Written questions by Spencer.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the introduction of new statutory guidance for supporting pupils with medical conditions and allergies in schools on costs for schools.

Schools have existing statutory duties to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The draft statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions.Schools will be required to stock ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors, and many already choose to do so. The department’s draft guidance suggests most schools should stock 2 to 4 pairs of adrenaline auto-injectors, at a likely cost of £300. The government is in discussion with suppliers to facilitate options here and will look to say more in due course.School funding is increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026/27, including funding for special educational needs and disabilities reform announced within the Schools White Paper. Our overall investment in schools funding is a critical step forward in our mission to support teachers and leaders to deliver high and rising standards across every school and for every pupil, including those with medical conditions and allergies.

What assessment she has made of the prevalence of the use of large language models in the preparation of (a) GCSE and (b) A-Level course work; and whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of coursework as an effective and fair means of assessing candidates’ attainment.

Ofqual is the independent regulator of qualifications and assessments for England and is responsible for setting relevant rules and guidance, including in relation to malpractice. Ofqual published its approach to regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the qualifications sector in 2024, including its approach to managing malpractice risks associated with coursework. The policy document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofquals-approach-to-regulating-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-qualifications-sector/ofquals-approach-to-regulating-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-qualifications-sector.The Joint Council for Qualifications has also published guidance to give clarity to schools and colleges about the role they play in securing the authenticity of students’ work. This guidance, last updated in April 2025, provides schools and colleges with recommendations for both secure delivery of assessments and approaches for detection of where AI may have been inappropriately used.

What assessment she has made of (a) the prevalence of the use of large language models in the preparation of UCAS personal statements and (b) the potential impact of the use of large language models in UCAS personal statements on the likelihood of applications being successful.

The personal statement is an opportunity for applicants to showcase their ambitions, skills and experiences. As such, it is important that students use their own words to accurately reflect their unique qualifications and suitability for the chosen course.The department is in regular contact with UCAS and have been assured that plagiarism is taken seriously, with methods and guidance in place to caution against using artificial intelligence tools, including large language models, to write personal statements.UCAS have also consulted on future reform of the personal statement, and have worked with students, teachers and universities to devise a new format. In splitting the statement into a series of sections, this reform is aimed to simplify the process for students, and to ensure that universities hear from students in their own words.

Whether she plans to improve (a) training provisions and (b) support for speech and language development professionals.

The department is continuing to improve access to speech and language therapy by funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinder project, in partnership with NHS England. This programme aims to improve capacity and knowledge in the workforce who support children in early years and school settings with mild to moderate speech, language and communication needs, by utilising therapy support assistants.The department is also funding evidence based early-language interventions in primary schools. The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is a programme for children needing extra support with their speech and language development. In July 2024, we announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered would continue for 2024/25 academic year. Since September 2020, over 35,000 individual practitioners from NELI schools have registered for one or more training course, of which more than 28,000 have completed one or more courses.Finally, the department is continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists. The speech and language degree apprenticeship is now in its third year and offers an alternative pathway to the traditional degree route into a successful career as a speech and language therapist.

If she will make an assessment with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology of the adequacy of the accessibility of the consultation entitled Improving the way Ofsted inspects education, published on 3 February 2025.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the consultation on the Use of reasonable force and other restrictive interventions guidance: proposed amendments.

Consultation documents set out, within the first few pages, alternative ways that respondents can obtain copies in alternative formats, and how to respond through methods other than the online system.The department can be contacted by post or email to request an alternative format of the form. For people who do not have easy access to digital devices, these consultations run for 12 weeks to give sufficient opportunity to respond if digital access is not readily available.The government takes a digital-by-default approach to communication and participation but aims to mitigate risks faced by those considered to be digitally excluded.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the consultation entitled School accountability reform.

Consultation documents set out, within the first few pages, alternative ways that respondents can obtain copies in alternative formats, and how to respond through methods other than the online system.The department can be contacted by post or email to request an alternative format of the form. For people who do not have easy access to digital devices, these consultations run for 12 weeks to give sufficient opportunity to respond if digital access is not readily available.The government takes a digital-by-default approach to communication and participation but aims to mitigate risks faced by those considered to be digitally excluded.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility to people who are digitally excluded of the consultation on Franchising in higher education.

The department’s consultation on franchising in higher education (HE) offers different alternatives to respond in order to meet the range of accessibility needs.There is an option to respond via post by using a printed copy of the consultation document, for those who cannot respond online. A print-ready copy of the consultation document is also available to download on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/franchising-in-higher-education.The consultation document also sets out that if anyone is having any difficultly responding online, they can contact the department using the contact details provided in the consultation document to request assistance or an alternative option to respond.

What steps she is taking to ensure that (a) schools and (b) educators are adequately (i) informed and (ii) prepared for national curriculum reform.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is being undertaken in close consultation with education professionals, and will pay attention to the practicalities of implementation and the avoidance of unintended consequences and additional workload for staff.It will seek evolution not revolution and seek to identify and focus on addressing the most significant and pressing issues facing curriculum and assessment without destabilising the system.The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work and will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make to the curriculum, and the practicalities and timing of the reforms, in light of these recommendations.The department will ensure that we give schools, colleges and teachers sufficient time to plan and prepare for changes, particularly where they are significant. We will also consider how the reformed curriculum would affect schools as we develop it, to support innovation and implementation.The review’s terms of reference are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

With reference to paragraph 2.40 of the Autumn Budget 2024, HC 295, published on 30 October 2024, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on special educational needs transport providers.

