Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, whether she plans for local authorities to send advance notification of appointment times or if the visit must be arranged at a mutually convenient time.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, what methods will be used to contact parents and to ensure that the request to visit or the notification of a visit has been received.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, whether parents will be sanctioned if they do not respond to requests for home visits.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, whether she plans to sanction parents if they cancel an arranged visit.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, whether she plans that visits must be pre-booked; and what systems will be in place for parents to verify the identity of visitors.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to sections 38 and 39 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on local authorities visiting home educated children, whether she plans for parents to receive a draft report of the home visit for comment.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, when implemented, will require the government to pilot mandatory meetings in selected local authorities for parents wishing to withdraw their child from school for home education. Parents will be required to attend this meeting prior to their child being removed from the school roll. If a parent does not attend the meeting, their child cannot be removed from the school roll. Further details about how the mandatory meeting process should work in practice will be outlined via affirmative regulations and statutory guidance.
Separate to this, the measures will also require local authorities to make an assessment of the child’s home and other learning environments at the point of registration on the Children Not in School registers and when deciding whether they must issue a preliminary notice or a School Attendance Order. To support this, local authorities will have the power to request a visit to the child in their home. We intend to require local authorities to record their assessments of the home and other learning environments and the outcomes of home visits on the registers. Where a parent refuses such a visit, this would be a relevant factor for the local authority when considering whether to issue a preliminary notice for a school attendance order.
Statutory guidance, which we will be consulting on, will outline the details of how visits should be organised, provide steers to help local authorities sensitively conduct visits, and determine the best way to discuss outcomes from home visits with parents. We will also be developing a training package for local authorities focusing on their new duties.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to implement mandatory trauma-informed training and accreditation for all professionals working with adopted children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Ribble Valley to the answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102909.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including digital devices in the (a) Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 and (b) related statutory guidance.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Where a school may require a pupil to possess a digital device, such devices are covered by existing school charging rules. Sections 449-462 of the Education Act 1996 set out the law on charging for school activities in schools maintained by local authorities in England. Academies (including free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges) are required through their funding agreement to comply with the law on charging for school activities.
The department’s school charging advice is clear that schools cannot charge for education provided during school hours, including the supply of any materials. This includes digital devices as well as books, instruments or other equipment. The advice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charging-for-school-activities.
Schools can charge parents for such items where the parent wishes to own them.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which organisations fed into the development of the Best Start digital service.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Best Start in Life Parent Hub website launched on 1 September as the department’s first step in developing the Best Start digital service. The site has been designed based on insights from extensive user research with parents and brings together content from across government under the Best Start in Life banner, aligning with the campaign launch and Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life.
The department is ambitious for the digital service and as we move into the next stage, building new, rather than existing content, we will work with families and organisations such as local authorities, the Local Government Association, and the NHS to ensure the service fulfils parents’ needs.
Asked by: Maya Ellis (Labour - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government to ensure financial provision is in place for English nursing students studying in Scotland.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with the Scottish Government over a range of important matters.
Eligible undergraduate students from England, who are attending a course in nursing at a university in Scotland, qualify for the same student support package from Student Finance England as English students studying in England, which includes a fee loan for meeting the full costs of their tuition, a partially means-tested loan for living costs and, for students with adult or child dependants, means-tested dependants’ grants. In addition, students with disabilities may qualify for non-means-tested Disabled Students’ Allowance.
The government has increased maximum grants and loans for living and other costs for students from England by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year, in line with forecast inflation, based on the RPIX inflation index.
Students studying on nursing courses also qualify for additional support through the NHS Learning Support Fund. However, this is only available to students who study at English Universities, regardless of where they are domiciled.