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 her Department last reviewed statutory safety standards for nurseries.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children are kept healthy and safe. The framework is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68c024cb8c6d992f23edd79c/Early_years_foundation_stage_statutory_framework_-_for_group_and_school-based_providers.pdf.pdf. In September 2025, changes were introduced to strengthen the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including clearer expectations on safer recruitment, child absences, safer eating, safeguarding training, and whistleblowing.
A new safeguarding training annex now sets out what training must cover. To support providers, a free online safeguarding training package is being developed with the NSPCC, aligned to the new requirements.
An expert panel will also be appointed to consider whether CCTV should be mandated and to set out best practice, technical guidance and clear expectations for the use of CCTV and digital devices.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to require CCTV in nursery settings to improve safeguarding for children.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. The framework is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
The EYFS requires providers to have safeguarding policies that address the use of mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about installing and using CCTV are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements. While CCTV can support safeguarding, it is most effective when combined with strong safeguarding cultures, supported by training, supervision and effective oversight.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel will be appointed to inform sector guidance on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices within safeguarding. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has had recent discussions with (a) the Campaign for Gigi and (b) The Lullaby Trust on reforms to early years safeguarding standards.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In June 2025, my hon. Friend, the former Minister for Early Education met with Genevieve’s parents and The Lullaby Trust to discuss the campaign for Gigi’s proposals. In January 2026, I also met with Genevieve’s parents and The Lullaby Trust to continue these discussions. The department will continue to consider these as part of our ongoing review of the safeguarding requirements for early years settings.
Since these meetings, policy officials have continued to engage with the Lullaby Trust to consider the lessons that can be learned from previous serious incidents and to ensure that children are kept as safe as possible. To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the early years foundation stage (EYFS) frameworks. The department has worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.
The department is also in contact with the Campaign for Gigi and will be keeping them updated regarding our ongoing review of early years safeguarding requirements, including those around digital devices and CCTV.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Ofsted's inspection framework to ensure nurseries and other early years settings enforce safe sleeping practices.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, which is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
In September 2024, the department collaborated with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets.
Ofsted inspects early years providers against the requirements of the EYFS, including safeguarding and children’s welfare. Early years inspectors are experienced professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess compliance with statutory requirements.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance her Department has issued on safer sleep practices in nursery and early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, which is available here: https://www.nhs.uk/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
In September 2024, the department collaborated with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance available on the Foundation Years platform. This covers unsuitable sleeping products, suitable sleeping surfaces and the safe use of blankets.
Ofsted inspects early years providers against the requirements of the EYFS, including safeguarding and children’s welfare. Early years inspectors are experienced professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess compliance with statutory requirements.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, we plan to add further detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safer sleep experts, including The Lullaby Trust, on proposed new wording and plan to introduce these changes as soon as possible.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of banning phones in schools; and whether she plans to make banning phones in schools compulsory.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mobile phones have no place in schools.
The department’s new, stronger guidance on mobile phones in schools is clear that all schools should be mobile phone-free by default. Pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.
Research from the Children’s Commissioner, published in April 2025, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools - 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools - already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.
The guidance will be implemented through behaviour management in schools, and by setting out clear expectations for teachers and school staff, while our Attendance and Behaviour Hub-lead schools will support other schools to implement and enforce a mobile phone policy where needed.
For the first time, Ofsted will check school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be phone-free by default. Ofsted will examine both schools' mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented when judging behaviour during inspections
In addition, a consultation will identify the next steps in the government’s plan to boost children’s wellbeing online, ensuring they have a healthy relationship with mobile phones and social media.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has met with representatives of Kinship's #ValueOurLove campaign to discuss potential reforms to the kinship care system.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children. The government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve, and kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.
Departmental officials and I regularly engage with the charity Kinship as well as other key sector stakeholders to discuss and consult on ongoing and future reforms to the kinship care system.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of equalising financial allowances between foster carers and kinship carers.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department will soon begin to trial a new Kinship Allowance in a number of local authorities. Funding for this was announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.
The pilot will provide all those caring for a child in a kinship arrangement with a Special Guardianship Order or a ‘lives with’ Child Arrangement Order, where the child would have otherwise been in care, an allowance paid at the same rate as foster care, in the pilot local authorities.
This will support approximately 4,500 kinship children and help equalise the financial allowance between foster carers and kinship carers.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many infant deaths have occurred in nursery or early years settings in England in each of the last five years, and what steps are being taken to reduce these incidents.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department is responsible for setting the standards which early years settings, such as nurseries, must follow. These are set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The department has responsibility for policy on inspection and registration. Ofsted is responsible for implementation.
Given the sensitivity of information relating to serious childcare incidents and the need to ensure data quality, Ofsted does not publish incident-level data as routine statistics. However, Ofsted has confirmed that, in the last five financial years (2020/21 to 2024/25), there have been 11 notifications relating to child deaths in registered early years settings in England. These figures relate to notifications made to Ofsted and do not represent a determination of cause or fault, nor do they necessarily reflect the total number of child deaths.
The death of any child is extremely concerning and our thoughts are with the affected children and their families. The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings to help ensure children are kept as safe as possible.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the proportion of children who experienced cyber bullying in 2025; and what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce this.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department monitors the prevalence of bullying among children and young people through the National Behaviour Survey (NBS).
The most recent NBS results, for the 2024/25 academic year, showed that 21% of secondary school aged pupils reported being bullied in the past 12 months. Of those pupils, 29% reported that at least some of the bullying occurred online.
The department is procuring an expert and evidence-led review into best practice on behaviour and preventing and tackling bullying, including cyber-bullying. The learning from this will support leaders to develop safe, supportive school cultures.
Through statutory relationships, sex and health education, pupils are taught about online relationships, the implications of sharing private or personal data (including images) online, harmful content, cyberbullying, what over-reliance on social media looks like and where to get help.