Written questions by Mierlo.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years providers are not disadvantaged by restrictions on charging flexibility for funded childcare hours.

It is this government’s 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.Government funding for the entitlements does not cover consumables like meals, nappies or sun cream or additional activities, such as trips, so providers are able to ask parents to pay for these things.However, in line with a recent high court judgment, these charges must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place. The high court judgement is accessible here: https://caselaw.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ewhc/admin/2025/224. The government’s guidance sets out requirements for the delivery of the early education and childcare entitlements in line with the law.The statutory guidance emphasises transparency at the heart of how the entitlement should be passed on to parents, including that any costs should be clearer on invoices and websites. Providers have until January 2026 to update their information in line with transparency requirements.

What steps she is taking to increase workforce numbers in the early years sector.

The early years 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.The department is supporting the sector to attract talented staff and childminders to join the workforce by creating conditions for improved recruitment. Our national recruitment campaign is urging the public to ‘Do Something BIG’ and start a career working with small children. A dedicated website is helping people to find out more about gaining qualifications and to search for existing job vacancies. To further boost recruitment in early years, we are continuing to offer £1,000 financial incentives.We are creating new routes into the workforce through skills bootcamps for the early years which lead to an accelerated apprenticeship, and also funding early years initial teacher training as a route for new and existing staff to gain early years teacher status. Our commitment to grow the early years skills pipeline can also be seen through the expansion of the Levelling Up Premium payments. To support childminders to join and stay in the profession we have implemented new flexibilities to work with more people and spend more time working from non-domestic premises.

What recent assessment she has made of the number of unfilled vacancies on school governing bodies.

According to the National Governance Association’s 2024 survey, 25% of respondents stated that their board did not have any vacancies. 76% of respondents reported difficulty in recruiting new governors and trustees. 44% of boards had two or more vacancies.The department has had extensive discussions about recruitment and retention with sector partners, including the National Governance Association and the Confederation of School Trusts. These discussions have informed the development of a joint department-sector resource that will support boards with sustainable governance, especially those facing recruitment and retention challenges.

What assessment her Department has made of the level of administrative workload placed on early years providers in implementing the early years funding system; and whether she is taking steps to streamline (a) reporting and (b) funding claim processes.

Local authorities are responsible for paying early years providers to deliver the early education and childcare entitlements. The department does not provide guidance to local authorities on how they pay providers as each local authority will have its own local process for making funding payments.Local authorities must enter into arrangements with childcare providers for the delivery of free early education and childcare to ensure the providers comply with legislative requirements.As set out in our statutory guidance, local authorities should be clear in their agreements with providers about how and when providers will be paid and the documentation required from providers in order to receive payment.The department will continue to work closely with the sector to continue to look at how the system is working, and ensure every child gets the best start in life.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years funding rates reflect the actual cost of delivering high-quality childcare.

I refer the hon. Member for Henley and Thame to the answer of 27 May 2025 to Question 53702.

Whether she plans to revise the funding formula used to allocate the dedicated schools grant in areas which have a high cost of living but low area cost adjustment.

The department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16 year-old pupils (reception through to year 11) in mainstream state-funded schools in England.The area cost adjustment (ACA) means that funding allocations to schools are adjusted to reflect the geographic costs they face. Importantly, because the department uses the hybrid methodology, schools’ funding allocations reflect differences in both general labour market costs and teacher salaries.The ACA takes into account the four geographical pay bands for teachers, as well as regional variations in the labour market for non-teaching staff.The department will continue to keep the NFF, including the operation of the ACA, under review for 2026/27 and beyond.

What steps she is taking to ensure that children with (a) diabetes and (b) other medical needs are able to access wraparound care provided by (i) breakfast, (ii) after school and (iii) holiday clubs.

All children and families should be able to access the benefits of wraparound care around the school day and term time. This is why the department is investing in new free universal breakfast clubs and new and expanded before and after school places through the wraparound childcare programme, alongside the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.Under the Equality Act 2010, schools and providers of wraparound and holiday care must make reasonable adjustments for children with disabilities and medical conditions. In addition, section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions.The department’s guidance on wraparound, breakfast clubs and HAF programmes is clear that schools and providers should be aware of any medical requirements of pupils and encourages providers to review the ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ statutory guidance, which can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf. Although the duty does not extend to out of school setting providers, this guidance contains information that may be useful in considering how to best support children with medical conditions.

