Written questions by Pinkerton.

What steps her Department is taking to support parents with the cost of school uniform in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 79046.

What steps her Department is taking to promote (a) climate literacy and (b) sustainable living in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Climate education can already be taught in geography, science and citizenship within the national curriculum. The Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering where evidence suggests content needs to be updated to reflect rapid social, environmental and technological change, including a greater focus on sustainability and climate science. The Sustainability Support for Education hub and Climate Ambassadors programme provide support to enable settings to establish their climate action plan and embed sustainability into their setting.The National Education Nature Park provides curriculum-linked resources and practical activities to engage children and young people in nature and the improvement of their local environment. There are currently six settings registered to the programme in the Surrey Heath constituency, and we encourage more settings to get involved.The department has also published statutory guidance on school uniforms which states that schools should ensure second-hand uniforms are available, which benefits all parents and is more sustainable. Additionally, we provide procurement support through the Get Help Buying for Schools service to encourage sustainable procurement decisions.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of SEND transport provision in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, who 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.We have committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs and will bring forward a White Paper with plans to improve the special educational needs and disabilities system.

What discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on improving early intervention services for families in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to ensure that children and families who need support the most can access it. Local authorities not currently funded through government Family Hubs programmes, which includes Surrey, will receive a development grant in 2025/26 to plan and begin setting up services to ensure national rollout from April 2026 when full funding is awarded. The role of local authorities will include identifying family hub sites. Services will vary depending on local needs. Surrey received £351,991 in October 2025.In addition, last year the national rollout of Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision making reforms through the Families First Partnership programme was confirmed. In 2025/26 the reforms are backed nationally by £541 million. Surrey received around £2.5 million in additional funding. The programme team have received and reviewed Surrey’s draft delivery plan and will be discussing shortly.Surrey has already established a strong Early Help Partnership Board to analyse the needs of their communities and the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership executive has endorsed plans to form a partnership project team to lead community engagement, develop shared data insights, and coordinate reform implementation. This team will feed into the Board.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools to (a) deliver inclusive education and (b) promote understanding of diverse backgrounds in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, including those in Surrey Heath, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme tests a new model, providing health and education specialist support to upskill mainstream primary schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent pupils at whole-school level. Schools in Surrey Heath have participated in this programme.Our new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams will work with mainstream schools to help them become more inclusive places as one of four priority areas for improvement.Ofsted will be holding leaders to account for inclusion. For the first time they have set out an explicit focus on inclusion in their new framework, which includes gathering evidence on how well schools understand disadvantaged pupils' needs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of investing in early support services in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department will fund Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to ensure that children and families who need support the most can access it. Local authorities not currently funded through government Family Hubs programmes, which includes Surrey, will receive a development grant in 2025/26 to plan and begin setting up services to ensure national rollout from April 2026 when full funding is awarded. The role of local authorities will include identifying family hub sites. Services will vary depending on local needs. Surrey received £351,991 in October 2025.In addition, last year the national rollout of Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision making reforms through the Families First Partnership programme was confirmed. In 2025/26 the reforms are backed nationally by £541 million. Surrey received around £2.5 million in additional funding. The programme team have received and reviewed Surrey’s draft delivery plan and will be discussing shortly.Surrey has already established a strong Early Help Partnership Board to analyse the needs of their communities and the Surrey Safeguarding Children Partnership executive has endorsed plans to form a partnership project team to lead community engagement, develop shared data insights, and coordinate reform implementation. This team will feed into the Board.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of educational technology on student preparedness for paper-based examinations in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to ensuring students are well prepared for all forms of assessment, including paper-based examinations. While constituency-specific data for Surrey Heath is not held, the department continues to assess the impact of educational technology (EdTech) nationally. Evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation and the Technology in Schools Survey shows that digital tools can accelerate learning and improve attainment when used effectively. However, EdTech is intended to complement, not replace, traditional teaching, especially where paper-based exams remain standard.The department works closely with Ofqual to ensure technology use does not compromise the fairness or validity of assessments.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of taking steps to help reduce phone use by school children in Surrey Heath constituency.

Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.Research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools, 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools, already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that students with additional needs have access to mandatory online homework platforms in Surrey Heath constituency.

Schools determine homework volume and format in collaboration with staff, pupils, parents, and governors. Digital tools can support learning and enhance parental engagement by providing visibility into tasks and progress. However, access to devices remains uneven. In 2024, 34% of parents reported their child lacked continuous access to a device for online schoolwork. Schools should offer alternative homework options for pupils with limited device access.The department is committed to ensuring all students, including those with additional needs, can safely and effectively use digital tools. While data for Surrey Heath isn’t available, the department has published digital accessibility standards to help schools implement inclusive technology strategies. The 'Plan Technology for Your School' service supports strategic digital planning. The department continues working with schools and providers to ensure no child is left behind.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure inclusive school environments for children with different learning styles in Surrey Heath constituency.

This government’s ambition is that every child or young person in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child or young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work. We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence and identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity.Our new regional improvements for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will work with mainstream schools to help them become more inclusive places, as one of four priority areas for improvement.The recently published RISE Inclusive Mainstream webpage provides schools with programmes and resources to help mainstream schools improve inclusivity and support for those with special educational needs and disabilities and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rise-support-for-inclusive-mainstream-education/rise-support-for-inclusive-mainstream-education.

If she will meet with the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the future SEND school provision in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

If she will set out her timetable for the delivery of new special free schools in Surrey.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

What steps her Department is taking to accelerate the delivery of special free schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

What recent discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on the provision of SEND school places in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating funding to help progress the development of Frimley Oak Academy in Surrey Heath constituency.

The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Work to deliver special free schools is ongoing.Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones. The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.The department also supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for 2025/26. Of this funding, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million.The department continues to engage closely with Surrey County Council about the provision of SEND places in Surrey Heath and Surrey as a whole.I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to discuss the challenges in delivering high quality SEND support for children in Surrey.

What steps her Department is taking to support adults with (a) adopted and (b) fostered children in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department continues to fund the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) with £50 million in 2025/26. The ASGSF funds therapeutic support for adoptive families, including parenting courses to help new adoptive parents support their child as they join their family.Additionally, £8.8 million is being invested in Adoption England to improve adoption support. Adoption England supports regional adoption agencies, including Adoption South East, to agree a support plan with prospective adopters when they have been matched with children, which evolves over time as the child grows and develops. Adoption South East’s support offer for adoptive families can be found here: https://www.adoptionsoutheast.org.uk/post-adoption-support.Foster carers are able to build relationships in a short period of time that can be loving, long-standing and incredibly valued by the children for whom they care. But we are clear that in order to do so, they must be supported, valued and respected as experts on the child in their care. Standards 20 and 21 of the ‘Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards’ detail the expectations required of all fostering providers: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7abe16e5274a319e77a6a1/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.The department funds Fosterline, a free-to-access independent advice and support service for current and prospective carers on a wide range of fostering issues.Financially, foster carers benefit from qualifying care relief (QCR), a tax relief that ensures a carer’s income is not taxed unless it exceeds an overall QCR allowance. All carers should also receive the national minimum allowance each week to help cover the cost of caring for a child. Current national minimum allowance rates are accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of affording neurodiverse pupils frequent break periods for movement in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department believes schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.To support schools, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that children receive adequate financial support during the school holidays in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 73205.

Whether she plans to make a statement on the recommendations of the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group upon the reports publication.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brought together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings.The Group has recently concluded its work and have shared their report and recommendations with ministers for consideration. The recommendations will inform the development of the Schools White Paper which will be published in the autumn.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that secondary school pupils have access to appropriate school transport arrangements in Surrey Heath constituency.

I refer the hon. Member for Surrey Heath to the answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54948.