Every parliamentary written question tabled by Blake Stephenson this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 96 · Department for Education
Pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2025 to written question 74972, if she will list the eleven schools in Bedfordshire.
The department has published details of successful projects and applicants to the Condition Improvement Fund for the 2025/26 financial year, including the local authority and constituency. This list can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2025-to-2026-outcome.
What the take up rate is amongst targeted pupils for free breakfast clubs.
Free Breakfast Clubs are for all pupils to give children life chances and parents work choices. Through our free breakfast club early adopter schools, we have served more than 5 million meals, and we are expanding the programme by further funding an additional 2,000 schools this year, benefitting half a million more children.
If she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of putting a child through secondary state school education.
Annually, the department publishes the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which includes information on the amount of core schools funding allocated by the department nationally as well as to each local authority. This includes the amount of funding allocated in respect of secondary pupils in mainstream schools, the ‘secondary schools unit of funding’. The DSG for financial year 2026/27 has now been published and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2026-to-2027.In addition to the funding from the DSG, schools also receive additional school funding annually, for example through the Pupil Premium grant (in respect of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years), and capital funding.
With reference to the press release entitled Schools to save millions as Government launches agency profit cap, published on 4 December 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that policy on the availability of agency staff for schools.
Supply teachers and supply staff perform a valuable role, and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply staff, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.The measure will cap profits of private agencies and does not affect supply teacher pay. Therefore, we should not see any negative impact on the availability and number of supply teachers as a direct result of this policy.
Whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of re-introducing maintenance grants.
Targeted, means-tested maintenance grants will be funded by a new International Student Levy, with both being introduced in the 2028/29 academic year. The International Student Levy will require higher education providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year, with proceeds being fully reinvested into higher education and skills. This will make sure that revenue from international students directly benefits domestic students from low-income households.
How many primary schools do not have a library.
I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 81502.
If she will make an estimate of the annual impact of one child attending an independent school on the public purse.
The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing (a) vouchers and (b) tax rebates to parents who send children to independent schools of a value less than the cost to the public purse per year of putting a pupil through a state school on (i) the cost to the public purse, (ii) class sizes in state schools, (iii) the wellbeing of state school pupils subject to bullying and (d) pupils with SEND.
The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC.
With reference to the press release entitled Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, published on 17 December 2025, if she will make an estimate of the cost of a) establishing and b) operating the new national agency.
In order for the UK to participate in Erasmus+, EU regulations require the UK to establish a National Agency separate to any existing government department to manage the indirect management actions of the programme. The European Commission entrusts the distribution of indirect management funding to the National Agency to bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to its beneficiaries. National Agencies promote and implement the Erasmus+ Programme at the national level and are the link between the European Commission and participating organisations at local, regional, and national levels. A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.
How rejoining the Erasmus scheme will be funded.
The department has agreed terms with the European Commission that represent a fair balance between the UK’s contribution and the benefits the programme offers, which paved the way for UK participation. We have agreed a 30% discount compared to the default terms in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement as well as a review of the UK’s participation in the programme ten months after our association, including data concerning demand for funding in the UK. Any continued UK participation in Erasmus+ under the next Multiannual Financial Framework will be informed by our experience of association in 2027. Erasmus+ costs will be funded above the department’s Spending Review settlement and scored in the usual way at the next fiscal event.
With reference to the press release entitled Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, published on 17 December 2025, for what reason she plans to establish a dedicated national agency.
In order for the UK to participate in Erasmus+, EU regulations require the UK to establish a National Agency separate to any existing government department to manage the indirect management actions of the programme. The European Commission entrusts the distribution of indirect management funding to the National Agency to bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to its beneficiaries. National Agencies promote and implement the Erasmus+ Programme at the national level and are the link between the European Commission and participating organisations at local, regional, and national levels. A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.
How SEND costs in England will be funded over this Parliament.
