Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to mandate the flying of the (a) Union flag and (b) Saint George's Cross at schools in England.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools in England are free to display the Union flag and the Saint George’s Cross, and it is a matter for individual schools to decide.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help improve the rate of early diagnosis of dyslexia in children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.
A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of both the reading framework and the writing framework, and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes for schools validated by the department.
We have also launched a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers: ‘Reading Ambition for All: teaching children who need the most support, including those with SEND’. Following this pilot year, we will be working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve special educational needs support services for dyslexia in English schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.
The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.
A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.
The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve early detection of dyslexia in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.
The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.
A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.
The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of academic exchange programmes between UK and Australian universities; and whether she plans to increase levels of bilateral cooperation in higher education.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to providing enriching opportunities for students and young people to experience other countries and cultures, including through trips and exchanges with key partners such as Australia.
The department monitors participation in schemes such as the Turing Scheme, the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. The scheme has helped tens of thousands of UK students to study and work abroad, including in Australia, and is now in its fifth year.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is talking to promote the education of animal welfare in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises the importance of teaching children about animal welfare in schools and this topic can already be covered within science and citizenship. As with other subjects, the national curriculum in England provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own school curriculum.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide funding to encourage the consumption of healthy food in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and it is important that schools follow the latest nutritional guidance. To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.
The department spends over £1.5 billion annually delivering free meals to around 3.4 million pupils. We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament. We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover additional meal costs of the new entitlement. This is new money as opposed to funding within existing school budgets.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to increase funding for support for parents in disadvantaged areas.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The government has committed to provide funding for all local authorities to deliver Best Start Family Hubs, backed by over £500 million, to help families in every part of the country. The rollout will deliver up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs nationwide by 2028, reaching an estimated additional 500,000 children. Hubs will be open to all families but located in disadvantaged communities where support is most needed.
The government understands the distinct challenges faced by parents and, ahead of the publication of our Child Poverty Strategy, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. This includes establishing a new Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) through the Spending Review period to replace the Household Support Fund. This longer-term funding approach will enable local authorities to provide preventative support to families and communities.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to improve numeracy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
To drive standards in mathematics, the department funds the Maths Hubs programme, supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. Local Maths Hubs provide school-to-school support focused on mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers in primary and secondary schools.
The Romford constituency is served by the London North East Maths Hub. As of August 2024, Maths Hubs have worked with 85.5% of open primary schools (14,321) and 88.3% of open secondary schools (3,015) across the country since 2015/16.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help increase the number of pupils obtaining Level 4 qualifications in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has set an ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level study (level 4+) by age 25.
From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding, that will support learners to take on courses and modular learning at levels 4-6, across universities, colleges and independent providers.
The government will also reintroduce targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, which will offer vital financial support to eligible students from low-income households, helping more of these students to access and excel in higher education.
The department is expanding Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which are quality-marked, occupation-focused level 4–5 courses available at universities, further education colleges, and independent providers. They offer flexible study options, such as part-time and distance learning, making them accessible to those with caring responsibilities or in work. 282 HTQs have been approved across 13 occupational routes.