What steps she is taking to ensure children are educated about online safety in PSHE lessons.

As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data (including images) online, harmful content and contact, cyberbullying and the risks associated with over-reliance on social media. The full statutory guidance for primary schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary.The full statutory guidance for secondary schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.The department is currently reviewing the statutory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum. We are looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the evidence and talking to key stakeholders before issuing revised guidance.

What funding is available for the (a) repair and (b) maintenance of (i) sports facilities and (ii) swimming pools at schools.

​Schools provide important opportunities for all pupils to be physically active, with sports facilities being key to the provision of high quality physical education lessons and extra-curricular sport.The department supports academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided bodies, who are responsible for managing the safety and maintenance of their estates, with capital funding, rebuilding programmes and guidance on effective estate management.We recently confirmed details of £2.1 billion of capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to improve the condition of the school estate, including sports facilities and school swimming pools, up from £1.8 billion committed for the 2024/25 financial year. Capital funding is not ring-fenced for sports facilities, and decisions on capital projects to improve the estate are primarily taken at a local level. Details of funding are published on GOV.UK.​Capital funding for schools beyond 2025/26 will be confirmed following the next phase of the spending review.

What steps she is taking to help support the recruitment of qualified learning support assistants.

The government values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce. School support staff, including learning support assistants, play a vital role in children’s education. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possible life chances.The School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) will mean that employers and employee representatives come together to negotiate terms and conditions and pay for school support staff, to ensure that support staff are properly recognised and rewarded for the work they do. The body will also be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook and advising on suitable training and career progression routes that recognise the varied and vital roles support staff undertake.The SSSNB will help address recruitment and retention challenges state-funded schools are facing for support staff. This, in turn, will support work to drive high and rising standards in schools and ensure we give children the best possible life chances.

What recent assessment she has made of the sufficiency of Initial Teacher Training to support Early Career Teachers to manage a variety of needs in the classroom.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards, to be recommended for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.The ITT Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025, all ECTs will be entitled to a two-year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE).The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new National Professional Qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators, to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. We have edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs, and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils.From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials. This approach was tested with SEND educational experts, with the consensus being that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ is the best way to improve outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND.The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and have recently committed to a full review of the ECTE in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Whether she plans to take steps to ensure young people receiving therapy funded by the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will continue to receive this therapy beyond March 2025.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate our budget for the next financial year. Decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions and an announcement will be made as soon as possible. ASGSF applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are agreed, therapy which starts before March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing individual health plans for every child with epilepsy.

Statutory guidance on supporting pupils at school with medical conditions recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. The guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf. Healthcare plans 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. The department will keep the statutory guidance under review as we take forward our commitment to delivering an inclusive mainstream system.

If her Department will work with local authorities to ensure Education, Health and Care plans are updated post annual review for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities to take into account the potential impact on the transition to KS3 and post-16 education.

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.The SEND code of practice is clear that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood. All local authorities must set out the support available to help children and young people with SEND move into adulthood as part of their local offer. This should be co-produced with children, young people and their families to ensure it meets local needs. The department expects activity to support effective preparation for adulthood to be embedded within provision across every age and stage of education, starting as early as possible.If a local authority issues an education, health and care (EHC) plan, it has a statutory duty to review the plan as a minimum every 12 months. This is to review the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the plan and to consider whether the outcomes and supporting targets remain appropriate.For children and young people with an EHC plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases.An EHC plan must be reviewed and amended in sufficient time prior to a child or young person moving between key phases of education, to allow for planning for and, where necessary, commissioning of support and provision at the new institution.

If she will bring forward proposals to finalise the care placements for children in care to align with applications to post-16 education.

