Written questions by Pinkerton.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of uptake of Citizenship GCSE in secondary schools over the last five years.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Citizenship education on improving media literacy and resilience to misinformation among pupils.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to ensure that all pupils have access to high-quality Citizenship education at Key Stages 3 and 4.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of Citizenship GCSE on preparing young people for democratic participation and civic life.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she plans to increase the priority of Citizenship education within the national curriculum and school accountability measures.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of student loan interest rates on graduates’ financial outcomes.

This government recognises the concerns caused by high student loan account balances and interest rates, resulting from loan plans designed by previous governments. That is why we are capping the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, protecting students and graduates from the risk of short-term inflationary pressures.Interest rates affect lifetime repayments for those who repay in full, which includes borrowers with small balances as well as higher earners. Monthly repayments depend solely on earnings above the repayment threshold, and those earning below this level are not required to make any repayments. Outstanding balances are cancelled at the end of the loan term.The government publishes annual forecasts for student loans in England. These include statistics on borrower repayments. The latest publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2024-25.

For what reasons her Department applies different interest rates to different student loan repayment plans.

Decisions on Plan 2 and Plan 5 conditions were made by the previous government. This government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers. Over time, this has led to reforms being made to student loan terms. Such reforms consider factors such as macroeconomic conditions, demographic trends and the participation rate in higher education at the time. Therefore, this leads to different plans having different terms and conditions.When comparing Plan 2 and Plan 5 loans it is important to compare the terms in the round. Whilst Plan 5 will ask graduates to repay for longer, and from a lower annual income threshold of £25,000, it also increases certainty for borrowers by reducing their interest rate to match inflation only.

What assessment her Department has made of the equity of the different student loan interest rate structures in (a) Plan 2 and (b) Plan 5.

Decisions on Plan 2 and Plan 5 conditions were made by the previous government. This government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers. Over time, this has led to reforms being made to student loan terms. Such reforms consider factors such as macroeconomic conditions, demographic trends and the participation rate in higher education at the time. Therefore, this leads to different plans having different terms and conditions.When comparing Plan 2 and Plan 5 loans it is important to compare the terms in the round. Whilst Plan 5 will ask graduates to repay for longer, and from a lower annual income threshold of £25,000, it also increases certainty for borrowers by reducing their interest rate to match inflation only.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of improved early intervention and diagnostic methodologies for children with special educational needs on levels of SEND provision in local authorities.

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis, and a diagnosis alone does not help a teacher know what strategies to use to support that child in the classroom.As set out in the SEND reform consultation document “Putting Children and Young People First”, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards. These will set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs, before those needs escalate. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for, and then provide, National Inclusion Standards.In addition, government-backed research delivered by UK Research Innovation in partnership with the department will aim to develop and roll out approaches for the early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support of children and young people with special educational needs.The department and NHS England continue to track the progress that the Surrey Local Area Partnership is making following its Ofsted/CQC SEND inspection in September 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, alongside providing on-going advice, support and challenge.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of improving methodologies for (a) early intervention and (b) diagnosis of children with special educational needs in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis, and a diagnosis alone does not help a teacher know what strategies to use to support that child in the classroom.As set out in the SEND reform consultation document “Putting Children and Young People First”, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards. These will set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs, before those needs escalate. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for, and then provide, National Inclusion Standards.In addition, government-backed research delivered by UK Research Innovation in partnership with the department will aim to develop and roll out approaches for the early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support of children and young people with special educational needs.The department and NHS England continue to track the progress that the Surrey Local Area Partnership is making following its Ofsted/CQC SEND inspection in September 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, alongside providing on-going advice, support and challenge.

What support is available to schools following serious violent incidents affecting pupils in their local area.

Following a serious violent incident, the department works closely with the police, other government departments and local authorities to ensure schools and trusts receive appropriate support.Although such incidents are rare, the department places high importance on safeguarding the health and safety of staff, children and young people, with particular focus on vulnerable groups and on minimising educational disruption. Support after an incident can include directing leaders to relevant guidance or specialist services and connecting schools with experienced leaders who can provide advice and support.The department also helps coordinate with safeguarding partners, local authorities and police, while advising leadership teams on managing disruption, safeguarding issues and communications.The department offers comprehensive security guidance for schools, covering incident management, emergency planning, recovery and site security. In partnership with the Home Office’s Victims of Terrorism Unit, the department provides guidance and resources to help staff handle difficult conversations following traumatic events.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of eligibility criteria for free school transport on young children who are advised to walk to school in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families.Local authorities also have a discretionary power to arrange travel for other children if they choose to do so.Tackling school absence is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. Since September 2024, we have added a new absence code to school registers to reflect issues with local authority arranged transport. Only 0.011% of the total number of school sessions for the 2024/25 academic year were missed due to issues with transport normally provided by the local authority or school not being available.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of early intervention support for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home in Surrey Heath constituency.