Home-to-school travel is an integral part of the school system. It provides a valuable service on which many families rely. The department is grateful to the many transport operators for the crucial role they play in ensuring that children receive the education that they need to help them thrive.Departmental officials engage regularly with local authorities to understand the challenges they face and will continue to monitor this situation. The department does not expect there to be a significant impact on home-to-school travel for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel and deliver this through a range of in-house services and external providers.The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers. It has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, which means that more than half of businesses with National Insurance liabilities will either gain or see no change next year. Businesses will still be able to claim employer National Insurance contributions relief, where eligible.

What discussions she has had with school leaders on the effectiveness of individual healthcare plans in schools for children with (a) epilepsy, (b) asthma, (c) a history of anaphylaxis, (d) severe allegories and (e) type 1 diabetes.

Statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.The department will keep the statutory guidance under review as we take forward the commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.The department engages closely with school leaders and their representative organisations on a wide range of issues, including supporting pupils with medical conditions.

If she will review the statutory guidance on Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 regarding individual healthcare plans in schools.

Statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.The department will keep the statutory guidance under review as we take forward the commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.The department engages closely with school leaders and their representative organisations on a wide range of issues, including supporting pupils with medical conditions.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) motorway noise and (b) air pollution from the M25 on schools in (i) Addlestone, (ii) Chertsey, (iii) Downside, (iv) Egham, (v) New Haw and (vi) Row Town in 2023-24.

Local outdoor air quality is the responsibility of local authorities who should prepare local air quality strategies to ensure that air quality in their area is improved.The department takes the health, safety, and wellbeing of school users very seriously and publishes a range of guidance documents, such as the Building Bulletins, which support the provision of healthy school environments.Where the department is centrally delivering school building projects, such as through the School Rebuilding Programme, all relevant and necessary surveys will be undertaken on the projects to inform the scheme proposals, and this list of surveys will be informed by local context and guidance from the Local Planning Authority and Statutory Consultees.

What steps she is taking to (a) train, (b) recruit and (c) retain educational psychologists.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). However, the department knows that current workforce shortages are a barrier to delivering its ambition for an inclusive mainstream education system.Whilst it is the responsibility of local authorities, as employers, to recruit to their educational psychology services, the department is taking measures to support these services by investing in building the training pipeline.The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from this year. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in a cohort of over 200 trainees who began their training in September 2023.Following graduation, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. To support local authority services to recruit and retain their educational psychology workforce, this requirement will increase to three years for those trainees beginning their course this year. This will allow local authority services to benefit from the public investment in training and will support their delivery of statutory assessments and wider work.

Which schools are participating in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme; and how much funding is provided to each school as part of the Early Language and Support for Every Child in Surrey.

There are 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme currently, following the continuation of the programme for an additional academic year, which was announced in July 2024. The full list of schools registered to deliver the NELI programme is published online at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/publications/neli-nuffield-early-language-intervention-programme.The department and NHSE are funding nine Early Language and Support Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinders, one per Department for Education region and each receiving £500,000 in the 2024/25 financial year.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) staff training and (b) equipment for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis in schools.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, Academies and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions.The accompanying statutory guidance, entitled Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions, makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. 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.The guidance is clear that policy should include how it will be implemented, what should happen in an emergency situation and the role individual healthcare plans play in supporting pupils. The policy 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.The department included a reminder to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin in both March and September this year. In the same communication, the department also alerted schools to the newly created Schools Allergy Code. The Code was developed by The Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, who are all trusted voices on the matter of allergies. The department has now also added a link to the Code to its online allergy guidance on GOV.UK.Regarding equipment, in 2017, the Department of Health (now the Department of Health and Social Care) published non-statutory guidance to accompany a legislative change to allow schools to purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) from a pharmacy, without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation. This guidance is kept under review and gives clear advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered for pupils in schools.

If she will rebuild the Magna Carta School in Egham.

Magna Carta was announced as part of the school rebuilding programme in February 2024. The department remains committed to rebuild or refurbish all schools within the programme and we can confirm that early planning work for Magna Carta has started.

What assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of and (b) geographical inequalities in access to Speech and Language Screening in educational and early years settings.

The department is aware that the most prevalent type of primary need identified among pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is ‘speech, language and communication needs’ (SLCN). Our vision for children and young people with SLCN is the same as it is for all children and young people. We want them to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) two-year old progress check and the Healthy Child Programme (HCP) development review offer two valuable opportunities to identify additional needs, including speech and language needs, for children aged 2 to 3 and put the right support in place for the children who need it.The department is funding support for 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme. The majority of these are schools with the highest levels of disadvantage, as defined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. As of January 2024, we estimate over 211,000 reception age children so far have received this extra support.In partnership with NHS England, we are funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder programme, to trial new ways of working to earlier identify and support children with SLCN in early years and primary schools, utilising Therapy Support Assistants and a variation of identification tools across the pathfinders.The department will consider how best to use learnings and insights from these programmes to improve support for children with SLCNs, including consistency of support provided across different geographies.