The department recognises the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked after child’s life. Under the ‘Care planning, placement and case review’ guidance and regulations, the child’s allocated social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any necessary transitions well planned and supported.All looked after children must have a Personal Education Plan (PEP), which is an ongoing record of their education and training which should describe what needs to happen to enable them to reach their full potential. The PEP should set out arrangements in place to minimise disruption to the child’s education and training where a change in their educational arrangements is unavoidable.Local authorities have a number of duties to accommodate eligible care leavers and to support them to pursue education or training. This includes contributing to expenses incurred by the young person in living near the place where they will receive that education or training.Further education (FE) and higher education (HE) play important roles in giving care leavers the skills they need to succeed in life. To ensure care experienced students are supported to gain the qualifications needed to access these destinations, we have rolled out post-16 funding which can be used for raising attainment through interventions such as additional tutoring or mentoring. The department is also making the virtual school head role for children with a social worker statutory, enabling earlier intervention to address the educational barriers these children can face.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Independent Review of Children’s social care final report (MacAlister,2022), published on the 23rd of May 2022.

Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the best start in life. This government has already moved quickly to set out its plans for a whole-system and child-centred approach to reform and our actions are informed by the findings of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care.In November, the department published its ambitious, wide ranging plans in ‘Keeping children safe, helping families thrive’, setting the wheels in motion to break the cycle of crisis intervention and rebalance the system back towards earlier help for families. In addition, in December the department introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This is a landmark piece of legislation, introducing a series of measures with a focus on delivering a joined up system to stop vulnerable children falling through cracks in services.

If she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of increasing the provision of financial support available to kinship carers.

The department recognises the important role that kinship carers play in caring for some of the most vulnerable children and this government is determined to give every child the opportunities they deserve. Kinship carers play a crucial role in delivering this.At Budget, the department recently announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance in up to ten local authorities to test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs, such as covering day to day costs, supporting them to settle into a new home with relatives, or affording activities to support their wellbeing, can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends. This trial will help the department make decisions about future national rollout.This is the single biggest investment made by government in kinship care to date. This investment could transform the lives of vulnerable children who can no longer live at home.Departmental officials and I will continue to work across government to implement the new kinship allowances trial and to learn from this to inform any future policy.

With reference to the Third Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Session 2022-23 on The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949–1976, HC270, published on 6 July 2022, if she will apologise for the historic role of the Government in forced adoptions; and if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that suitable mental health support is made available for adult adoptees.

The department has the deepest sympathy with everyone affected by historic forced adoption. The practice was abhorrent and should never have taken place. The department is committed to supporting adopted adults. Regulations have already been changed to make it easier for adults to access therapy, and we are providing funding to Adoption England’s Improving Adoption Services for Adults project, which is designed to maintain relationships and offer support. The department will continue to review the offer, including looking to learn from the approach of the devolved nations and will consider how we can collaborate across the government to provide support.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of SEND services in Henley and Thame constituency; and if she will have discussions with Oxfordshire County Council on (a) the level of and (b) the process for receiving funding for SEND provision.

The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Oxfordshire was in July 2023, which identified widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND. The report, published on 15 September, included four areas for priority action:The local area partnership should evaluate the quality and impact of services and joint working more effectively in order to inform improvements.Leaders should improve their strategic approach to transition planning at all ages.Leaders must continue to develop their oversight, strategy and commissioning arrangements of suitable alternative provision.Leaders across the partnership should continue to address the long waiting times for children and young people requesting support from health services and those awaiting assessments.Every child and young person with SEND should have access to high quality services, and where a council does not meet requirements to provide appropriate support for these children, the department will take action to prioritise their needs and bring about rapid improvement.Oxfordshire County Council was issued with an Improvement Notice on 9 November 2023. This sets out the steps the department expects the local authority to take in raising standards in their SEND services. The department is working closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the local area partnership to making the necessary improvements, including through regular monitoring meetings, which focus on the impact of actions taken on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families. Oxfordshire County Council are committed to working closely with us to improve their SEND services.Oxfordshire County Council’s high needs funding allocation for children and young people with complex SEND is over £111 million for the 2024/25 financial year, including funding for teachers’ pay and pension costs. In addition, this government has allocated Oxfordshire Council an extra core schools budget grant of £1.3 million to help with special schools’ costs. The department does not collect data or information on the Council’s process for allocating this funding on to specific provision in the Henley and Thame constituency.Oxfordshire are part of the Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme which provides £1 million in grant funding to support local authorities to provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND at an early stage and with the right level of support. The department monitors Oxfordshire's progress in the DBV programme through quarterly reporting and meetings with the local authority.