Every parliamentary written question tabled by Bradley Thomas this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 21 · Department for Education
With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published on 23 February 2026, what consideration was given to education otherwise than in school or at school (EOTIS/EOTAS) provision when developing the White Paper; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes in the White Paper on children currently accessing EOTIS/EOTAS.
Awaiting answer.
What assessment her Department has made of the number of nurseries in England restricting free childcare hours due to cost and availability; what steps her Department is taking to ensure parents receive the full free childcare hours they are entitled to; and what support her Department is giving with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to nurseries to sustainably deliver funded places.
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure free early education and childcare for eligible children in their area. Eligible children are entitled to 570 or 1,140 hours of free early education and childcare over the calendar year from when they become eligible.Providers should set out how many free hours parents are getting per day and per week, to ensure parents understand what free hours they are receiving over the calendar year from when their child first becomes eligible.Providers can also charge parents for any additional, private paid hours according to their usual terms and conditions provided taking up private paid hours is not a condition of accessing a free place.In 2026/27, we are expecting to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements, investing over £1 billion more this year compared to 2025/26 to deliver a full year of the expanded entitlements and an increase to entitlements funding rates.
How many apprentices her Department recruited in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.
The number of apprentices enrolled on apprenticeship programmes within the department in each calendar year is as follows:2022: 324 apprentices.2023: 257 apprentices.2024: 206 apprentices.2025: 271 apprentices.Note this reflects a combination of new apprentices joining the department and existing staff embarking on apprenticeship programmes as part of their career development.
What assessment she has made of trends in national illiteracy levels; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that groups at high risk of illiteracy receive adequate education.
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading and writing, 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 government has committed £28.3 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via our English Hubs, including the Reading Ambition for All programme, which aims to improve reading outcomes for children that need additional support, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. We are also building secondary schools' capacity to support students with reading needs by providing new reading training.We are setting an ambition for 90% of children to meet the expected standard in the Phonics Screening Check by the end of year 1, through an improved focus on the children that struggle in the earliest years. We are also introducing a reading check for all pupils in year 8, to ensure that schools are identifying and providing support to pupils who need it at the beginning of secondary school.This is alongside launching the National Year of Reading 2026, which will have a targeted focus on certain priority groups including boys aged 10 to 16, parents from disadvantaged communities, and early years children.
What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of (a) the Music and Dance Scheme and (b) other school funding schemes in the context of current levels of inflation.
The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that termly cut-off dates do not disadvantage families whose children are born mid-term resulting in the parent’s statutory maternity concluding after the 30 September leaving them ineligible for free care in the autumn term; and whether her Department plans to provide additional transitional support or flexibility to parents whose return to work is after the deadline.
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life, breaking the link between background and opportunity.Children become eligible for an early education and childcare place from 1 September, 1 January or 1 April, the term after they reach the relevant age and meet relevant eligibility criteria.Depending on when a child is born and when the eligibility criteria are met, there will be differing periods to wait until the relevant termly date.Termly deadlines enable local authorities and childcare providers to better plan and ensure sufficient early years places are available for parents each term, as there are clear periods for when children are likely to enter into a place.
How many fines were issued to parents for unauthorised school absence in (a) Bromsgrove constituency and (b) Worcestershire in the last 12 months.
The information is not held by the department at constituency level.Information on penalty notices for unauthorised absence is collected at local authority level. The latest available data, covering the 2023/24 academic year is available in the parental responsibility measures statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures/2023-24.The number of penalty notices issued in Worcestershire in the 2023/24 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e0dc750b-0698-49dc-a884-08ddb31391cd.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29762 on Cross sector partnerships, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of cooperation between state and private schools on state schools.
Around 70% of private schools affiliated with the Independent Schools Council hold charitable status. As charities, they are required to demonstrate public benefit and one way in which they do that is through partnerships with state schools. This activity should continue.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2025 to Question 29183 on Smartphones, what research she refers to.
Mobile phone and smartphone development and social media use has increased (Ofcom, 2024) alongside increasing mental health problems in children and young people (NHS England, 2023), which has raised concerns amongst academics that the two are linked. The cited publications can be found here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/children/children-media-use-and-attitudes-2024/childrens-media-literacy-report-2024.pdf?v=368229; https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up.Several recent reviews have explored the negative correlations between mobile phones and children’s wellbeing:Evidence from a systematic review (Jourdren et al. 2023) found significant positive correlations between high levels of screen exposure and attention difficulties. The full review can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37001326/.A systematic review (Santos et al. 2022) found that excessive screen use could be linked to attention problems across children of all ages. The full review can be found here: https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-023-01166-7.A systematic review (Abdoli et al. 2024) found an indirect association between increased screen time and depression and anxiety. The full review can be found here: https://journals.lww.com/ijom/fulltext/2024/02290/screen_time_and_child_behavioral_disorders_during.4.aspx.Data from the Office for National Statistics (2024) showed an estimated 847,000 children (19.1%) experienced online bullying in the last year. The full data set can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/bullyingandonlineexperiencesamongchildreninenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2023.Data from the department’s National Behaviour Survey (2024) for the 2022/2023 academic year showed that among pupils who reported they had been bullied in the past 12 months, 30% said that least some of it had been online bullying. The full data set can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6628dd9bdb4b9f0448a7e584/National_behaviour_survey_academic_year_2022_to_2023.pdf.
