Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 100240, tabled by the hon. Member for Poole on 15 December 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Question 100240 was published on 4 February 2026.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence entitled Adoptee Voices, published on 28 January 2026, if she will take steps to provide (a) a safe space in school and colleges for adoptees and (b) a teacher in each school to support adoptees.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive, but too many face barriers holding them back. The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a system that delivers educational excellence for every child and young person, no matter their background or circumstance.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of previously looked-after children, including children adopted from state care, and must appoint a Virtual School Head to discharge this duty. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to provide advice and expertise on the needs of previously looked-after children on their roll. Previously looked-after children have highest priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,630 per child per year to support improved educational outcomes.
Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are committed to updating statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads, including strengthening sections on promoting the educational outcomes of previously looked-after children. In doing so, we will consider the findings of the report to ensure guidance reflects the experiences and needs raised by adoptees. This will support greater consistency and ensure good practice is shared across the system.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence entitled Adoptee Voices, published on 28 January 2026, if she will take steps to provide additional support for adoptees in schools.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive, but too many face barriers holding them back. The upcoming Schools White Paper will set out our vision for a system that delivers educational excellence for every child and young person, no matter their background or circumstance.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote the educational achievement of previously looked-after children, including children adopted from state care, and must appoint a Virtual School Head to discharge this duty. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to provide advice and expertise on the needs of previously looked-after children on their roll. Previously looked-after children have highest priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,630 per child per year to support improved educational outcomes.
Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, we are committed to updating statutory guidance for Virtual School Heads, including strengthening sections on promoting the educational outcomes of previously looked-after children. In doing so, we will consider the findings of the report to ensure guidance reflects the experiences and needs raised by adoptees. This will support greater consistency and ensure good practice is shared across the system.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times have schools been rejected for Condition Improvement Funding in Surrey in the last 20 years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was established in 2015.
From 2015/16 to 2025/26, 133 CIF-eligible schools and sixth form colleges in Surrey local authority have submitted 991 CIF applications. Of these, 110 schools secured funding for 378 projects.
Further information regarding successful CIF applications, including schools receiving funding, is available for the 2015/16 to 2025/26 rounds and is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools have received Condition Improvement Funding in Surrey in the last 20 years.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was established in 2015.
From 2015/16 to 2025/26, 133 CIF-eligible schools and sixth form colleges in Surrey local authority have submitted 991 CIF applications. Of these, 110 schools secured funding for 378 projects.
Further information regarding successful CIF applications, including schools receiving funding, is available for the 2015/16 to 2025/26 rounds and is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide a response to Question 93556 on Schools: Standards, tabled on 21 November 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I can confirm that a response has been submitted to the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to Question 93556.
Asked by: Connor Naismith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 77869 on Teachers: Disclosure of Information, whether her Department plans to consider the experiences of teachers subject to non‑disclosure agreements in settlement contracts when developing the conditions to be set out in forthcoming regulations.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
School leaders are best placed to make staffing decisions to ensure the workforce reflects the needs of their pupils. That is why schools are provided the freedom to manage employment of all their staff. The department is not the employer of any school staff.
Where school employers use settlement agreements, they are required to comply with employment law. Settlement agreements are entirely voluntary, and employees do not have to enter into them if they do not agree with the proposed content. Academy trusts must comply with the Academies Financial Handbook if they are considering making a settlement agreement. The handbook can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-handbook.
Settlement agreements often include a confidentiality clause, however, the law is clear that confidentiality clauses cannot be used to prevent someone from making a protected disclosure, such as whistleblowing. Further information about whistle blowing for employees can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/whistleblowing.
In addition, the government has introduced a new measure, through the Employment Rights Act 2025, that will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers. The government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly made, known in the legislation as an ‘excepted agreement’.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many nights were spent in hotels by Departmental staff in financial year 2024-25 by the star rating of the hotel.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department has access to records of hotel accommodation used by employees; however, this information is not collected or categorised by hotel star rating. In 2024/25, employees booked 8,367 hotel nights, equivalent to an average 1.06 nights per employee.
The department’s travel and expenses policy ensures value for money by setting clear limits for hotel costs: £160 per night in London and £110 per night elsewhere. Employees are expected to book within these caps through approved channels.
Where accommodation cannot reasonably be secured within these limits, any higher‑cost booking must receive prior approval from a Senior Civil Servant (Deputy Director or above). Such approval is granted only where there is a clearly evidenced business or critical operational need.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report from the All Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence entitled Adoptee Voices, published on 28 January 2026, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a national adoptee forum.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Adoption England already has a well-established National Youth Forum. Young people who contributed to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Adoption and Permanence’s Adoptee Voices report can join the Forum to share their views and influence the government and others involved in developing policy. The government particularly wants to hear from adoptees and those with lived experience of adoption. That is why we are seeking their views specifically through our consultation on the future of adoption support. The consultation document can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/adoption-support-that-works-for-all.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how students and bereaved families are being involved in the work of the Implementation Taskforce on student mental health and suicide prevention.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Students and bereaved families are directly shaping the work of the higher education mental health implementation taskforce. Representatives of the LEARN network sit on the taskforce and have played a key role in agreeing its priorities and work strands, ensuring lived experience insight informs all outputs. The taskforce also includes formal student representation via the National Union of Students, and other members such as Student Minds also ensure that student voice and sector expertise underpin their programme of work.