Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what safeguards will be in place to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter is not utilised to curtail freedom of speech.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, if she will take steps to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter does not prevent student societies supporting registered political parties.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether universities will be required to adopt the Campus Cohesion Charter as a condition of registration with the Office for Students.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what organisations and student groups will be involved in co-designing the proposed Campus Cohesion Charter.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of nursery places in Essex.

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.This government is boosting availability and access through the School-based Nursery programme, supporting school-led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites. Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million awarded to 300 primary-phase schools, including 13 in Essex, creating up to 6,000 new childcare places in total.The department is due to announce successful Phase 2 projects in spring 2026.Where Essex reports any sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing capacity in early years settings.

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. The department has seen strong growth in the workforce so far, with early years provision delivered by an estimated 353,700 paid staff in 2025, compared to 353,100 in 2024. We know more growth will be needed as children age into the 30 hours offer from September 2025 onwards, so we continue working closely with providers and local authorities.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. No local authority is reporting sufficiency issues.We continue to support the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment alongside programmes to better utilise the existing workforce. Recruitment and retention are being boosted through national recruitment campaigns, financial incentives, new teacher training and apprenticeships routes.

What steps is she taking to address waiting lists and delayed start dates for nursery placements.

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex. The number of places on Ofsted’s Early Years Register in Essex rose by 4% (or 1,500) from 37,400 as at 31 December 2024 to 38,900 as at 31 December 2025.The department has regular contact with all local authorities in England about childcare sufficiency and any issues they are facing, including disclosing any waiting lists or delayed start times.The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is adequate to meet the requirements of parents and children.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.Where the local authority reports any sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Pursuant to Answer of 5th March 2026 to Question 115670, what proportion of the £28.3 million for reading and writing initiatives has been allocated to schools in Essex.

The department’s £28.3 million funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school.Since the launch of a new continuous professional development (CPD) programme ‘Unlocking Reading’ in January 2026, 59% of secondary schools in England have signed up to the in-person training. We do not currently have a breakdown of how many of these are in Essex, but would encourage all secondary schools to express their interest via the website:https://fft.org.uk/literacy/unlocking-reading/The local English Hubs for schools in Essex are New Vision and Myland English Hubs. 29 schools in Essex are currently English Hub partner schools, receiving intensive support from literacy specialists with the teaching of early reading.Over 300 schools in Essex have received some form of support from the English Hubs programme since its launch, and 100 schools in Essex are signed up to access CPD provided by the Hubs this academic year.

What proportion of graduates who were not in high-skilled roles 15 months after graduation remain outside high-skilled employment a) three years later and b) five years later.

The department does not produce estimates of the proportion of graduates in high-skilled roles at three or five years after graduation.Graduate Outcome survey data published by HESA shows that around 70% of UK domiciled students who graduated with an undergraduate degree from a UK higher education provider during the 2022/23 academic year were in high-skilled employment fifteen months after graduation. This survey data does not track graduates beyond fifteen months to outline details of graduate employment three or five years later.While the department uses Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data to track graduate earning and employment outcomes at three and five years after graduation, this data does not include graduate occupation. The latest Graduate Outcomes survey data was published in July 2025 and can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb272/figure-12.

What steps she is taking to provide support to schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency where the number of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and Maths is lower than the national average.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of GCSE a) English and b) Maths attainment in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency over the last two years.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What proportion of people in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency have not achieved a grade 4 in a) English and b) Maths by age 19.

The official statistics release 'Level 2 and 3 attainment age 16 to 25' includes numbers and proportions of those achieving GCSE English language and maths by age 19 for those who were recorded in mainstream state-funded schools in year 11, the final year of secondary school. The latest data available is for the 2023/24 academic year, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-19/2023-24.For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, the figures for those who have not achieved a grade 4 in a) English language and b) maths are provided in the table below.YearSouth Basildon and East ThurrockEnglandAcademic year the young person turned 19Number in mainstream state-funded schools in year 11Proportion not achieved GCSE English language by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE maths by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE English language by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE maths by 192023/241,03823.7%30.2%17.1%21.0%2022/231,05225.0%27.4%15.9%19.2%

Pursuant to Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 102600, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those funded qualifications on employment rates in the logistics sector.

The Further Education Outcomes statistics publication provides data on the progression from further education courses to sustained employment in the following academic year. It is published annually each November, with the most recent edition available at:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23#explore-data-and-files.Note this does not show the logistics sector specifically or assess the impact of funded qualifications on employment rates.

