Written questions by Rosindell.

If she will make it her policy to revise exam access arrangements to enable dyslexic learners to gain SPaG marks where they can demonstrate correct use of assistive technology.

The independent regulator of qualifications (Ofqual) is responsible for ensuring the exam system is fair and accessible for all students. Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations must make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would otherwise be disadvantaged when taking exams and assessments. These adjustments are designed to remove barriers without changing the nature of the assessment. Exams and assessments must give a valid and reliable measure of the student’s knowledge, skills, and understanding for that qualification. In line with the recommendations made by the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department will work with Ofqual and awarding organisations to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification development process.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that the year 8 reading test is used to direct interventions and not be used as a bench marking exercise for schools.

This government is determined to drive up standards for young people. Reading holds the key to the rest of the curriculum, with pupils who struggle to read so often struggling across the board, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.The department will introduce a new, statutory reading test in year 8 to ensure a focus on reading in key stage 3. This builds on the wider support we are providing to drive up standards in reading, including training and resources for secondary school teachers to help them support readers at all levels, with a particular focus on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind. This training should reach 75% of secondary schools this academic year.Development of the new statutory test will be led by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), experts in assessments who will work independently from ministers on the test’s contents. The STA will work with the sector to develop the test, including undertaking trials of test materials. Like the phonics screening check, school-level results will not be published. However, individual schools will receive their own pupils' results and will be able to access national, regional, and local authority data to ensure their pupils are on track.

If she will make it her policy to introduce mandatory CPD for all teachers to enable them to (a) identify the common signs of dyslexia and (b) adapt their classroom teaching to support dyslexic children.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including pupils with dyslexia. In January, we announced the most ambitious SEND training offer ever seen in the English education system. Backed by £200 million, the new offer will cover children with SEND from 0 to 25. More details on the training are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-landmark-send-teacher-training-programme.The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading. As part of teachers’ continuous professional development, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme will improve outcomes for children in primary who need additional support.The SEND code of practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with SEN does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.To identify need, we are strengthening the evidence base to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews will help drive inclusive practices, highlighting what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches.  The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that settings can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children and young people.From 2024, the national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) became the mandatory qualification for SENCOs, supporting participants to develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEND policy in schools and understand the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.

What steps her Department has taken with local authorities to improve children services.

The department is committed to children’s social care reform to ensure opportunity for all children. Our policy statement ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, outlines our vision and core legislative proposals. We have subsequently introduced several measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key step towards delivering the government’s Opportunity Mission.Specifically, we have confirmed the national rollout of Family Help, multi-agency child protection and Family Group Decision Making reforms. These reforms are being delivered through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme, a national government programme to support Safeguarding Partners, including local authorities, to implement the reforms. In 2025/26 the reforms are backed by £541 million of funding, more than doubling direct investment in preventative services.Through the FFP programme, the government is giving families and children access to better local support services to break the cycle of late intervention and help more children and families to stay safely together.

What recent steps she has taken to improve special educational needs support services for dyslexia in English schools.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.

What steps she has taken to improve early detection of dyslexia in schools.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.The department know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with SEND. In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of the reading framework and writing frameworks and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes which have been validated by the department.The department also launched ‘Reading Ambition for All’, a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers. Following this pilot year, we are working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.

What recent steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help improve the rate of early diagnosis of dyslexia in children.

The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In an inclusive education system, settings should be confident in accurately assessing children and young people’s learning and development and meeting any educational needs with evidence-based responses.A range of measures have been introduced, which aim to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those with SEND or those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, publication of both the reading framework and the writing framework, and the publication of an updated list of high quality phonics programmes for schools validated by the department.We have also launched a new continuous professional development programme for primary school teachers: ‘Reading Ambition for All: teaching children who need the most support, including those with SEND’. Following this pilot year, we will be working with the British Dyslexia Association to refine the programme to further support children with dyslexia.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of academic exchange programmes between UK and Australian universities; and whether she plans to increase levels of bilateral cooperation in higher education.

The government is committed to providing enriching opportunities for students and young people to experience other countries and cultures, including through trips and exchanges with key partners such as Australia.The department monitors participation in schemes such as the Turing Scheme, the UK government’s global programme for students to study and work abroad. The scheme has helped tens of thousands of UK students to study and work abroad, including in Australia, and is now in its fifth year.

What steps she has taken to improve literacy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford 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. Romford is served by New Vision 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. This funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school, and new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.The department also published a writing framework in July, which will support schools in delivering high quality writing provision across England.

