Written questions by Shannon.

What assessment she has made of the number of cyber security industry apprentices.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Apprenticeship starts for individual standards are published in the apprenticeships statistics publication.Starts on apprenticeships that are cyber-related are shown here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/97cccb00-3175-41c6-f1bf-08dd5cc661f7.Employers in the cyber security industry can also benefit from additional apprenticeship standards, including others in the digital sector.

Whether he has made a comparative assessment of the cost of (a) girls' and (b) boys' school uniforms.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department published its latest research on the cost of school uniforms in September 2024, which surveyed parents and carers of children aged 4 to 16 attending state-funded schools in England. It is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.The research found that for secondary pupils, the average total costs of uniforms (including both daywear and PE kit) were broadly similar for boys and girls, with the average expenditure for girls being £4.80 greater. For primary pupils, the average total costs for both daywear and PE were £23.56 greater for girls. In general, daywear for girls is more expensive, whilst for boys, PE kit incurs a greater cost.Too many families still tell us that the cost of school uniforms remain a financial burden. That is why the department is legislating to limit the number of expensive branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require.

What is the current number of school-age children not in school.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department publishes data on compulsory school-aged children in elective home education, and children missing education (children not registered at school or otherwise receiving suitable education). In autumn 2024/25, local authorities reported 111,700 children in elective home education and 39,200 children missing education. The latest figures are available at https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education and https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-missing-education.

What steps she is taking to encourage employers to take advantage of the apprenticeship levy to use these funds to develop skills in young people.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. The government is reforming the current levy-funded apprenticeships offer to deliver greater flexibility for employers. Apprenticeships will remain at the heart of the offer. To support more businesses to participate in apprenticeships, the department is introducing shorter duration apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors. Foundation apprenticeships will be a new work-based training offer that give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth. The department is working closely with employers and providers to design foundation apprenticeships that offer young people a good route into good, skilled work and meet the needs of the industrial strategy. To support smaller employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care. Employers of all sizes can also benefit from £1000 payments when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18, or apprentices aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan or have been in local authority care. This is in recognition of the additional support that younger apprentices may require when entering employment. Employers can choose how they spend these payments. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to age 25 where they earn less than £967 a week (£50,270 a year).

What steps she has taken to reduce frequent absences of children from school.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Tackling absence is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. If children aren’t in school, it doesn’t matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. Thanks to the hard work of parents and teachers there has been progress, but levels of absenteeism remain far too high.The department has set out clear expectations of local authorities and schools in the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which was made statutory on 19 August 2024. This guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdfThe guidance promotes a 'support first' approach and sets out clear expectations on how schools, trusts, local authorities and wider services should work together and with families to address attendance barriers and provide the right support, including where a pupil is not attending due to special educational needs.The department has also established 31 attendance hubs that have offered their support to around 2000 other schools. Hubs are established and led by senior leaders in schools with strong attendance practice. The meetings led by hubs are intended to give senior leaders in other schools a forum to discuss and share effective attendance practice.Last year, the department published an attendance toolkit, bringing together effective practice from across the hubs. The toolkit gives schools practical advice on how to diagnose and target their attendance problem and how to effectively implement great practice.We are also strengthening our tools for faster and more effective school improvement by launching the new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams. Supported by over £20 million, these teams will offer both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system for all schools. The RISE teams have begun work with the first group of schools eligible for the targeted, bespoke service, including support for attendance as necessary. Improving school attendance is a national priority for RISE teams.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of school sensory equipment; and what steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of that equipment.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.All education settings have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. Part 6 of the Equality Act outlines that schools must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to achieve and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has announced £740 million of high needs capital for the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and/or who are in alternative provision.This funding can be used to adapt classrooms to better meet the needs of all children including the provision of sensory equipment within mainstream schools, alongside continuing to provide and adapt spaces to support pupils with the most complex needs in special schools.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations of Ofsted’s subject report on religious education, published in April 2024.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government notes the findings of the Ofsted subject report on religious education (RE) and is committed to ensuring high-quality provision of RE in schools in England.In order to improve teaching quality, we currently offer a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers starting initial teacher training courses in England.To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources have been procured by Oak National Academy. This ensures that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Initial RE resources were launched in autumn 2024, with full curriculum packages expected to be available by autumn 2025.The government also welcomes the work that the Religious Education Council has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.

