwise have been able to enrol in higher education.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government will introduce means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year for students studying courses aligned with the government's missions and the Industrial Strategy. The grants will be available to new and continuing students from the 2028/29 academic year onwards, and will be paid in addition to maintenance loans, increasing the financial support available to the most disadvantaged students without increasing their debt.

The costing for the policy published at Autumn Budget 2025 sets out the forecast increase in annually managed expenditure on student loans resulting from the assumed behavioural response from the introduction of maintenance grants, in the form of increased participation. The estimate can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf

A full equality impact assessment of how the introduction of maintenance grants may affect students will be published alongside the legislation necessary to introduce the grants in advance of their introduction.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure (a) trauma informed and (b) neurodiversity awareness practices across children’s social care services in Surrey.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is working with local authorities, including Surrey, to transform children’s social care. We have confirmed the rollout of Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision making reforms through the Families First Partnership programme, backed by £2.4 billion over the spending review period.

The Families First Partnership programme guide sets out the expected practice changes. We are transforming the whole system of help, support and protection, to ensure that every family can access the right help and support when they need it. For some families this may involve understanding the impact of trauma or supporting those who are neurodiverse.

The programme guide expects areas to develop a shared practice framework across agencies that covers the end-to-end system of help, support and protection, in line with the national framework outcomes and the requirements of the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of the training resources provided to (a) classroom teachers and (b) senior leadership teams in schools in respect of teaching students about violence against women and girls.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has overhauled the curriculum with a new, reformed relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum that champions healthy attitudes and relationships to equip our children with the tools they need to tackle harmful influences and help them thrive. The government does not prescribe what training resources schools should use. Schools are free to choose the materials and support that best suits their need.

On 18 December, the government published its strategy to address violence against women and girls. The department is investing an additional £11 million to support the strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours. Further details of the programmes will be shared in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to require enhanced training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors on the handling of child-on-child sexual abuse, including training on record keeping, victim safeguarding and avoidance of secondary victimisation.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to require schools and local authorities to record and centrally report anonymised data on allegations of child-on-child sexual abuse, the actions taken and case outcomes.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms currently allow Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate to conduct targeted safeguarding inspections where there is evidence of systemic mishandling of child-on-child sexual abuse; and if she will review inspection handbooks to include specific triggers and mandatory follow-up actions.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to expand SEND Hubs in schools in West Dorset.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to encouraging schools and local authorities to set up resourced provision and special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools and is working with the sector to increase capacity and extend best practice across the system.

The department has announced £3 billion in high needs capital to create 50,000 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This builds on the £740 million high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, including setting up resourced provision or SEN units in mainstream schools. Dorset received a high needs provision capital allocation of £5,023,392 for 2025/26. Funding for individual SEN units or resourced provision is the responsibility of the relevant local authority, with minimum place funding governed by the high needs operational guidance.

The department is launching national SEN unit/resourced provision peer networks, as part of the regional improvement for standards and excellence universal service offer on inclusive mainstream, to support frontline practitioners so that children benefit from high quality and consistent provision.

The department is also working with the Council for Disabled Children and the National Association for Special Educational Needs to develop guidance to help mainstream settings deliver high quality support for children and young people accessing SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of SEND Hubs on educational outcomes for children with SEND in West Dorset constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to encouraging schools and local authorities to set up resourced provision and special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools and is working with the sector to increase capacity and extend best practice across the system.

The department has announced £3 billion in high needs capital to create 50,000 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This builds on the £740 million high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, including setting up resourced provision or SEN units in mainstream schools. Dorset received a high needs provision capital allocation of £5,023,392 for 2025/26. Funding for individual SEN units or resourced provision is the responsibility of the relevant local authority, with minimum place funding governed by the high needs operational guidance.

The department is launching national SEN unit/resourced provision peer networks, as part of the regional improvement for standards and excellence universal service offer on inclusive mainstream, to support frontline practitioners so that children benefit from high quality and consistent provision.

The department is also working with the Council for Disabled Children and the National Association for Special Educational Needs to develop guidance to help mainstream settings deliver high quality support for children and young people accessing SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department is ensuring that SEND Hubs in West Dorset schools are adequately funded and staffed.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to encouraging schools and local authorities to set up resourced provision and special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools and is working with the sector to increase capacity and extend best practice across the system.

