Written questions by Pinkerton.

What discussions she has had with higher education organisations on tackling the potential implications of increased use of artificial intelligence by students.

There are huge opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) as it becomes more sophisticated, particularly through generative AI, and we know higher education (HE) providers and the industries they work with are at the forefront of this. There will be many benefits which we are already seeing, but there are also challenges in how the HE sector and students incorporate AI, particularly for teaching, learning and assessment.The experience and expertise of the sector is contributing to the department’s evidence base for how generative AI is used in education. We published research in January 2024 containing insights from interviews with teachers and experts in HE and the education technology (EdTech) industry, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-in-education-educator-and-expert-views.The Quality Assurance Agency has been exploring the implications of AI, particularly in relation to academic integrity, and published a briefing for its members in February 2024 focusing on the challenges, underpinned by insights from HE sector leaders.The Office for Students set out its approach to the use of AI in HE in a recent blog which can be accessed here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/embracing-innovation-in-higher-education-our-approach-to-artificial-intelligence/.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to employers’ National Insurance contributions on state-funded schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Schools in Surrey local authority are receiving £14.3 million to support them with the increased costs to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025. Schools have autonomy over how they use this funding as their precise spending, including NICs costs, vary based on the staffing decisions each school makes.

Whether she plans to improve access to (a) training and (b) education for careers in (i) horticulture and (ii) the wider environmental sector in Surrey Heath constituency.

It is for providers and local areas, such as Surrey Heath, to determine what skills provision to deliver based on learner and employer demand.A range of provision is available to support people to pursue careers in horticulture and environmental sectors, including:High quality apprenticeship standards between levels 2 and 7 in roles such as Horticulture or Landscape Operative, Professional Arboriculturist and Charted Landscape Professional.A range of Skills Bootcamps such as Grounds & Estates Horticulture, Horticulture and Forestry & Arboriculture.T Levels in Agriculture, Land Management and Production pathways, which include environmental horticulture and landscaping and tree and woodland management and maintenance.A number of qualifications related to horticulture or the wider environmental sector as part of Free Courses for Jobs, such as a diploma in Work-based Horticulture, advanced technical diploma in Horticulture, diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture, and advanced technical extended diploma in Forestry and Arboriculture.There are also a number of land-based colleges in the country that specialise in horticulture and environmental provision, including Merrist Wood College in Surrey which delivers 160 courses including T Levels and apprenticeships.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing public expenditure on schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Across the spending review, core schools funding, including special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) investment, will increase from £65.3 billion in the 2025/26 financial year (including the additional funding announced in May 2025) to £69.5 billion by the 2028/29 financial year. Taken together, this grows per-pupil spending over this spending review period by 2.7% in real terms. Decisions on how that funding will be allocated across mainstream schools and high needs will be taken in due course.The national funding formula (NFF) allocates funding for schools to local authorities based on school and pupil characteristics. The government will be reviewing the operation of the schools NFF for 2026/27 and future years. The funding impact on individual local authorities will therefore also depend on the outcome of this review. This will be announced later in the year.Surrey is the local authority responsible for allocating funding in Surrey Heath constituency. Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Surrey is receiving £895.8 million for mainstream schools in the 2025/26 financial year. This represents an increase of 2.2% per pupil compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding. On top of that, schools are also receiving additional funding for National Insurance contributions increases, as well as to support with staff pay rises.

What discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on providing clear guidance for feeder school arrangements for secondary schools in the Surrey Heath constituency.

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally. Provided they are lawful and comply with the school admissions code, it is for the school’s admission authority to decide what admissions criteria to set, and how they are applied. The admission authority for a community or voluntary controlled school is the local authority. For a foundation or voluntary aided school, it is the governing body, and for academy schools including free schools, it is the academy trust.The code enables admission authorities to give priority to children attending named feeder schools, but are prohibited from naming fee-paying independent schools as feeder schools. The selection of a feeder school or schools as an oversubscription criterion must be transparent and made on reasonable grounds.Once a school’s admission arrangements have been determined, anyone who believes they are unfair or unlawful may submit an objection to the Schools Adjudicator. Where the Adjudicator finds that a school’s admission arrangements are unlawful, they must revise their admission arrangements to give effect to the Adjudicator’s decision, which is binding and enforceable by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education.