What steps she is taking to ensure the (a) safety and (b) suitability of older school buildings.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Responsibility for keeping school buildings safe and well-maintained lies with those with responsibility for managing the school estate, which includes local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts. The department provides support through capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.In April 2024, the department published guidance on typical construction types used in the school estate to help building users, owners and maintenance staff prioritise future maintenance and repair of their buildings. In December 2024 we commissioned research to better understand future issues that could present themselves as the school and college estate ages, focusing on post-war building construction.The department has regular discussions with relevant professional bodies and leading material specialists to share information on any emerging risks regarding the safety of all building types in the school estate.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help increase the number of (a) women and (b) under-represented groups among construction apprentices.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.To support young people, including women and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, access apprenticeships in England, the department is promoting apprenticeships to students in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme and through the Skills for Life campaign.The department is also transforming career opportunities and advice to increase awareness of the range of high-quality options available to young people, including apprenticeships. The government has committed to improve careers advice and guarantee two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, as well as establish a national jobs and careers service to support people into work and help them get on at work.​The government is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across England and align with the Industrial Strategy. This will create routes into skilled jobs in growing industries, such as construction, for people of all ages and backgrounds.This will include introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. The minimum duration of an apprenticeship will be reduced to eight months from August 2025, which is down from the current minimum of 12 months. These measures will support more people from all backgrounds to gain high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in business across the country.Additionally, as part of the government’s ambitious plan to deliver 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament, around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places will be made available per year by 2027/28 through a £140 million industry investment. 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.

With reference to her Department's statutory guidance entitled Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice - Statutory guidance for accredited ITT providers, whether the curriculum for primary trainees must cover (a) the national curriculum subjects and (b) the statutory subject of religious education.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The initial teacher training (ITT) criteria and supporting advice is statutory guidance for accredited ITT providers which sets out mandatory guidance on the criteria that organisations must meet to provide ITT for all courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status.All accredited ITT providers must design a sequenced ITT curriculum that adequately covers all national curriculum subjects for primary trainees.As a statutory subject, religious education should also be included.

How many schools have closed in the last five years.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.98 state-funded mainstream primary and secondary schools in England closed between January 2020 and December 2024. The attached table sets out these closures by calendar year.

What steps she is taking to prevent higher education institutions from targeted influence from hostile states.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. This government is committed to ensuring our world-leading universities remain free from foreign interference. There are a set of measures that protect against undue foreign interference in our universities. These range from the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, which vets students and researchers seeking to study in sensitive areas, to the provisions of the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act 2023, which includes the implementation of a new complaints scheme which will offer a new focused route for concerns regarding foreign interference in academic freedom and free speech to be raised. The government offers practical advice to support the sector to engage with international partnerships in transparent and secure ways. The Research Collaboration and Advice Team, the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre, and guidance published by Universities UK all support the sector to manage the security-related risks of internationalisation. The government is currently working at pace on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will apply to universities across the UK, and will require registration of foreign directed activity involving specific governments and entities where it is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. We expect the scheme to commence in summer 2025. Finally, the government is conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference, as well as international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need.

What steps she is taking to improve meals in schools for SEN children.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole-school approach to healthy eating.The minimum standards for school food are set out in legislation. Beyond this, headteachers, school governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies that take into account local circumstances. In doing so, schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs.School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the School Food Standards. To support governors, the department, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. The department will evaluate the training programme’s reception and effectiveness in the short-term.Education settings are obliged, under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for children and young people with disabilities to avoid putting them at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a relevant matter, in comparison with persons who are not disabled. Schools are required to make reasonable adjustments to enable such pupils to access their school meals, should they wish to. Schools should work with the pupil, their family and any other professionals involved, to agree the necessary support. It is for the school to make the decision about what is reasonable in any particular situation.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that there is adequate support for parents learning how to care for a child with special needs and disabilities.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Under the Children Act 1989 local authorities must, in accordance with section 17ZD, assess and support the needs of parent carers who provide or intend to provide care for a disabled child and who meet the criteria set out. Services may include provision of short breaks or other support to assist parent carers.The Law Commission are currently undertaking an independent review of social care legislation relating to disabled children. They are due to report their final recommendations to government in summer 2025, at which point we will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system, including the adequacy of the legal framework supporting parents carers.The government funds Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) who are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.The government also funds Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. The department’s contract funds the training of SENDIASS staff. Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