The department has announced £3 billion in high needs capital to create 50,000 places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This builds on the £740 million high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, including setting up resourced provision or SEN units in mainstream schools. Dorset received a high needs provision capital allocation of £5,023,392 for 2025/26. Funding for individual SEN units or resourced provision is the responsibility of the relevant local authority, with minimum place funding governed by the high needs operational guidance.

The department is launching national SEN unit/resourced provision peer networks, as part of the regional improvement for standards and excellence universal service offer on inclusive mainstream, to support frontline practitioners so that children benefit from high quality and consistent provision.

The department is also working with the Council for Disabled Children and the National Association for Special Educational Needs to develop guidance to help mainstream settings deliver high quality support for children and young people accessing SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there are enforceable lines of accountability between schools, governing bodies, local authorities, including Local Authority Designated Officers, Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate and the police when responding to cases of child on child sexual abuse; and if she will publish updated statutory guidance specifying who is responsible for initial safeguarding decisions, oversight, timescales for action and independent review.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce national response timescales for schools and local authorities to investigate allegations of child on child sexual abuse, to provide written outcomes to families and to advise parents on independent routes of redress; and if she will require standardised record keeping and disclosure to parents within set deadlines.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to create an independent stage of complaint for parents in safeguarding cases where a school or governing body has already determined its own conduct in relation to child on child sexual abuse.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Sexual abuse in any form is abhorrent and protecting children from this is an absolute priority for this government.

‘Working together to safeguard children’ is the statutory guidance which sets out the collaborative duties and responsibilities placed on agencies to safeguard and protect children.

‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to, when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. It includes clear and detailed guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and harassment, and on recording concerns, discussions and decisions made

Local authorities, schools and colleges are held to account for safeguarding children through a number of routes, including statutory guidance, legislation, child safeguarding practice review panels and inspection.

All schools are assessed on safeguarding as part of their routine inspections. If a state-funded school is not fulfilling its responsibilities in relation to child-on-child sexual abuse, the school is likely to be placed in a category of concern. Similarly, an independent school would likely be judged to not meet the Independent School Standards. This would then lead to robust action to address the concerns

Any concerns about a school’s procedures should be raised directly with the school in question in the first instance, as they will be best placed to offer information and advice regarding their decisions

Where individuals are not satisfied with the outcome of any concerns raised, they are able to make a formal complaint via the school’s complaints procedure. All schools must have a complaint procedure, and it should explain how a complaint can be progressed if a parent remains dissatisfied with the school’s response. When a parent or other relevant body raises a safeguarding concern about pupil safety, including child-on-child sexual abuse, this could trigger an unannounced or focused inspection by Ofsted to assess whether the school is meeting its safeguarding responsibilities. Ofsted expects schools to demonstrate that they have thoroughly investigated safeguarding concerns from parents. This is part of the school’s statutory safeguarding duty under ‘Keeping children safe in education’.

Parents are also able to escalate concerns directly to the local council where they believe a child is at risk of immediate harm. More information about school complaints can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

In relation to training for headteachers, Designated Safeguarding Leads and school governors, KCSIE makes clear that all staff should undergo safeguarding and child protection training, including online safety, which should be regularly updated and should be in line with any advice from local safeguarding partners.

The department already publishes analysis on children affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-in-need-a-focus-on-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that funding being provided for secondary schools on the National School Breakfast Programme in the 2026/2027 academic year is used as effectively as possible.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

From September 2026, participating national school breakfast programme schools with secondary-aged pupils will continue to be supported to an equivalent value of what they currently receive on the national school breakfast programme. Further details and guidance for eligible schools will be published in the spring term.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how will the cost of the Erasmus Scheme in 2027/28 be funded.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have agreed terms with the European Commission that represent a fair balance between the UK’s contribution and the benefits the programme offers, which paved the way for UK participation.

We have agreed a 30% discount compared to the default terms in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as well as a review of the UK’s participation in the programme ten months after our association, including data concerning demand for funding in the UK. Going forward, any continued UK participation in Erasmus+ under the next Multiannual Financial Framework will be informed by our experience of association in 2027.

Erasmus costs will be funded above the department’s spending review settlement and scored in the usual way at the next fiscal event.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight exists when academy trusts increase executive pay in years where frontline teaching posts are reduced.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to educate schoolchildren about the dangers of radicalisation ideologies online.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has strengthened statutory guidance on ‘Keeping children safe in education’ to address online safety, and has updated the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum to strengthen teaching on online safety, wellbeing, and misogyny. We support teachers on how to do this with freely available resources and will pilot a teacher support grant in 2026 – to build a workforce that is equipped and empowered to take on these challenges.

