Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to include media literacy within the English curriculum as part of the ongoing curriculum review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The current English language GCSE curriculum equips students with critical reading and comprehension skills. They learn to identify and interpret themes in diverse texts, read for various purposes, draw inferences, support viewpoints with evidence and identify bias.
In its interim report, the Curriculum and Assessment Review noted the importance of the curriculum keeping pace with the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information. To address this, as well as securing learning in foundational subjects, the curriculum needs to reflect the growing demand for key knowledge and skills such as digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will respond to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People's report, entitled: Laying Firm Foundations: Financial education in schools and colleges across the UK and the opportunities of devolution.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.
The government welcomes the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Financial Education for Young People to highlight the importance of financial education.
The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in core subjects, including mathematics, and a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work.
The interim report highlighted that the Review has heard, from children, young people and their parents, that they want more focus on the applied knowledge and skills that will equip them for later life and work, such as financial education.
The Review’s final report will be published in autumn, following which we will consider how to ensure the financial education pupils receive is relevant and taught by confident and committed teachers.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers receive adequate (a) training and (b) other resources to provide financial education.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21190.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to enhance the teaching of financial education within the Personal, Social, Health and Economic curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen the provision of financial education in schools beyond the mathematics curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to (a) improve and (b) expand the financial education resources available through Oak National Academy to help support schools to provide financial literacy teaching.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In April last year, Oak National Academy (Oak) launched over 80 new financial education resources to support teachers in delivering high quality lessons and preparing children for life and employment in the modern world. The resources, which cover both primary and secondary, explore core financial concepts such as budgeting, saving and taxation, as well as more contemporary areas such as keeping money safe from scams, virtual spending whilst online gaming, and assessing claims made by influencers.
These have been created in partnership with the mathematics education charity, MEI, and the Association of Citizenship Teaching, and cover mathematics, citizenship and financial education. Oak will keep its offer under review based on teacher feedback and any changes required following the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that per pupil school funding is spread evenly across (a) Greater Manchester and (b) other regional areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England.
The NFF allocates funding to local authority areas, based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics. The funding that individual schools actually receive is then based on their local authority’s funding formula.
The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of their pupils.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the rate at which asbestos is removed from schools in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Stockport borough and (c) Hazel Grove constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department expects all local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice and our published guidance.
Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive. We follow their expert advice that, provided asbestos-containing materials are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed, it is generally safest to manage them in place, otherwise, they should be removed.
Asbestos is often removed over time as part of wider rebuilding, refurbishment or major repairs work, including projects delivered by the department, such as the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP), or delivered by responsible bodies, such as local authorities or academy trusts.
The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. This is in addition to investment in continuing and expanding the SRP, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) businesses and (b) charities that provide activities for children with SEND.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department provides funding to deliver £24 million worth of grants each year to provide support to low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. We have also funded innovative grants that promote best practice for delivering services for short breaks.
To support young people aged 16 to 24 with an education, health and care plan to secure and sustain employment, we are continuing to invest in supported internships by providing up to £12 million to March 2026. This funding will support local authorities to sustain their special educational needs and disabilities Employment Forums, training on employer engagement and training for job coaches. Indicative data from local authorities shows we reached our previous target of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 per year and our continued support will enable areas to sustain this.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review how attendance at schools is recorded for students who have been transferred to another school.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Once a pupil has been transferred to another school, their name is deleted from both the admission and attendance registers.
The ’Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out the process clearly for schools in paragraphs 222-224. The guidance was drawn up following full public consultation and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf.
This guidance explains the legal process set out in Regulation 9(1)(a) of The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, which can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/208/regulation/9/made.