Written questions by Jogee.

How many a) letters, b) emails and c) written communications were received by her Department from Newcastle-under-Lyme District Borough Council between i) December 2019 and July 2024 and ii) July 2024 and May 2026.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she has taken to help ensure Staffordshire County Council is able to effectively support children and young people with additional needs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment she has made of the benefits to the youngest children in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire of learning through play.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking alongside Staffordshire County Council to ensure that more girls and young women take up sport at secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she has taken to help ensure Staffordshire County Council is able to effectively support children and young people with additional needs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps she is taking alongside Staffordshire County Council to ensure that more girls and young women take up sport at secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What recent assessment she has made of the benefits to the youngest children in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire of learning through play.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps she is taking to improve the condition of the school estate in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Education Estates Strategy outlines plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10‑year programme to renew and transform schools and colleges. This decade of national renewal is supported by unprecedented long‑term funding and £38 billion in overall education capital from 2025/26 to 2029/30.The government has committed to 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. This is in addition to continued investment in the School Rebuilding Programme, expanding across a further 250 schools to be selected.The Condition Data Collection 1 programme from 2017 to 2019 showed significant variation in the condition of the estate across the country. Updated information provided by schools on the condition of their estate is being collected through the department’s 5-year Condition Data Collection 2, which will complete in 2026.

What assessment she has made of the number of schools days missed due to (a) poor roads and (b) inadequate road safety measures.

The department does not hold information on the number of school days missed due to poor roads and inadequate road safety measures.

What support she is providing to colleges that are (a) oversubscribed and (b) want to expand.

The increasing 16 to 19 population means extra capacity is needed in some areas. The Post-16 capacity fund has already provided £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we are investing a further £375 million by 2029/30 to accommodate additional learners. This investment will add capacity, including new classrooms, science laboratories and workshops, so all young people gain the skills they need to progress and get a good job.There is also an additional £195 million capital investment by 2029/30 to expand construction course provision in further education providers, helping to deliver our commitment to get Britain building.Of the total funding, £283 million is being devolved to strategic authorities as they are best placed to know the geography and nature of sustained demand. The remaining £287 million will be awarded to expand training places at sites in non-devolved areas through a national competitive bidding round, which closes on 17 April 2026.

How many schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme closed due to hydrogen sulphide from Walleys Quarry landfill site between 1 January 2021 and 28 November 2024; and how many days they were closed for.

The department does not hold the information requested.Where the department is notified of a significant safety issue with a school building that cannot be managed within local resources, we consider additional support on a case-by-case basis. We work closely with these responsible bodies and schools to minimise the impact of closures and ensure continuity of education for pupils.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that children and young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England learn about farming, agriculture and food at school.

Food education is covered primarily within Design and Technology, and elements of food education, farming and agriculture can also be covered across Biology, Geography and RSHE in the national curriculum.The curriculum requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils.Additional resources are available from Oak National Academy, who have recently developed a new cooking and nutrition curriculum package. This has been designed by experts to give access to practical, engaging lessons covering food preparation, cooking techniques, and healthy eating.In the recent response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department set out that it will be ensuring that the programmes of study for cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, are more specific and prepare pupils for life and potential future careers in the food sector.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of library provision in schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

​​​​I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question ​​81502​.​

What steps she is taking to break down the barriers to opportunity in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The department is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity for children and young people in both Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Our approach is rooted in evidence and targeted investment to ensure every child has the best start in life.‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’, sets out the immediate steps to deliver on our commitment to have a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn. The strategy is backed by close to £1.5 billion over the next three years to make early education and childcare more accessible and affordable, improve quality in the early years and reception, and expand and strengthen family services. In October this year, Staffordshire received a development grant of £262,449.In Staffordshire, we have funded eight schools to establish new breakfast clubs from this term, two of which are in Newcastle-under-Lyme, improving readiness to learn. Alongside this, we have supported the opening of eight new or expanded school-based nurseries, increasing access to high-quality early years provision.We have worked in partnership with local authorities and schools to improve attendance at schools in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, tackling the biggest barrier to children achieving at school. We are working in close partnership with Staffordshire County Council to deliver ambitious targets for raising attainment, particularly for disadvantaged pupils as they begin statutory education so more children achieve a good level of development. Through the regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) programme, we are supporting 12 schools across the county to enable young people to achieve and thrive. These measures form part of a wider strategy to reduce inequalities and ensure that children in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire can access the opportunities they deserve.

What plans her Department has to limit access to resources provided by Oak National Academy and funded by the Government through geo-blocking.

The department is keeping the geo-restriction of Oak National Academy’s (Oak) resources under review. Oak does not promote or market its resources overseas.The department recently completed a new market impact assessment (MIA) of Oak, which was published in September 2025, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment.

What discussions she has had with publishers on the potential impact of free access overseas to UK-government funded educational resources from Oak National Academy on their exports.

The department is keeping the geo-restriction of Oak National Academy’s (Oak) resources under review. Oak does not promote or market its resources overseas.The department recently completed a new market impact assessment (MIA) of Oak, which was published in September 2025, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment.

What discussions she had with the Association of Commonwealth Universities on her Departmental priorities since her appointment.

No meetings have taken place with the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Government issuing an official apology to people affected by forced adoptions.

This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.The government takes this issue extremely seriously and continues to engage with those affected to provide support.The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including improving access to adoption records, enhancing intermediary services and preserving historical records.

What steps she will take to reintroduce citizenship education to schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Citizenship education provides a framework to prepare pupils to be active, informed and responsible citizens. The national curriculum for citizenship is mandatory at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach it. In secondary citizenship, pupils learn about democracy, politics, parliament and voting, as well as human rights, justice, media literacy, the law, and the need for mutual respect.The Oak National Academy (Oak) is providing optional, free, adaptable digital curriculum resources. Oak launched its curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship in November 2024, with the full package of curriculum resources expected by autumn 2025.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work. The Review will publish its final report in autumn 2025.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the importance of citizenship education in our schools.

Citizenship education provides a framework to prepare pupils to be active, informed and responsible citizens. The national curriculum for citizenship is mandatory at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach it. In secondary citizenship, pupils learn about democracy, politics, parliament and voting, as well as human rights, justice, media literacy, the law, and the need for mutual respect.The Oak National Academy (Oak) is providing optional, free, adaptable digital curriculum resources. Oak launched its curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship in November 2024, with the full package of curriculum resources expected by autumn 2025.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work. The Review will publish its final report in autumn 2025.