Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department will take to set accountability measures to guarantee equitable access to the enrichment entitlement across all regions.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Almost all schools offer some form of enrichment activity to pupils. Ofsted inspects provision as part of its personal development judgement.
To support all schools to develop, improve and widen access to their offers, the department is developing an Enrichment Framework which will include benchmarks for how schools and colleges can build a strategic and intentional offer of enrichment that can benefit all children and young people. The Framework will be published in early 2026.
Our ambition is that all schools should provide an enrichment offer to all pupils that meets the new benchmarks. This includes access to civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoor and adventure, sport and physical activities, and developing wider life skills. We will consult on how enrichment is embedded in School Profiles, ensuring they are co-designed with the input of schools and frontline expertise. To provide more targeted support, we are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the design of the enrichment expansion programme, and more details will be provided shortly. This will go alongside wider support such as £132.5 million of Dormant Assets funding to support the provision of services, facilities, and opportunities to young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department will take to scale provision of the enrichment entitlement beyond the 400 schools covered by the £22.5 million enrichment expansion programme.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Almost all schools offer some form of enrichment activity to pupils. Ofsted inspects provision as part of its personal development judgement.
To support all schools to develop, improve and widen access to their offers, the department is developing an Enrichment Framework which will include benchmarks for how schools and colleges can build a strategic and intentional offer of enrichment that can benefit all children and young people. The Framework will be published in early 2026.
Our ambition is that all schools should provide an enrichment offer to all pupils that meets the new benchmarks. This includes access to civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoor and adventure, sport and physical activities, and developing wider life skills. We will consult on how enrichment is embedded in School Profiles, ensuring they are co-designed with the input of schools and frontline expertise. To provide more targeted support, we are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the design of the enrichment expansion programme, and more details will be provided shortly. This will go alongside wider support such as £132.5 million of Dormant Assets funding to support the provision of services, facilities, and opportunities to young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish a timetable and delivery framework to ensure that the enrichment entitlement becomes a universal offer for all pupils.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Almost all schools offer some form of enrichment activity to pupils. Ofsted inspects provision as part of its personal development judgement.
To support all schools to develop, improve and widen access to their offers, the department is developing an Enrichment Framework which will include benchmarks for how schools and colleges can build a strategic and intentional offer of enrichment that can benefit all children and young people. The Framework will be published in early 2026.
Our ambition is that all schools should provide an enrichment offer to all pupils that meets the new benchmarks. This includes access to civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoor and adventure, sport and physical activities, and developing wider life skills. We will consult on how enrichment is embedded in School Profiles, ensuring they are co-designed with the input of schools and frontline expertise. To provide more targeted support, we are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the design of the enrichment expansion programme, and more details will be provided shortly. This will go alongside wider support such as £132.5 million of Dormant Assets funding to support the provision of services, facilities, and opportunities to young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of compliance of Multi Academy Trusts with statutory guidance on charging for school-time activities, including WOW days, curriculum-required trips and transport to compulsory swimming lessons.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Education Act 1996 prohibits schools from charging for education provided during school hours, subject to very limited exceptions. The department publishes guidance to assist schools to comply with the law on charging for school activities. Parents who have concerns about their school’s charging policy should raise this with the school. They may be able to complain to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if they remain unsatisfied once they have exhausted the school’s complaints procedure.
The department has a strong policy presumption against the disposal of school playing fields and has a set of criteria used to assess applications for consent. These include assessing whether the school can continue to meet its curriculum needs. The department gives consent only if the criteria are met, and where the proceeds from sales are to be reinvested in improvements to sports and education facilities.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the incidence of academy trusts undertaking new capital projects on school playing fields while requesting parental contributions for curriculum activities that schools are not permitted to charge for.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Education Act 1996 prohibits schools from charging for education provided during school hours, subject to very limited exceptions. The department publishes guidance to assist schools to comply with the law on charging for school activities. Parents who have concerns about their school’s charging policy should raise this with the school. They may be able to complain to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if they remain unsatisfied once they have exhausted the school’s complaints procedure.
The department has a strong policy presumption against the disposal of school playing fields and has a set of criteria used to assess applications for consent. These include assessing whether the school can continue to meet its curriculum needs. The department gives consent only if the criteria are met, and where the proceeds from sales are to be reinvested in improvements to sports and education facilities.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency regarding the potential merits of outdoor education for children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school.
The National Education Nature Park is a whole-school environmental education programme that encourages teachers to take students outside and use their grounds to learn in and about nature. OASES (Outdoor and Sustainability Education Specialists), based in County Durham, were involved in discussions around the development of this initiative.