Overall, core schools funding (including funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)) is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year, and will total £67.0 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26. High needs funding will be over £12 billion in England in the 2026/27 financial year, following a £1 billion increase in 2025/26. The additional funding announced at the 2025 Spending Review will deliver an above-real-terms per-pupil increase up to the 2028/29 financial year and enable us to transform the SEND system. Moreover, departmental budgets will increase above previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025 by £3.5 billion in 2028/29 to support investment in the SEND system.In our recent publication ’SEND reform: putting children and young people first’, we announced a £4 billion investment over the three years of the spending period to make every school inclusive and transform outcomes for children with SEND. This investment includes over £1.6 billion for the Inclusive Mainstream Fund, £1.8 billion for Experts at Hand, £200 million for Best Start Family Hubs and over £200 million for a national training package. More details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first.
If she will make an estimate about how much a) income tax, b) National Insurance and c) student loan repayment she expects the average person turning 30 in 2025/26 with a Plan 2 Student Loan to pay by 2029/30.
The average Plan 2 loan borrower turning 30 years of age in the2025/26 financial year and making student loan repayments through PAYE is expected to pay £29,100 in income tax, £11,600 in employee National Insurance contributions and £5,600 in Plan 2 student loan repayments between the 2025/26 and 2029/30 financial years (figures rounded to the nearest £100). Plan 2 borrowers turning 30 in 2025/26 are likely to be in the early stages of their careers, and many may not be earning enough to be making student loan repayment. These borrowers are not included in our average. Plan 2 borrowers may re-borrow or have borrowed on other plans. These student loan repayments have not been considered. Only PAYE student loan repayments have been considered. Note some Plan 2 borrowers will be making voluntary repayments direct to the Student Loans Company, making repayments from overseas or be on self-assessment.
How many visas a) her Department, b) Ofsted, c) the Construction Industry Training Board, d) the Office of the Children's Commissioner and e) the Student Loans Company have sponsored since 4 July 2024.
The table below details how many visas the department and named arm’s length bodies have sponsored since July 2024: Department for Education14Ofsted6The Construction Industry Training Board6The Office of the Children's Commissioner0Student Loans Company1
If she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) reviews conducted by her Department since 4 July 2024.
The information is not readily available or held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
With reference to her Department's press release entitled Government to crackdown on bad behaviour and boost attendance, published on 31 August 2025, if she will publish a list of schools receiving targeted support.
The regional improvement for standards and excellence attendance and behaviour hubs programme is intended to provide support to senior leaders to improve their whole-school attendance and behaviour practice. Participation in the programme will be voluntary, although schools with specific attendance or behaviour challenges will be encouraged to participate. Given this is a supportive initiative, the department does not intend to publish the names of the schools receiving enhanced support through the programme.
With reference to her Department's press release entitled Over half a million children to benefit from funded childcare, published 1 September 2025, whether she has made an estimate on the average additional number of hours worked this will result in; and if she will make an estimate of the total (i) economic value and (ii) cost to the public purse of the policy.
It is the department’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, improving opportunity for every child and work choices for every parent.From 1 September, eligible working parents of children aged nine months and older are now benefiting from 30 hours of funded childcare. Reaching this milestone means hundreds of thousands of families are better able to balance work and family life.Central estimates for the financial benefits of extending early years education and childcare entitlements were published in April 2024 by the National Audit Office, which indicate, as of March 2024, a benefit-to-cost ratio of £1.26:£1.00, and a total estimated benefit of £15.972 billion, based on a total estimated cost of £12.723 billion.The Office for Budget Responsibility also estimated that 60,000 additional parents will enter work, and 1.5 million will increase their working hours by 2027/28, as a result of the policy.Now the programme is in live delivery, the department will continue to monitor how these estimated benefits develop throughout the programme.
What data her Department holds on the proportion of student visa holders who progress to graduation.
The department does not hold data on what proportion of student visa holders progress to graduation, however, data on non-UK domicile entrants is collected by the Office for Students (OfS).The OfS publish data on the completion rates of entrants. For full-time first degree non-UK domicile entrants from 2016/17 to 2019/20, 89.9% completed their courses within 4 years 15 days of entry to higher education. This data is published annually and the latest available data was published in August 2025 at : https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.
What estimate she has made of the potential impact of changes to the VAT status of independent schools on the number of children enrolled in state schools in September 2025.
HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.
What proportion of student visa holders attending universities are in the (a) top and (b) bottom quartile of education standards.
The department does not hold data on the proportion of student visa holders attending English universities who are in the top and bottom quartile of education standards. This data is not reported to the department by universities.