The department also provides comprehensive guidance and resources through the Educate Against Hate website, helping teachers protect children from extremism and radicalisation. Media literacy is embedded in compulsory subjects such as RSHE, computing, and citizenship, equipping pupils to navigate online relationships, identify harms, and critically assess information. To address misogynistic radicalisation, we have published guides to build confidence and manage difficult conversations on incels, the manosphere, and algorithms. We are investing an additional £11 million to support the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy and will be piloting three programmes to support teachers implement the RSHE curriculum in the best possible way; to encourage healthy relationships in children; and to tackle harmful sexual behaviours.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the capacity of schools to implement additional (a) safeguarding and (b) behavioural intervention responsibilities in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Safeguarding children in schools is an absolute priority for this government, and all schools, including those in Surrey Heath, have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. We support them to do this via the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children Safe In Education’ (KCSIE), to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

The guidance provides a strong safeguarding framework and is clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child or young person’s wellbeing and/or safety. This includes child-on-child sexual violence and harassment

In particular, Part 5 of this guidance provides robust guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment and provides advice on a whole-school approach to preventing abuse.

In addition, all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. It is for school leaders to develop and implement a policy that works for their own schools and school community. The department publishes guidance to support school leaders and staff to help manage behaviour, including ‘Behaviour in Schools’, ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’, ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation’, and ‘Mobile Phones in School’.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of data on [a] met and [b] unmet need among [i] looked-after and [ii] previously looked after children.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department monitors outcomes for looked-after and previously looked-after children through national statistics on education, health, and care leaver activity. While these datasets do not directly record met and unmet needs, they inform targeted interventions.

For example, the adoption and special guardianship support fund provides therapeutic support for previously looked-after children, including those adopted or under special guardianship, helping address complex emotional and behavioural needs identified by local authority assessments.

Our reform programme will give children and young people the start in life they deserve. This includes strengthening the children’s social care data and digital strategy with a ‘Centre of Excellence’ supporting data and digital culture, leadership, skills and collaboration for children’s social care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the relationship between academy trust executive pay levels and reductions in curriculum offer or staffing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, What benchmarks her Department uses to assess whether academy trust executive pay represents value for money when trusts are making redundancies.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Academy Trust Handbook is clear that executive pay must be justifiable and should reflect individual responsibility alongside local retention and recruitment needs. The Handbook is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2025-effective-from-1-september-2025.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s evidence to the School Teachers’ Review Body to support the 2026 pay award recognises that the department is aware of trends of increasing executive pay and monitors this through an annual engagement exercise. The evidence was published in October 2025 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69034343fabc9f10a832a838/Government_evidence_to_the_STRB_2026.pdf.

The evidence also recognises that there are opportunities to drive value for money in this area. The department has started to make progress in this area with the recent introduction of executive pay into the Financial Benchmarking and Insight tool for trusts to encourage boards to make evidence-based decisions when setting executive pay.

The department engages annually on executive pay, requiring academy trusts to demonstrate value for money. The engagement considers executive responsibilities, taking into account peer benchmarking data on the level of pay, the size of trust, pupil numbers and grant income. The department will also engage on executive pay when intervening in an academy trust that is in financial difficulty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published by the Office for National Statistics as part of their quarterly release on public sector employment statistics. Information for September 2025 can be accessed at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025.

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for the 2024/25 financial year can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the resources available to schools to ensure safeguarding incidents involving peer-on-peer abuse are addressed in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Safeguarding children in schools is an absolute priority for this government, and all schools, including those in Surrey Heath, have a critical role to play in protecting children and keeping them safe. We support them to do this via the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children Safe In Education’ (KCSIE), to which all schools and colleges must have regard when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children

The guidance provides a strong safeguarding framework and is clear on the actions a school or college should take if there are any concerns about a child or young person’s wellbeing and/or safety. This includes child-on-child sexual violence and harassment

In particular, Part 5 of this guidance provides robust guidance on managing reports of child-on-child sexual violence and sexual harassment and provides advice on a whole-school approach to preventing abuse.

In addition, all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. It is for school leaders to develop and implement a policy that works for their own schools and school community. The department publishes guidance to support school leaders and staff to help manage behaviour, including ‘Behaviour in Schools’, ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’, ‘Searching, Screening and Confiscation’, and ‘Mobile Phones in School’.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with adoptive and kinship families about levels of support offered by statutory authorities to meet family needs.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government works closely with organisations that represent kinship and adoptive families, and directly with adopters and kinship carers through both our adopter and kinship carer reference groups.