What steps she is taking to tackle anti-semitism in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government has committed £7 million of funding to tackle antisemitism in education in the wake of the unacceptable rise of antisemitism across the country. £500,000 of this has already been awarded to the University Jewish Chaplaincy to continue providing welfare support for Jewish students on our university campuses.A £4.35 million Tackling Antisemitism in Education procurement closed for tender applications on 16 January 2025, these are due to be evaluated. This procurement seeks to equip staff from across England’s educational settings with training and resources to build confidence to identify and deal with incidents of antisemitism.​The remaining funding will go towards a future Tackling Antisemitism in Education innovation fund to help tackle and build resilience to antisemitism and hate, focusing on how to identify and appropriately tackle mis- and disinformation. Further details on the innovation fund will be provided in due course.The department’s Educate Against Hate website provides schools, teachers and pupils with a vast range of accessible resources that are reviewed and updated to build resilience and awareness to extremism. Educate Against Hate has a dedicated page to antisemitism which features online resources and educational material, including provided by the Community Security Trust.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the number of school children that are in absolute poverty.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.This government is committed to tackling child poverty as part of our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child. Child poverty has increased by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in low-income families. This not only harms children’s lives now, but it also damages their future prospects and holds back our society and economy.The Ministerial taskforce on child poverty, which met for the first time on 14 August, will drive forward action across government to reduce child poverty by developing and publishing a long-term strategy later this year. Further details on the taskforce can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy.The Child Poverty Taskforce recognises families' ability to afford essentials as a fundamental aspect of child poverty. Addressing absolute poverty is a core focus of the work being developed through the child poverty strategy.Additionally, we are taking steps to reduce the cost of living, including extending the Household Support Fund, taking action on the high cost of branded school uniforms, and our commitment to rolling out free school breakfast clubs for primary school age children from April this year.

What steps she is taking to encourage more young people into (a) further education and (b) apprenticeships.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.Young people are required to continue in education or training until they turn 18-years-old. We are preventing young people from losing touch with education or employment before the age of 18 through a guaranteed place in education and training for all 16 and 17-year-olds, expanded work experience and careers advice, action to tackle school attendance and improved access to mental health services for young people in England.Over £7.5 billion 16 to 19 programme funding will be invested during the 2024/25 academic year, to pay for education for any 16, 17 or 18-year-olds in post-16 education.£240 million has been announced to drive forward measures in the Get Britain Working White Paper. This includes a Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21-years-old in England to ensure they can access quality training, educational opportunities or help to find work. Working with Mayoral Authorities, and building on existing provision and entitlements, the department will test new ways of supporting young people into employment or training. To do this we will mobilise eight place-based Youth Guarantee trailblazers with £45 million of funding in 2025/26.In addition, the department’s reformed growth and skills offer, which will have apprenticeships at its core, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers, including through shorter duration apprenticeships in targeted sectors. This will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, and fuel innovation in businesses across the UK. The department has also begun work to develop new foundation apprenticeships, a training offer that will give more young people a foot in the door and support clear pathways and progression in work-based training and employment.

Whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on funding for breakfast clubs for children of people on the lowest income.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education met with Minister Givan on two occasions, most recently, at the UK Education Minister Council in Northern Ireland on 20 November 2024, but she has not had substantive discussions with him about breakfast clubs. I have also met with Minister Givan twice. As education is a devolved issue, whether to require breakfast clubs in Northern Ireland is matters for the executive. We will be happy to share our learnings from the Early Adopters programme following its launch in April 2025.

What steps she is taking to increase the safety of teachers.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Teachers should not be subjected to any form of abuse simply for doing their jobs. Any form of violence in school is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated.All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.By law, schools must have a behaviour policy. It is for school leaders to develop and implement behaviour policies that work for their own schools and school community. Any policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable, and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010, Education and Inspections Act 2006, and Human Rights Act 1998.While the department expects schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur, any decision on how to sanction the pupil involved is a matter for the school. In the most serious cases, suspensions and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that teachers and pupils are protected from disruption and to maintain safe, calm environments. Should the incident constitute a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police.

What steps she is taking to help ensure cyber security and resilience in (a) schools, (b) academies and (c) other educational establishments.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Whilst education institutions are responsible for their own IT, the department supports schools, colleges and other education institutions to enhance their cyber resilience through various initiatives.The department has published a set of 11 core digital and technology standards. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/cyber-security-standards-for-schools-and-colleges. Developed by technical and educational experts, these standards provide guidance on the essential technology and infrastructure required to meet both business and teaching needs. The standards cover key areas, including connectivity, cyber security, filtering and monitoring, cloud services, servers and storage, digital accessibility, leadership and governance and devices.Adhering to these cyber security standards helps schools and colleges mitigate the risk of cyber-attacks and minimise disruption in the event of a cyber incident. Additionally, compliance ensures sensitive data is securely protected and critical data is backed up effectively.The department has a dedicated sector cyber security team that provides appropriate advice and guidance to help schools and colleges meet these standards and maintain robust cyber security practices.Further support is available through the department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA), which has included cyber incident cover as a standard benefit since the 2022/23 membership year. RPA members have access to a 24/7 Incident Response Service in the event of a cyber incident, with 56% of schools in England currently participating in the RPA.The department also collaborates with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Jisc and other organisations to further support educational institutions. This includes providing access to the NCSC’s Protective DNS (PDNS) service, part of its Active Cyber Defence suite, which offers ongoing protection against malware and other network-based threats for schools, colleges and universities.Further guidance on cyber security for schools can be found here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/education-skills/cyber-security-schools.