Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of halal food served in schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not collect information on the proportion of halal food served in schools.
The government sets out required minimum standards for school food in the School Food Standards. The standards do not specify food requirements in terms of cultural and religious needs. Headteachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, taking into account cultural, religious and special dietary needs and by working with parents.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of SEND support recipients were children of non-UK nationals in the latest year for which data is available.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold information on the nationality of parents of children with special educational needs.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost per pupil was of providing English as an Additional Language support in state schools in the most recent academic year.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures, which includes teacher salaries, support staff, school resources, and other expenses. The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual children.
The overall core schools budget (CSB) is increasing by £3.2 billion in 2025/26, meaning the CSB will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools in England had a majority of pupils without English as a first language in (a) the most recent year for which figures are available and (b) 2005.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes school-level data on the number and percentage of pupils who have English as an additional language in state-funded schools. This information is available in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, based on the January school census. The latest figures can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2023-24.
School-level data for 2005 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupil-and-their-characteristics-2002-to-2009-data.
English as an additional language does not mean a pupil’s first language is a language other than English, but that they are exposed to another language in the home.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to protect academic and student freedom of speech in schools and universities.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom in schools, universities and beyond. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, confirmed to Parliament on 15 January the government’s plans for future of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, which will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting academic freedom and freedom of speech.
On 28 April, the Secretary of State signed commencement regulations, bringing the following provisions into force from 1 August 2025:
Schools have a statutory duty to ensure a balanced presentation of political issues, but older pupils can engage with the political issues provided activity is conducted sensitively and not targeted at others. The promotion of fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs is considered by Ofsted in their inspections.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeships were started by young people aged 16–24 in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the past five years.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The number of apprenticeship starts in the Great Yarmouth constituency by age group are published in the ‘Apprenticeships’ accredited official statistics publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a9552480-ccf9-421e-95ad-08dd85738b16. These were last published in March 2025. They include full year figures covering the 2019/20 to 2023/24 academic years, and year-to-date figures for 2024/25 (August 2024 to January 2025).
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 40687 on Schools: Meat, if she will take steps to ensure that parents are informed of whether meat served in school meals is halal.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government respects religious freedoms and expects schools to provide parents with all the information they need to make informed choices around school meals. Headteachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, taking into account cultural, religious and special dietary needs. The department would expect any significant changes to school food to be discussed with parents.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to schools of translating materials for parents with limited English in the last 12 months.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures, which includes teacher salaries, support staff, school resources and other expenses.
The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual circumstances.
We do not hold any data on the cost of translation materials for parents.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) religious and (b) cultural holidays are observed by their Department.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The UK Civil Service only formally observes the government-set bank holidays.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will provide (a) evidence and (b) testimony on educational resources in schools on (i) exploitation, (ii) grooming and (iii) community sensitivity to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's private inquiry into grooming gangs.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Through relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), pupils are taught the concepts of, and laws relating to, sexual consent, sexual exploitation, abuse, grooming, coercion, harassment, rape, domestic abuse, forced marriage, honour-based violence and female genital mutilation.
Schools are responsible for ensuring lessons, materials and speakers are suitable, appropriate to the age and maturity of their pupils and sensitive to their needs. The department does not advise schools on which resources or external speakers and organisations to use and we do not endorse or promote third-party resources to schools other than those produced by government departments.
Schools are required to share information concerning their curriculum with parents, including for RSHE.
Schools are also required to consult parents in advance on their relationships and sex education policies. The statutory guidance is clear that this should include sharing examples of the materials they plan to use.
The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum for primary and secondary pupils, and is analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering relevant evidence before setting out next steps.