Following the Care Review, the government updated the kinship care guidance for local authorities and appointed the first ever National Kinship Ambassador, who works closely to engage with lived experience groups.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to assess and provide adoption support tailored to family needs. This includes financial assistance such as adoption allowances, settling-in grants, and access to adoption leave and pay. The adoption and special guardianship support fund provides post-adoption support interventions, including therapeutic support for adopted children and their families.

Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department will mandate all local authorities in England to publish their local kinship offer and offer family group decision-making at pre-proceedings where that is in the child’s best interests. We will soon trial a kinship allowance in some local authorities, to support eligible kinship carers with the additional cost incurred when taking the parental responsibility of a child in kinship care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish a fuller equalities impact assessment of the Child Poverty Strategy, including its impact on groups at highest risk of poverty.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

A full summary equalities analysis was published alongside the Child Poverty Strategy and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/child-poverty-strategy-summary-equalities-analysis.

The impacts of policies contributing to the Child Poverty Strategy will be kept under review and monitored on an ongoing basis by departments using their own established approaches to considerations made under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the Child Poverty Strategy will also continue to assess the poverty risk and prevalence for groups with protected characteristics, as far as the data and evidence gathering allow.

The monitoring and evaluation framework, published alongside the Strategy, set out that a baseline report will be published in summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration she has given to the potential benefits for schools of introducing a register of supply teachers, allowing access to available, qualified and DBS checked substitute staff.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department continues to develop and review policy on supply teaching and currently has no plans to introduce a national supply register for teachers.

The mix of models presently available in England, including agencies, direct hire and some local pools, gives schools choice over how they secure supply teachers, how many providers they work with and how they engage with providers to ensure their needs are met.

As part of our Maximising Value for Pupils programme, we will introduce a cap on supplier rates on the new Crown Commercial Service framework due in June 2026, and expect schools and trusts to use this new framework unless they are achieving better value for money elsewhere.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of variations in the amount and quality of breaktime provision between schools.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to the answers of 25 November 2025 and 5 December 2025 to Questions 91834 and 95249.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to introduce an auto-enrolment system for all children eligible for free school meals.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

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

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals (FSM) so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for FSM from September 2026 will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.

We are also rolling out improvements to the Eligibility Checking System which will make it easier for local authorities, schools and parents to check if children are eligible for free meals.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data the Department holds on the expected changes in childcare demand in Northumberland associated with childcare measures in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

As part of the Child Poverty Strategy, the government will provide Universal Credit childcare support to help with the childcare costs for all children instead of limiting this to two children, supporting parents who have larger families into work

The Strategy sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data the Department holds on the expected changes in childcare demand in Hexham constituency associated with childcare measures in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

As part of the Child Poverty Strategy, the government will provide Universal Credit childcare support to help with the childcare costs for all children instead of limiting this to two children, supporting parents who have larger families into work

The Strategy sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data the Department holds on the expected changes in childcare demand in the North East associated with childcare measures in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.

As part of the Child Poverty Strategy, the government will provide Universal Credit childcare support to help with the childcare costs for all children instead of limiting this to two children, supporting parents who have larger families into work

The Strategy sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups.

We call on the Government to introduce legislation requiring that all educational establishments (such as schools and colleges) to install fully enclosed restroom cubicles.

Introduce GCSE Law to the national education curriculum. I feel the current curriculum can sometimes fail to inspire and motivate students.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent the spread of measles in schools.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Vaccination is the safest and most effective way to protect children and staff against measles. In England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) works closely with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to improve uptake of the routine childhood immunisation programme, including the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The UKHSA also works closely with the Department for Education and a broad range of stakeholders and partners at the national, regional, and local level to communicate the importance of the MMR vaccine and the risk of measles, across media, social media, and through engagement with local communities.

The UKHSA Health Protection Teams work closely with local partners and schools to respond to measles outbreaks when they arise. Guidance for educational settings on preventing and managing infectious disease like measles is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-protection-in-schools-and-other-childcare-facilities

Information for parents whose children have contracted measles can be found at the following link:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/

From 1 January 2026, general practices will offer eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella instead of MMR, as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-a-routine-varicella-mmrv-vaccination-programme

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