How many and what proportion of staff in her Department have (a) office-based, (b) hybrid and (c) remote-working contracts.

As of February 2026, 486 employees of the department (6%) work remotely because their roles require them to be based at a distance from a departmental office.All other employees, apart from a small number with homeworking as a reasonable adjustment, are office‑based with access to hybrid working arrangements. Hybrid working arrangements are non-contractual and led by business needs.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure that local authorities and multi-academy trusts deliver planned improvements to schools and colleges; and what steps she plans to take to help tackle non-delivery.

The department will enable all responsible bodies to proactively and effectively manage their estates by setting out clear standards and expectations alongside guidance, tools and data to support them.We have already set out clear expectations in the School Estate Management Standards, including a ‘fully effective’ standard for estate management that every responsible body for schools should aim to meet.From Autumn 2026, we will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return via Manage Your Education Estate to confirm they are meeting the standards. For those who are not meeting the standards, we will put in place an estate management capability support plan. This will be an informal agreement with the responsible body setting out actions and support to bring estate management up to the expected standard within 12 months.The timelines are in the strategy, and the key milestones have been set out in annex A. The department reports on overall delivery through the annual report and accounts.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, how her Department will report progress on the implementation of the 10-year Education Estates Strategy including timelines and milestones.

The department will enable all responsible bodies to proactively and effectively manage their estates by setting out clear standards and expectations alongside guidance, tools and data to support them.We have already set out clear expectations in the School Estate Management Standards, including a ‘fully effective’ standard for estate management that every responsible body for schools should aim to meet.From Autumn 2026, we will ask responsible bodies to make an annual return via Manage Your Education Estate to confirm they are meeting the standards. For those who are not meeting the standards, we will put in place an estate management capability support plan. This will be an informal agreement with the responsible body setting out actions and support to bring estate management up to the expected standard within 12 months.The timelines are in the strategy, and the key milestones have been set out in annex A. The department reports on overall delivery through the annual report and accounts.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what proportion of schools and colleges in Essex are vulnerable to risks including flooding and overheating; and how the Renewal and Retrofit Programme will prioritise resilience improvements.

The Education Estates Strategy outlines the challenge of mitigating climate‑related risks across the entire education estate. This is supported by the department’s research and analysis into overheating, flooding and water scarcity, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.The department will continue to increase resilience to overheating and flooding through the Renewal and Retrofit Programme, which will be expanded to all regions in England from 2027.19 schools in Essex are already receiving grants for sustainable drainage systems to mitigate risk of flood, and another 10 schemes are under assessment for flood protection measures.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, how much additional financial support schools in (a) Basildon and (b) Thurrock will receive.

The Education Estates Strategy sets out plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10-year plan to deliver a decade of renewal to transform schools and colleges.The department is investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance for schools and colleges, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. We are investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a nomination round now open to select a further 250 schools by early 2027.The department is also investing £1 billion to improve and renew the estate including launching a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to 2029/30 and £325 million for digital connectivity in schools, including Connect the Classroom. We are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30 to create 60,000 specialist places, including supporting a transformative expansion of inclusion bases.Future annual capital funding allocations for responsible bodies and the details of schools prioritised for individual programmes will be set out in due course.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, published on 11 February 2026, what metrics will be used to assess the success of the Connect the Classroom initiative; and how that initiative will help reduce disparities in access to digital infrastructure between urban and rural schools.

Independent evaluation shows that the Connect the Classroom programme has improved digital infrastructure in participating schools, including better network reliability and speed, quicker log‑ins, fewer classroom disruptions and improved pupil engagement. In 2026/27, the Connect the Classroom programme will support schools on the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and our evaluation will continue to focus on those key indicators. Further selection criteria for future years will be published in the summer.The department will also provide targeted support for digital connectivity to ensure that, where commercial fibre plans have not progressed, schools and the communities they serve are not left behind.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of student loan repayments on recruitment and retention in NHS roles where a degree is mandatory.

This government is committed to training the staff we need to get patients seen on time, including more medical and clinical professionals and will work closely with partners in education to do so and ensure these professions remain attractive career choices.We now have a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice. A person can join the NHS as an entry level healthcare assistant apprentice with a view to eventually qualifying as a registered nurse.For those who do take out a student loan to support their studies, unlike commercial loans, student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. And at the end of the repayment term any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be cancelled with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.Students studying on eligible courses at English universities qualify for additional support through the NHS Learning Support Fund or NHS Bursary.