Every parliamentary written question tabled by Ben Coleman this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 24 · Department for Education
How many higher education institutions applied for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education by 24 March 2026; and how many were accepted.
Erasmus Charter for Higher Education applications are currently subject to admissibility and eligibility checks before being evaluated against published award criteria.We anticipate that the results will be published in September 2026.
With reference to the Answer of 26 March 2026 to Question 114745 on Erasmus+ Programme, what her timeline is on determining the National Agency for Erasmus+.
Work is underway with the British Council ahead of their planned appointment as the UK’s National Agency in Summer/Autumn 2026.
What specific nutritional and processing specifications are included in contracts for the National Breakfast Club programme to help ensure that the £100m+ of annual public spend is not directed toward ultra-processed cereals and breads.
The National School Breakfast Programme is an inherited scheme from the previous government and the contract will end in July 2026. The contract with the supplier, Family Action, stipulates that all food available for schools to purchase must meet the School Food Standards. The School Food Standards already restricts foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. However, to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes. This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering seven million meals so far. We are moving into national rollout, investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Schools delivering free breakfast clubs have autonomy in how they procure their breakfast food, which must meet the School Food Standards.
Whether she will introduce a maximum 5 per cent threshold for ultra-processed foods (Nova Group 4) in the updated School Food Standards, in line with the successful 2025 implementation by the Isle of Man Government; and if she will make a statement.
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Chelsea and Fulham to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question 121632.
If her Department will introduce supplementary grants for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who seek to participate in Erasmus + projects in line with the provision in other associated countries.
As set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, additional funding is available for participants with fewer opportunities, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to support them to travel abroad on an Erasmus+ placement.
If her Department will introduce supplementary grants for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as other associated countries provide.
The government are committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.The government currently provides three mean-tested dependants’ grants that low-income students with childcare and/or caring responsibilities can apply for in addition to the regular package of maintenance and tuition fee loans. These are intended to reflect the greater costs that recipients face when going to university, providing a level playing field for students who face additional barriers to study.From 2028/29, we will also reintroduce maintenance grants to support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash for students without increasing their debt.
What steps the Department will take to ensure the Erasmus+ programme reaches less advantaged young people who are in further education or apprenticeships.
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Whether grant levels for students from low-income households under Erasmus+ will be comparable to those of the Turing Scheme.
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
What specific mechanisms within Erasmus+ will be used to prioritise learners from disadvantaged backgrounds in a manner similar to the Turing Scheme.
This iteration of Erasmus+ has a strong focus on inclusion, with diversity and inclusion set as a core priority. The UK’s association will support this commitment, continuing the ambition set by the Turing Scheme to prioritise mobilities involving participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.The EU allocates dedicated budgets to support ‘people with fewer opportunities’ to take part in mobility activities, including those facing financial, social or health-related barriers. Grant rates are set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide for each year of the programme.The department is working closely with all relevant sectors to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups. A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well-ahead of the 2027 funding call. Alongside this, there will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
What steps her Department is taking to encourage and support applications from apprentices to Erasmus+.
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
What steps her Department is taking to help (a) raise awareness of and (b) promote the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ among eligiblestudenrts and institutions.
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
How UK institutions will be able to participate in Erasmus+ if they do not get accredited by the deadline of 24 March 2026.
Higher education (HE) institutions must successfully apply for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) before applying for funding for any project, whether they are applying for mobilities or partnerships, or as an individual organisation or consortium. Signing the charter means committing to providing participants with all the necessary support for their placements, including linguistic preparation.The deadline for submitting applications for the ECHE has been extended to 24 March 2026 for HE institutions intending to participate in the 2027 funding call.The ECHE is a mandatory prerequisite for participating in Erasmus+ activities related to HE, so any HE institutions wishing to participate in Erasmus+ in 2027 must ensure they meet the 24 March deadline. Applications can be made on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.
Which types of UK institutions and organisations will be eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ programme.
Erasmus+ is open to learners, trainees and staff in higher education, further education, vocational education and training, schools and adult education. It is also open to young people and youth workers in the youth sector, as well as staff in sports organisations.
When the national UK agency for Erasmus+ will be in place and where it will be hosted.