What steps she has taken to help increase the number of pupils obtaining Level 4 qualifications in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

The government has set an ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level study (level 4+) by age 25.From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for Lifelong Learning Entitlement funding, that will support learners to take on courses and modular learning at levels 4-6, across universities, colleges and independent providers.The government will also reintroduce targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, which will offer vital financial support to eligible students from low-income households, helping more of these students to access and excel in higher education.The department is expanding Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which are quality-marked, occupation-focused level 4–5 courses available at universities, further education colleges, and independent providers. They offer flexible study options, such as part-time and distance learning, making them accessible to those with caring responsibilities or in work. 282 HTQs have been approved across 13 occupational routes.

What recent steps she has taken to improve numeracy rates in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

To drive standards in mathematics, the department funds the Maths Hubs programme, supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. Local Maths Hubs provide school-to-school support focused on mathematics subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers in primary and secondary schools.The Romford constituency is served by the London North East Maths Hub. As of August 2024, Maths Hubs have worked with 85.5% of open primary schools (14,321) and 88.3% of open secondary schools (3,015) across the country since 2015/16.

Whether her Department is taking steps to increase funding for support for parents in disadvantaged areas.

​​The government has committed to provide funding for all local authorities to deliver Best Start Family Hubs, backed by over £500 million, to help families in every part of the country. The rollout will deliver up to 1,000 Best Start Family Hubs nationwide by 2028, reaching an estimated additional 500,000 children. Hubs will be open to all families but located in disadvantaged communities where support is most needed.​The government understands the distinct challenges faced by parents and, ahead of the publication of our Child Poverty Strategy, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. This includes establishing a new Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) through the Spending Review period to replace the Household Support Fund. This longer-term funding approach will enable local authorities to provide preventative support to families and communities.

If she will provide funding to encourage the consumption of healthy food in schools.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and it is important that schools follow the latest nutritional guidance. To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.The department spends over £1.5 billion annually delivering free meals to around 3.4 million pupils. We are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament. We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover additional meal costs of the new entitlement. This is new money as opposed to funding within existing school budgets.

What steps she is talking to promote the education of animal welfare in schools.

The government recognises the importance of teaching children about animal welfare in schools and this topic can already be covered within science and citizenship. As with other subjects, the national curriculum in England provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own school curriculum.

If she will make it her policy to mandate the flying of the (a) Union flag and (b) Saint George's Cross at schools in England.

Schools in England are free to display the Union flag and the Saint George’s Cross, and it is a matter for individual schools to decide.

What steps her Department is taking to support young Ukrainians commencing their (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) tertiary education in the UK.

Since its launch, 750 schools across Ukraine and the UK have applied to take part in the 100 Year Partnership Programme. This unique initiative between the UK and Ukraine will support schools to build lasting international partnerships through shared projects on reading for pleasure, that will support pupils, expand horizons, build confidence and boost mental wellbeing.Schools are responsible for ensuring that all their pupils, including those classed as having English as an additional language (EAL), can access the full curriculum and have opportunity to achieve and thrive, building the knowledge and skills for life, no matter their background or circumstance.In the 2024/25 academic year, £484 million was allocated to schools via the EAL factor in the national funding formula. Schools also have flexibility over how they use their overall budget to support EAL pupils.Most young people legally residing in England will be eligible for a funded 16-19 study programme at a college, school or other 16-19 provider. Study programmes should be tailored to the needs of young people and include appropriate support.

What steps she has taken to ensure that educational institutions in England have adequate policies to ensure the safety of staff and students during heatwaves.

The responsible body, whether a local authority, academy trust, or voluntary-aided body, must ensure the health, safety, and welfare of pupils and staff, including maintaining safe internal environments during hot weather.The department’s Education Hub offers guidance on managing heatwaves. Additional advice on emergency planning, including extreme heat, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings.The UK Health Security Agency provides resources for educators on protecting children in hot weather:Guidance for teachers and early years settings.General hot weather advice.The department also allocates annual capital funding to improve school conditions and sustainability.

If her Department will take steps to provide (a) funding and (b) other support to help non-accredited aesthetic training academies to gain OFQUAL recognised status.

The department has no role in funding or supporting aesthetic training academies to gain Ofqual recognised status. Instead, this is a matter for training academies and awarding organisations. Ofqual, which is the independent regulator of qualifications in England, publishes guidance on how awarding organisations can apply for recognition for their qualifications, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-have-your-qualifications-regulated.

What steps she has taken to improve the safety of students with serious allergies in English educational institutions.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.The department intends to consult on updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions later this year. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

What steps she is taking to support grammar schools.

I refer the hon. member for Romford to the answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52218.