The national rollout of Family Help, Multi-Agency Child Protection and Family Group Decision Making reforms is being delivered through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme.The programme is backed by £2.4 billion in funding over the next three years, which is ringfenced for spend on prevention.Multi-disciplinary Family Help teams will prioritise supporting the whole family, wrapping support around them and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating, including for families where children display harmful or aggressive behaviour at home. Local partnerships should use population needs assessments to identify agencies, services and practitioners needed in their multi‑disciplinary teams.The FFP programme team in the department will work closely with all local authorities, including Surrey, to monitor progress and provide support. In 2025/26, Surrey local authority received £5.1 million of ringfenced funding for the delivery of FFP, and based on indicative allocations they will receive £10.1 million in 2026/27.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of support available in mainstream state schools for pupils with dyspraxia who do not meet the threshold for an Education, Health and Care Plan in Surrey.

Every child in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child and young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. The department knows from our extensive engagement with parents, teachers, local authority staff and leaders, charities and others that there are significant challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. They need to be addressed urgently. But we must ensure we do so in a way that builds trust and confidence in the system and leads to improved outcomes for children and young people. The department will set out our proposals for reform in a Schools white paper and we will consult widely on these proposals and continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of unmet special educational needs relating to dyspraxia on pupil wellbeing, attainment and school attendance.

Where a pupil is not attending school due to unmet or additional needs, including dyspraxia, the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out clear expectations on how schools, local authorities and wider services work together to access and provide the right support to improve attendance. We understand that early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, therefore we are supporting settings by strengthening the evidence base of what works. The government will set out proposals for reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system through a Schools white paper in due course.

What steps she is taking to help support (a) nurseries and (b) early years settings to improve their safeguarding practices in Surrey Heath constituency.

The ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children are kept healthy and safe.To support the early years sector with the safeguarding changes which were introduced to the EYFS in September 2025, the department is developing an online early years safeguarding training package in collaboration with the NSPCC.It will be a free and universal offer open to all early years settings, educators and reception-based staff to access.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England, including Surrey, about their sufficiency of childcare and any other issues they are facing.

What steps her Department is taking to help improve the governance of academy trusts in Surrey.

Robust governance is crucial to achieving a strong school system, helping every child achieve and thrive. The department has produced dedicated governance guidance in addition to requirements in the Academy Trust Handbook. The Effective Governance Resources page on GOV.UK consolidates best practice to help boards govern strategically, flexibly and effectively. It was published in September 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effective-governance-resources.Where there are concerns about the governance of an academy trust, the department can set conditions to improve that the trust must meet to avoid further action. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education can terminate an academy’s funding agreement where there is a serious breakdown in governance.This month we have announced that we are legislating to introduce inspection of multi-academy trusts. Reporting on the quality and effectiveness of trust governance will help drive better outcomes for children and provide greater confidence for parents.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of smart phones on levels of disruption in classrooms.

Mobile phones have no place in schools.The department’s new, stronger guidance on mobile phones in schools is clear that all schools should be mobile phone-free by default. Pupils should not have access to their devices during lessons, break times, lunch times, or between lessons.The guidance will be implemented through behaviour management in schools, and by setting out clear expectations for teachers and school staff, while our attendance and behaviour hub lead schools will support other schools to implement and enforce a mobile phone policy where needed.For the first time, Ofsted will check school mobile phone policy on every inspection, with schools expected to be phone-free by default. Ofsted will examine both schools' mobile phone policies and how effectively they are implemented when judging behaviour during inspections.In addition, a consultation will identify the next steps in the government’s plan to boost children’s wellbeing online.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of SEND provision for (a) blind and (b) partially sighted children in Surrey Heath constituency.

The majority of children with visual impairments are taught in mainstream schools, and all schools have legal duties to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, including the provision of auxiliary aids. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with complex needs. Local authorities must ensure sufficient school places for those with special educational needs and disabilities and keep this under review.We have commissioned research to strengthen the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings, including for sensory impairment. We have also introduced a sensory impairment apprenticeship route into teaching, supporting local authorities and schools to commission appropriately qualified staff to ensure visually impaired children are not disadvantaged.

What assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The department works closely with the four general further education colleges in Surrey: Brooklands, East Surrey, Nescot and Activate. The colleges collaborate through Surrey FE to support recruitment and progression across Surrey. Each college has worked towards targets in their accountability agreements, which include clear progression routes at all levels. This work is supported by the FE Provider Dashboard, which provides insight into progression and employment outcomes and informs annual strategic conversations with colleges. Ofsted’s new framework will measure college achievement and performance, particularly in relation to those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and disabilities or high needs, those who are known (or previously known) to social care, and those who may face other barriers to their learning and well-being, including those without level 2 English or mathematics The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out how we will make 16-19 pathways easier to navigate. The department will introduce V Levels as a new vocational option that sits alongside A levels and T Levels at Level 3, and will feature nationally set content linked to job standards, giving students clear, industry relevant choices. We will also introduce two new dedicated pathways at Level 2: an occupational pathway to prepare students for work, and a further study pathway to help students progress to higher levels of study.