What information her Department holds on the number of students that had EHCPs in Bromsgrove constituency on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 10 February 2025.
Information on the number of pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans attending schools in England is published in the statistical release, ‘Special Educational Needs in England, 2024’, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.The number of pupils with EHC plans can be derived from the underlying school data which is available under the additional supporting files section of the above publication. This shows the number of pupils with an EHC plan attending schools in Bromsgrove constituency was 733 as of January 2024. This is the latest figure available. Figures from the January 2025 school census will be published in summer 2025.
What steps her Department has taken to promote Holocaust education in (a) schools and (b) colleges in Bromsgrove constituency.
The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.The government supports the teaching of Holocaust education in schools and colleges, including those in Bromsgrove, by funding teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education, and the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project, which gives students aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.In addition, a further £2 million funding for Holocaust remembrance and education was committed at the Autumn Budget 2024. This will be used to support the ambition set by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister for all students to have the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony. The department is currently exploring how it can support schools to fulfil this ambition.
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of cooperation between state and independent schools on state schools.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education does not plan to make an assessment of the potential impact of cooperation between state and private schools on state schools.Many of the schools involved in cross sector partnership working carry out their own impact assessments of the activities they are involved in, though the department does not endorse or assure such assessments.
How many state school teachers were employed in Bromsgrove constituency on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 6 February 2025.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in each school, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.As of November 2023, the latest date for which data is available, there were 943 full-time equivalent teachers employed in the 38 state-funded schools in Bromsgrove constituency.
Whether she has plans to increase funding for SEND provision in Bromsgrove constituency.
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Following the 2024 Autumn Budget, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Worcestershire County Council is being allocated over £97 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £7.5 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 8.3% increase per head of their 2 to 18-year-old population, on the equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG), and funding in respect of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions in 2025/26. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases, as well as the costs of pay increases for other members of staff. Individual local authorities’ allocations for both grants for the 2025/26 financial year will be published in due course.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of smartphone usage in school on recent trends in youth mental health.
The government’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance supports schools on how to develop, implement and maintain a policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones throughout the school day including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime. Headteachers are responsible for implementation of guidance within their schools.Research suggests excessive screentime can be detrimental to children’s wellbeing. The Online Safety Act aims to protects children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content and to ensure that technology companies take more responsibility for the safety of their users, particularly children.
Whether she has plans to increase the grading of students that move to state schools from independent schools.
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of a 0% interest rate for student loans for the study of specific courses.
Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree, irrespective of the subject studied. The student loan system has significant borrower protections, and the government has not made an assessment of the impact of making interest rates dependent on the course studied. Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold, not on amount borrowed or the rate of interest. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant student loan repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower. Interest rates are set annually in relation to the Retail Price Index (RPI). The government caps maximum student loan rates when needed to ensure that student loan interest rates do not exceed market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. The government is determined that the higher education funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities, and for students. The department is considering the system and will continue to engage with stakeholders on this.
Whether her Department plans to fund new schools in Bromsgrove constituency.
Local authorities are responsible for providing enough school places for children in their area. Where the need for a new school has been identified, local authorities must currently seek proposals for a new academy, or free school, under section 6A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This is known as the ‘free school presumption’ process.Changes to the legal framework for opening new schools will be introduced through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. The measures will remove the legal presumption that all new schools are opened as academies, allowing local authorities to welcome proposals for all types of school and to put forward their own proposals where they choose to do so. This will ensure new schools are simply opened by the provider with the best offer for local children and families.The department provides the Basic Need capital grant to support local authorities to provide mainstream school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and capacity data. We provide High Needs Provision capital allocations to support the provision of new places and improve existing provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities or requiring alternative provision. Local authorities can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools.Financial contributions from housing developers are also an important way of helping to meet demand for new school places when housing developments are driving pupil numbers. It is for the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to secure developer contributions through section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy and to decide on the local infrastructure needs that this contribution should support. The department encourages LPAs to secure significant contributions for new school places and work closely with colleagues planning school places in their area, including county councils when the local authority responsible for education is not the LPA.There are no centrally-delivered free school projects currently planned for the Bromsgrove area.
What steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote apprenticeships in the vocational skills required to deliver the Government's target of 1.5m homes during this Parliament.
This government has an ambitious plan for re-building Britain, delivering 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament. We want to support employers, including in construction, to develop the skills they need to thrive. That is why we are widening the apprenticeships offer into a levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, which will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country, and providing high-quality entry pathways for young people. In addition, around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by the 2027/28 financial year thanks to an £140 million industry investment to get Britain building again. 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry, to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission.
What steps she is taking to help ensure that children who eave the independent sector in areas with no state school availability are safeguarded.
This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption that private schools enjoy. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicates that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of this change is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector and any displacement would be expected to take place over several years. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending.There is significant spare capacity in existing state schools. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the School Capacity survey and this data shows that in May 2023, 11.7% of primary capacity and 11.5% of secondary capacity was unfilled nationally, meaning school places are available in many parts of the country. The department will monitor demand and capacity using our normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures.