Written questions by Dickson.

How many and what proportion of school leavers have progressed to (a) employment and (b) economic inactivity by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.

The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether a student sustained an education, employment or apprenticeship destination. The data also includes the number of students who did not sustain a destination or where no activity was captured.To be counted in a destination, young people must have sustained participation for a six-month period in the destination year.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/40d1474a-30ff-402a-f7ee-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5d0582dc-7327-42f2-ab5e-08de834ce335.

How many and what proportion of school leavers progressed onto apprenticeships at (a) Level 3, (b) Level 4 and (c) above by type of establishment in each year since September 2020.

The department publishes information on the destinations of students after key stage 4 and 16 to 18 study. This includes whether an apprenticeship was sustained.To be counted, young people need to sustain the apprenticeship for six months in the academic year after leaving.Data on the destinations of students who have completed key stage 4 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/059bdddb-673e-47bd-f7ed-08de834d471d.Data on the destinations of students who have completed 16 to 18 study is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7cebeac7-c6b9-475a-f7ef-08de834d471d.

With reference to research from The University of Manchester entitled The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all schools have access to green spaces.

Play is an essential part of children’s physical, social and cognitive development, as recognised in the early years foundation stage statutory framework. All education settings, from early years to further education, can register with the National Education Nature Park which provides free and quality assured resources, guidance and support to enable them to turn their grounds from grey to green.The Education Estates Strategy also recently set out how the new design specifications and Renewal and Retrofit Programme will increase access to nature and create better outdoor places with more variety, so that pupils can undertake both quiet and energetic activities.The value of access to nature and outdoor learning is also being recognised and promoted through enrichment, with our upcoming Enrichment Framework including 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories that schools should seek to cover in a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer.

What timeline her Department has set for its consultation on updating school food standards in England.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.

What role local authorities will play in monitoring compliance with planned updated school food standards.

The department aims to revise the School Food Standards and is engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.We want to gather a broad spectrum of perspectives. To achieve this, we intend to consult on these revisions and further details on timings will be available in due course.School governors and trustees have a statutory duty to ensure compliance, holding school leaders to account for meeting the School Food Standards. Through our review, we will engage with the sector on a range of matters, including monitoring compliance.

If her Department plans to update the School Food Standards.

The department announced a review of the School Food Standards on Thursday 5 June.

With reference to the Office for National Statistics web page entitled How the population changed in Dartford: Census 2021, published on 28 June 2022, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for school funding of the recent growth in the population of Dartford constituency; and if she will take steps to reflect the growth in Dartford's population in future school funding allocations.

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England.The vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics. This means that, where pupil numbers are increasing, local authorities and schools will see a commensurate increase in school funding the following year.In addition to funding through the pupil-led factors in the NFF, the department also allocates growth funding to local authorities. Local authorities can use this funding to support schools experiencing significant growth in pupil numbers, until the lagged funding system catches up.