Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the level of engagement with and representation of people with SEND, carers and SEND professionals in future government campaigns and communications on SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to ensuring that people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families and carers, and the professionals who support them are meaningfully represented in our communications, and their experiences reflected. This includes our social media, work with the press, paid for campaigns, communications partnerships, stakeholder engagement and our direct engagement. That has recently included case studies with children with SEND, their families, nurseries, schools and colleges, as part of the Schools White Paper communications. We have spoken to a broad range of young people, parents and carers, and are working with SEND professionals and campaigners to deliver webinars and explainer social media content on reforms to parents of children and young people with SEND.
We have also engaged people with lived experience in behind-the-scenes development of communications, so that messaging, tone and content reflect real experiences. We continue to work with SEND organisations, giving us a route to engagement with parents, carers and young people who do not follow us.
We recognise that good communication on SEND must go beyond information sharing. By involving those with direct experience and expertise from the outset, we can produce communications that better serve children and young people with SEND, their families, and the workforce supporting them.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the judgment in the matter of an application by JR87 and another for Judicial Review (Appellant) UKSC/2024/0095, if she will review the enforcement of collective worship in schools following that judgment.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Collective worship remains an important part of school life, supporting pupils to reflect on the concept of belief and the role it plays in our country’s traditions and values. We are clear the guidance in Circular 1/94 needs to be updated. We recognise that this is sensitive work requiring care, and we will consult with stakeholders to ensure that we get it right. It is a matter for schools themselves to ensure they meet their legal duties.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct an equalities impact assessment for student loan repayment freezes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, to the answer of 27 March 2026 to Question 112385.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to reduce the use of large commercial agencies in the supply teaching sector.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.
The department recognises the role that agencies play in helping to keep schools running when they face teacher shortages and absences. We are committed to helping schools achieve better value for money when using agencies, which is why we have established the agency supply deal in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge. Our most recent announcement on maximising value for pupils is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maximising-value-for-pupils/maximising-value-for-pupils.
The department has no plans to take steps to introduce a national supply register for teachers.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to introduce a national supply register for teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.
The department recognises the role that agencies play in helping to keep schools running when they face teacher shortages and absences. We are committed to helping schools achieve better value for money when using agencies, which is why we have established the agency supply deal in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge. Our most recent announcement on maximising value for pupils is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maximising-value-for-pupils/maximising-value-for-pupils.
The department has no plans to take steps to introduce a national supply register for teachers.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by Kinship entitled Handle with Care: Annual survey of kinship carers 2025, published on 2 October 2025.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is grateful to Kinship for its continued work to highlight the experiences of kinship carers. We are grateful for the insights in the ‘Handle with Care’ report from over 1,900 kinship families on the challenges and opportunities they face. The report’s findings around financial hardship, housing and access to support, reinforce the importance of our ongoing work to improve support for kinship carers and children living in kinship care.
The department remains focused on delivering improvements for kinship families through our existing programmes. We will be piloting a Kinship Financial Allowance in up to 10 local authorities, following the announcement at Autumn Budget 2024. We are also updating statutory guidance and developing best practice materials on family group decision making (FGDM) to support local authorities in delivering safe and effective FGDM, including how to engage children and families in the process.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of uprating the maximum income threshold for free school meals eligibility for children in families with No Recourse to Public Funds in line with the eligibility criteria introduced on 4 June 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, to the answer of 24 September 2025 to Question 76012.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in families subject to No Recourse to Public Funds have received the concession on access to free school meals since 2022 by (a) region and (b) year.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edmonton and Winchmore Hill, to the answer of 24 September 2025 to Question 76011.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of uprating in line with inflation the income threshold for Free School Meals eligibility for children in families with No Recourse to Public Funds.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Children from households with no recourse to public funds can receive free meals in school, subject to meeting income criteria set by the department in our published guidance.
As with all government programmes, we continue to keep free school meals under review.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children are on the SEND waiting list in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill constituency.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting to be assessed for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
The department collects information from local authorities on the number of requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of EHC needs assessments carried out, and the number of EHC plans issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. This data is published annually in the statistical release ‘Education, health and care plans’. The release can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2024.