The value of outdoor learning is also being recognised and promoted in the department’s upcoming Enrichment Framework, which will include 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories of enrichment. We are engaging with national organisations who support outdoor learning and are happy to hear from local and regional organisations with relevant expertise.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland regarding the potential merits of outdoor education for children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school.
The National Education Nature Park is a whole-school environmental education programme that encourages teachers to take students outside and use their grounds to learn in and about nature. OASES (Outdoor and Sustainability Education Specialists), based in County Durham, were involved in discussions around the development of this initiative.
The value of outdoor learning is also being recognised and promoted in the department’s upcoming Enrichment Framework, which will include 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories of enrichment. We are engaging with national organisations who support outdoor learning and are happy to hear from local and regional organisations with relevant expertise.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East regarding the potential merits of outdoor education for children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school.
The National Education Nature Park is a whole-school environmental education programme that encourages teachers to take students outside and use their grounds to learn in and about nature. OASES (Outdoor and Sustainability Education Specialists), based in County Durham, were involved in discussions around the development of this initiative.
The value of outdoor learning is also being recognised and promoted in the department’s upcoming Enrichment Framework, which will include 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories of enrichment. We are engaging with national organisations who support outdoor learning and are happy to hear from local and regional organisations with relevant expertise.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government which private special education schools closed in England in (1) 2024, and (2) 2025; and in which region were they located.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2024 there were 2,458 private schools in England, of which 804 were special schools.
During 2024, 58 private schools closed, of which 18 were special schools.
Between 1 January and 15 October 2025, 60 private schools have closed, of which 6 were special schools.
The table below shows the special schools that closed in England in 2024. Of these, 9 schools closed on or before 4 July 2024, and 9 schools closed on or after 5 July 2024:
School Name | Region |
Ashcroft School | North West |
Sheiling School | South West |
Values Academy | West Midlands |
Wings School | Cumbria |
The Meadows | East Midlands |
Values Academy | West Midlands |
R.E.A.L Independent Schools Blidworth | East Midlands |
Manorway Independent School | South East |
Glebe House | East Anglia |
Buzz Learning Independent Specialist School | North East |
Argyll House | East Anglia |
R.E.A.L Independent Schools Ilkeston | East Midlands |
Summit School | West Midlands |
The Copper Academy | South West |
Starbold Farm Outdoor Learning Centre | West Midlands |
Sunflower Meadow Farm School | West Midlands |
Odyssey House School - Wokingham | South East |
Redbourn Park Secondary School | South East |
The following special schools closed in England in 2025:
School Name | Region |
Greater Manchester Alternative Provision | North West |
Cornfields School | South East |
Belle Vue School | South East |
Blooming Tree Primary School | Greater London |
Endeavour House School | West Yorkshire |
Skylarks School | South East |
Children whose place in a private school has been deemed necessary by a local authority will not be affected by tax changes. If an education, health and care plan names a private school, the local authority must fund that place. Where this is the case, local authorities will be able to reclaim the VAT on the fees from HMRC via the Section 33 VAT refund scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many private schools closed in England in (1) 2024 and (2) 2025; and in each year, how many of them were special education schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In 2024 there were 2,458 private schools in England, of which 804 were special schools.
During 2024, 58 private schools closed, of which 18 were special schools.
Between 1 January and 15 October 2025, 60 private schools have closed, of which 6 were special schools.
The table below shows the special schools that closed in England in 2024. Of these, 9 schools closed on or before 4 July 2024, and 9 schools closed on or after 5 July 2024:
School Name | Region |
Ashcroft School | North West |
Sheiling School | South West |
Values Academy | West Midlands |
Wings School | Cumbria |
The Meadows | East Midlands |
Values Academy | West Midlands |
R.E.A.L Independent Schools Blidworth | East Midlands |
Manorway Independent School | South East |
Glebe House | East Anglia |
Buzz Learning Independent Specialist School | North East |
Argyll House | East Anglia |
R.E.A.L Independent Schools Ilkeston | East Midlands |
Summit School | West Midlands |
The Copper Academy | South West |
Starbold Farm Outdoor Learning Centre | West Midlands |
Sunflower Meadow Farm School | West Midlands |
Odyssey House School - Wokingham | South East |
Redbourn Park Secondary School | South East |
The following special schools closed in England in 2025:
School Name | Region |
Greater Manchester Alternative Provision | North West |
Cornfields School | South East |
Belle Vue School | South East |
Blooming Tree Primary School | Greater London |
Endeavour House School | West Yorkshire |
Skylarks School | South East |
Children whose place in a private school has been deemed necessary by a local authority will not be affected by tax changes. If an education, health and care plan names a private school, the local authority must fund that place. Where this is the case, local authorities will be able to reclaim the VAT on the fees from HMRC via the Section 33 VAT refund scheme.