What steps her Department is taking to improve literacy education in Surrey Heath constituency.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Whiteknights English Hub.In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing.In the 2025/26 academic year, this funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools which will be delivered through the English Hubs programme. This will help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. There will also be new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.The department will also publish a writing framework this summer, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of discriminatory language in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is clear that any incident of discrimination and derogatory language is unacceptable and should be dealt with quickly and effectively by schools. All members of the school community are responsible for creating a positive, safe environment in which threats or abuse are not tolerated and everyone is treated respectfully.The ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance outlines that school staff should challenge all inappropriate language and behaviour between pupils, never normalising abusive language or behaviour by disregarding it or treating it as ‘banter’.The relationships, sex and health education curriculum has a strong focus on equality, respect, the harmful impact of stereotyping, and the importance of valuing difference.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of literacy education in Surrey Heath constituency.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Surrey Heath’s nearest English Hub is Whiteknights English Hub.In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing.In the 2025/26 academic year, this funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools which will be delivered through the English Hubs programme. This will help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. There will also be new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.The department will also publish a writing framework this summer, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

What steps her Department is taking to support pastoral teams in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils and are best placed to decide what pastoral support to provide based on the needs of their pupils, making the best use of their funding and taking the best available evidence-based advice. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an additional £2.3 billion for the core schools budget for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core schools funding will reach over £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Good pastoral support is important to achieving high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.Specifically in relation to pupil’s mental health and wellbeing, the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by 2029/30 by expanding NHS-funded Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). Expansion will be overseen by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and these teams currently cover 26% of pupils and learners in schools and colleges in Surrey Heartlands ICB, compared to 52% coverage nationally. ​The government will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing in schools. For example, a resources hub and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils. These can be found here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

What steps her Department is taking to support Designated Safeguarding Leads in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department recognises the incredibly important role designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) play in keeping children and young people safe in schools. We support them to do this through our robust safeguarding framework, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges, including schools in Surrey Heath constituency, must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.KCSIE is clear that every school must have a DSL who should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. Annex C of the guidance supports DSLs to understand the role and expectations placed on them.The department regularly reviews KCSIE to see where it needs to be strengthened to ensure it continues to provide the support that DSLs need.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing redress to people impacted by forced adoptions between 1945 and 1976.

This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.We take this issue extremely seriously and are considering what more can be done for those who were impacted by historical forced adoption.

How many and what proportion of school children receive free school meals in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department publishes data annually on pupils who are eligible for free school meals in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics. This includes a school level underlying data file which indicates Parliamentary constituency. The data is available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2023-24. Please note that data on Parliamentary constituencies use boundaries as they were when the statistics were published. Constituency boundaries will be updated to the most recent ones in the next ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication in June 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to invest in higher education facilities in Surrey Heath constituency.

Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous and decide where to locate and establish their facilities, providing tangible benefits to their local areas and constituencies.Providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) and in the Approved (fee cap) category of registration are allocated targeted grant funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant. The government provides this funding on an annual basis to support teaching and students in HE, including expensive-to-deliver subjects, such as science and engineering, and for students at risk of discontinuing their studies. Of the £1.4 billion recurrent funding distributed by the OfS for the 2024/25 academic year, more than two-thirds is being directed to support the provision of high-cost courses.Providers in Surrey are in receipt of this funding, including the University of Surrey and Royal Holloway, University of London.

What steps her Department is taking to promote apprenticeships in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

There is a range of digital and in-person support available to school and colleges to help them to inform their students about apprenticeships. The Careers and Enterprise Company’s national network of Careers Hubs, helps to co-ordinate employers and local programmes to engage directly with schools and colleges to support their careers education, including to raise awareness of apprenticeship routes into their sectors.Around 2,000 volunteers, comprising of employers and apprentices, have formed the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN). The ambassadors go into schools and colleges to share their compelling stories and experiences of what apprenticeships can do for young people. The AAN currently has coverage of 70% schools and colleges in England and aims to align an ambassador to every state-funded secondary school and further education college by March 2026.Additionally, the provider access legislation requires all maintained schools and academies to publish a policy statement setting out opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to access year 8 to 13 pupils and to make sure the statement is followed.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of autism training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust.High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND including autism, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status.The ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement.The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials.The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

What steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of autism training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust.High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND including autism, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status.The ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement.The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials.The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

What recent discussions she has had with Surrey Heath Borough Council on the adequacy of dyslexia training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe 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.The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

What steps she is taking to support dyslexic children with mental health difficulties in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe 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.The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

What discussions she has had with Surrey Heath Borough Council on the adequacy of dyslexia provision for children in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe 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.The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

What steps she is taking to support dyslexic children in education in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.​Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.​Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools. The initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, and from September 2025 will underpin the minimum entitlement to training for new teachers.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had any conversations with Surrey Heath Borough Council regarding dyslexia support, as we believe 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.The department will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. Further information on the support, as at 31 March 2024, for pupils provided by NHS funded MHSTs in Surrey schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.