Written questions by Morello.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to (a) rugby in schools and (b) other school sport opportunities.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions her Department has had with sporting bodies on increasing contact rugby participation in schools.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to support rugby in schools.

Awaiting answer.

What discussions her Department has had with sporting bodies on increasing rugby participation in schools.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department plans to increase funding for SEND provision in rural constituencies such as West Dorset.

The core schools budget is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.Through the Dedicated Schools Grant, Dorset (which allocates funding for West Dorset) is receiving £269.6 million for mainstream schools in the2026/27 financial year. This...

What support the Government is providing to schools in West Dorset.

The core schools budget is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.Through the Dedicated Schools Grant, Dorset (which allocates funding for West Dorset) is receiving £269.6 million for mainstream schools in the2026/27 financial year. This...

Whether her Department plans to review funding formulas to change how they consider rural schools in constituencies such as West Dorset.

The core schools budget is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.Through the Dedicated Schools Grant, Dorset (which allocates funding for West Dorset) is receiving £269.6 million for mainstream schools in the2026/27 financial year. This...

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of school funding levels in West Dorset.

The core schools budget is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year.Through the Dedicated Schools Grant, Dorset (which allocates funding for West Dorset) is receiving £269.6 million for mainstream schools in the2026/27 financial year. This...

What support her Department is providing for post-16 education providers in West Dorset.

The department is supporting providers across the country, including in West Dorset with over £18 billion per year of programme funding in post-16 education and skills, delivering record investment this Parliament. This includes nearly £800 million extra ...

What discussions her Department has had with local education providers in West Dorset on skills and apprenticeship provision.

The approach in West Dorset follows the pattern and approach across the country. The department retains oversight and engagement with all post-16 providers through its Regional Performance Teams. There is a specific focus on working with further education...

What steps her Department is taking to improve educational outcomes in West Dorset.

This government’s ambition is for all children to achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap to be halved.We will deliver this through a refreshed curriculum, maximising the impact of deprivation funding to boost outcomes for disadvantaged children...

What steps her Department is taking to support SEND students in West Dorset.

The latest data, from June 2025, covering 2024, shows Dorset completed 60.2% of education, health and care plans within statutory timescales, compared to a national average of 46.4%. The department recognises the importance of children and young people re...

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of waiting times for Education, Health and Care Plans on children in West Dorset.

The latest data, from June 2025, covering 2024, shows Dorset completed 60.2% of education, health and care plans within statutory timescales, compared to a national average of 46.4%. The department recognises the importance of children and young people re...

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department’s policies of rural education challenges in West Dorset.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to ensure there are enough school places available in their area for every child of compulsory school age. The department expects local authorities, academy trusts and local partners to engage collaborativ...

What steps has has her department taken to improve the time taken to issue ECH plans in a) Rural areas and b) West Dorset.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment her Department has made of the time taken to issue ECH plans in (a) South West and (b) West Dorset over the past 5 years.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment her Department has made of the availability of school bus places during peak holiday periods in West Dorset.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel for eligible children. They use a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private operators and must ensure the arrangements they make are suitable for the needs of the children travelling.Most local bus services in England outside London are run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision, including the frequency of services and the type of vehicle used. The government is committed to improving bus services and has confirmed investment of over £3 billion until 2028/29 for local authorities and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services.

What steps her Department is taking to support local authorities such as Dorset Council in managing demand for school transport during peak holiday periods.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel for eligible children. They use a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private operators and must ensure the arrangements they make are suitable for the needs of the children travelling.Most local bus services in England outside London are run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision, including the frequency of services and the type of vehicle used. The government is committed to improving bus services and has confirmed investment of over £3 billion until 2028/29 for local authorities and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services.

What a) guidance and b) support does her Department provide to ensure sufficient school transport capacity in rural areas such as West Dorset during periods of high demand.

Local authorities are responsible for arranging home-to-school travel for eligible children. They use a mix of in-house services, passes for free travel on public transport and contracts with private operators and must ensure the arrangements they make are suitable for the needs of the children travelling.Most local bus services in England outside London are run on a commercial basis where the operator decides on routes and provision, including the frequency of services and the type of vehicle used. The government is committed to improving bus services and has confirmed investment of over £3 billion until 2028/29 for local authorities and bus operators to maintain and improve bus services.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate numbers of qualified physics teachers in secondary schools.

The government’s Plan for Change is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.In 2023/24, just 17% of the postgraduate initial teacher training target for physics trainees was met. In 2025/26, this increased to 78%, with 1,095 new entrants, reaching the highest number for physics since comparable statistics began in 2014/15.We are continuing to support physics teacher recruitment with bursaries worth £29,000 and scholarships worth £31,000 tax free. We are also supporting retention alongside increased recruitment, with an offer of a targeted retention incentive, which has a value of up to £6,000 after tax for physics teachers in years 1-5 of their career who choose to work in the most disadvantaged schools. This comes on top of near 10% pay rises for all teachers and leaders in the last two years, and we continue to work with sector leaders to reduce workloads, improve wellbeing and increase flexible working.