Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the international student levy will be introduced.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education (HE). We must, therefore, reform the HE system to better support disadvantaged students.
That is why the government will introduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students in low-income households studying on courses that support our missions and industrial strategy, funded by a levy on income from international student fees.
The government will set out further details on the International Student Levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at the Autumn Budget.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support the funding of training for young dancers from (a) disadvantaged backgrounds and (b) all backgrounds; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of such support on the future of the (a) performing acts and (b) creative industries sectors.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides funding for the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) for means-tested bursaries for 11 to 19 year-olds and the Dance and Drama Awards (DaDA) means-tested grants for 16 to 19 year-olds to improve access to specialist dance education. These routes give students training at professional level in contemporary dance and classical ballet, and the funding is targeted towards those from lower income households.
Dance is an important part of our creative industries. The creative industries have been announced as one of eight growth-driving sectors within the Industrial Strategy published in the summer, alongside the Creative Industries’ Sector Plan.
The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering dance as part of the physical education (PE) national curriculum, and the Review’s final report and government response will be published in the autumn.
The department will launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education next year, to promote high quality arts education in schools, including in dance. We will also support dance teaching as part of PE through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures her Department is taking to help support access to dance education in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides funding for the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) for means-tested bursaries for 11 to 19 year-olds and the Dance and Drama Awards (DaDA) means-tested grants for 16 to 19 year-olds to improve access to specialist dance education. These routes give students training at professional level in contemporary dance and classical ballet, and the funding is targeted towards those from lower income households.
Dance is an important part of our creative industries. The creative industries have been announced as one of eight growth-driving sectors within the Industrial Strategy published in the summer, alongside the Creative Industries’ Sector Plan.
The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering dance as part of the physical education (PE) national curriculum, and the Review’s final report and government response will be published in the autumn.
The department will launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education next year, to promote high quality arts education in schools, including in dance. We will also support dance teaching as part of PE through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if the Government will consider appointing a Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has responsibility for children and young people at Cabinet.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on tackling delays in processing valuations by the teachers' Pension Scheme; and whether her Department is taking steps to put special measures in place for teachers who are unable to finalise divorce settlements until these valuations are made.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As at 4 September 2025, the number of unresolved cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases has been reduced to 433 from 3,062 at the end of October 2024. This includes recent CETV applications and as such there will always be a number of outstanding CETV cases at any given time.
The scheme administrator is now working through the most complex cases for members who have retired. These cases can currently only be processed clerically and the estimated calculation times are between 20 and 65 hours per case. Therefore, the department is funding IT changes for the scheme administrator that are expected to significantly reduce calculation times.
This issue remains a top priority for the department and the scheme administrator, and the above actions are currently expected to result in the delayed CETVs being fully cleared by spring 2026.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding for (a) dyslexia screening and (b) dyslexia-specific teacher training in Chichester constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if a refreshed mathematics curriculum designed to ensure that as many learners as possible can achieve positive outcomes will form part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best life chances.
A high-quality curriculum and assessment system is key to ensuring that every child receives an excellent education, which includes providing a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative mathematics curriculum.
The Review is specifically considering how to remove existing blocks to progress and ensure good outcomes for children and young people, including those who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who have a special educational need or disability.
During its ongoing work, the Review Group are seeking to address the challenges in particular subjects, including the mathematics curriculum, enabling all students to master high-quality content.
The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's rollout of Best Start Family Hubs will include (a) provisions and (b) support services for home-educating families that require SEND support.
Answered by Janet Daby
On 7 July, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026/29 spending review period.
Best Start Family Hubs will provide both universal and targeted support, with open-access activities and referral routes for families with complex needs. They will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's rollout of Best Start Family Hubs will include (a) provisions and (b) support services for home-educating families.
Answered by Janet Daby
On 7 July, the government published ‘Giving every child the Best Start in Life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life. This outlines the government’s commitment to deliver a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services. The department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service over the 2026/29 spending review period.
Best Start Family Hubs will provide both universal and targeted support, with open-access activities and referral routes for families with complex needs. They will bring together professionals from health, education, early years, and community services, prioritising delivery in areas of disadvantage, where families face the greatest barriers to support. Each Best Start Family Hub will have a children and family services professional specifically trained in working to support inclusion for children with additional needs.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to ensure improved access to schooling for children with (a) visual and (b) hearing impairments in Chichester constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
All education settings have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. Part 6 of the Equality Act outlines that schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.
The government announced £740 million of high needs capital for the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and/or who are in alternative provision. This funding can be used to adapt classrooms to better meet the needs of all children, including the provision of sensory equipment within mainstream schools, alongside continuing to provide and adapt spaces to support pupils with the most complex needs in special schools. Local authorities may additionally wish to consider using this funding to invest in assistive technology interventions as a means of supporting pupils in mainstream schools.
The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against the five areas for improvement highlighted by the report, including one area specific to the sufficiency of high quality provision, and the progress made by children and young people with SEND.