The department has commenced discussions with the British Council with a view to them being appointed as the National Agency for Erasmus+.The National Agency will be set up in time to accept bids for the 2027 Erasmus+ funding call which opens in November 2026.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years practitioners are (a) trained and (b) supported to meet the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
The department is committed to giving every child the best start in life through high-quality early years education.We are investing in programmes that support children’s development where it is needed most, including online child development training, more national professional qualification places, and new professional development for educators and leaders.Stronger Practice Hubs will double from 18 to 36, expanding access to evidence-based training and resources. Early years initial teacher training places are increasing, alongside a new degree apprenticeship route, with incentives to attract and retain teachers in under-served communities.The department is funding 1,000 level 3 special educational needs coordinators this year and investing £3.4 million in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme. Early maths and language leads will offer hands-on support, ensuring all children, regardless of background, benefit from high-quality early education.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years provision in disadvantaged areas is adequately funded to meet the needs of children and families.
The department expects to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements in 2025/26, distributed through the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF), based on hourly funding rates for each local authority. The EYNFF reflects the relative needs of the children and costs of delivering provision in that area and includes additional needs factors that account for 10.5% of entitlement funding.Eligible children also attract early years pupil premium (EYPP), to improve the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children. We are delivering the largest ever uplift to the EYPP this year, increasing the rate by over 45% from 68p per hour in 2024/25 to £1 in 2025/26, so the EYPP is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.Local authorities are responsible for funding providers in their area using their own local funding formula. These local formulae must include a deprivation supplement for 3 and 4-year-olds.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure disadvantaged children in early years settings have access to healthy, nutritious meals.
The department is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. Good nutrition in the early years is essential for children’s health and long-term development, which is why we recently introduced new nutrition guidance in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework.The new guidance, developed in collaboration with nutrition experts and sector representatives, will help early years providers understand how to meet the existing EYFS requirements.Pupils attending a local authority, maintained, academy or free school nursery are entitled to free school meals (FSM), as long as they are either in full-time education or receive education both before and after lunch and meet the benefits-based FSM eligibility criteria.From September 2026, the department will extend FSM to all children in households receiving Universal Credit, including those in state-funded school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools.
Whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential impact of differences in local authority funding formulas on access to high-quality early years provision in disadvantaged communities.
The department expects to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements in 2025/26, distributed through the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF), based on hourly funding rates for each local authority. The EYNFF reflects the relative needs of the children and costs of delivering provision in that area and includes additional needs factors that account for 10.5% of entitlement funding.Eligible children also attract early years pupil premium (EYPP), to improve the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children. We are delivering the largest ever uplift to the EYPP this year, increasing the rate by over 45% from 68p per hour in 2024/25 to £1 in 2025/26, so the EYPP is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year.Local authorities are responsible for funding providers in their area using their own local funding formula. These local formulae must include a deprivation supplement for 3 and 4-year-olds.
If she will publish data on the take-up of funded early years places by disadvantaged children by local authority.
The latest accredited official statistics release entitled ‘Funded early education and childcare’ for January 2025 was published on 17 July 2025. A minor correction was made on 31 July, as noted on the publication page. Dataset 3 in this release shows national, regional and local authority level information on the number of children registered for funded early years provision according to whether the child was in receipt of the early years pupil premium. Dataset 3 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/funded-early-education-and-childcare.Of all 3 and 4 year-olds who are registered for the universal entitlement, one third of those are in state-funded reception classes. Therefore, dataset 3 also includes figures for these children on free school meal eligibility.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) including key skilled early years professional roles where there is a shortage to the skilled worker visa route and (b) easing the visa process for skilled early years workers on the early years workforce.
The department recognises the huge contribution the early years workforce makes to young children’s lives. The workforce is at the heart of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. Workforce numbers increased by 6% between 2023 and 2024.Various early years roles are included in the list of occupations eligible for Skilled Worker visas. Settings can use this route if the salary threshold (£41,700) is met. Nursery education teaching professionals on national pay scales are subject to a lower threshold (£25,000).The Migration Advisory Committee advises government on migration issues and regularly considers the case for changes. Data on numbers of workers on Skilled Worker Visas are held by the Home Office, while the recruitment of individual staff is conducted by settings.The department is supporting providers to recruit domestically by attracting talented staff into the sector, supporting the recruitment and retention of childminders, and making careers as accessible and rewarding as possible.