Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) primary schools, and (2) secondary schools, in England provide a one-to-one screen-based device to every pupil.

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

Schools in England are free to select and deploy educational technology based on their individual needs, circumstances and educational context. The department has set digital and technology standards for schools and colleges, including standards for laptops, desktops and tablets for educational use. The standards do not specify a device ratio to meet, but helps schools and colleges to get the right devices that will support their overall digital and technology strategy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Information Commissioner's Office Edtech examined, published on 24 June, which highlighted a number of compliance gaps across the EdTech sector, what assessment they have made of the collection of children's personal data by educational technology applications used in schools.

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

The department welcomes the findings of the report from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and recognises the highlighted areas where some educational technology providers may need to improve their compliance with data protection requirements. The department is working with the ICO to address some of the highlighted areas.

As schools are data controllers in their own right, they are responsible for deciding which EdTech tools to procure to support their functions. To help schools make informed data protection decisions when procuring EdTech tools, the department produced guidance to support schools in making decisions on procuring EdTech, available at GOV.UK. This guidance is intended to help schools understand their data protection responsibilities and consider appropriate measures when selecting suppliers while safeguarding the personal data of pupils, parents and carers.

The department continues to engage with the ICO to promote good practice across the education sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether educational technology products adopted by schools are required to undergo a data protection impact assessment before deployment.

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

Schools, academy trusts and local authorities are responsible for complying with data protection law when adopting educational technology products.

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, they must complete a data protection impact assessment where the processing of personal data is likely to result in a high risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.

This can include, for example, large-scale processing of children’s data, profiling, biometric data or other high-risk uses.

The department published guidance for schools on data protection and procuring educational technology, which encourages schools to consider data protection from the outset and consult their data protection officer when introducing new tools. This guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what process they use to verify the safety, privacy, and educational value of educational technology products being used in schools in England.

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

The department supports schools to make informed decisions through published digital and technology standards, guidance on data protection, cyber security, filtering and monitoring, and advice on buying technology and services. These set clear expectations for safe, secure and effective use of technology in schools and colleges.

The department will shortly consult on a certification scheme for education technology products, including generative AI and filtering and monitoring products, to give schools clearer assurance about safety when considering products for use in classrooms. The certification scheme will build on existing digital and technology standards for schools, including the generative AI product safety standards, creating a robust model that can adapt as technology evolves.

To support schools further, the department is also investing £24 million in testbeds to evaluate the impact of education technology on outcomes, helping build the evidence base on what works for schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the cost of (1) one-to-one screen-based devices, and (2) educational technology software and licences, provided for use in schools in England in each of the last three academic years.

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

Schools and academy trusts are responsible for decisions on their own technology procurement and expenditure, within their delegated budgets and in line with relevant procurement rules.

In 2024/25, the department estimates that schools spent over £800 million on EdTech, including learning resources, admin software, laptops, desktops and tablets, which is equivalent to 1.2% of the entire school budget.

Found: Supported by: Baroness Altmann, Baroness Barran, Lord Hunt of Wirral, Baroness Kramer, Baroness O’Grady

Found: at 10.30am on Tuesday, 8 September Present: Baroness Andrews Lord Bailey of Paddington Baroness Barran

Found: 00pm on Tuesday, 1 September 2026 Present: Baroness Andrews Lord Bailey of Paddington Baroness Barran

Found: :30am on Tuesday, 21 July 2026 Present: Baroness Andrews Lord Bailey of Paddington Baroness Barran

Found: meeting Members present: Lord Gascoigne (Chair); Baroness Andrews; Lord Bailey of Paddington; Baroness Barran

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