Written questions by Hayes.

For what purposes (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have used AI in the last 12 months.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.The department has been using Microsoft Copilot, an AI-based web chat with commercial protection, for various means including:Information retrieval and summarisation, for example, from a policy or data publication.Learning new skills, for example, improving writing skills or use of analytical skills.Pattern recognition and data analysis.Natural language understanding and generation, ideal for conversation, content creation, and summarisation.In addition, 150 people across the organisation are piloting Microsoft 365 Copilot, which leverages AI to automate and accelerate tasks in Microsoft Products. We are tracking the benefits of this pilot which currently include:Increased productivity.Less time in meetings.Ability to search and analyse data more effectively.Less repetitive tasks.Increased efficiency in drafting.Ability to be more creative.User satisfaction.Since summer 2023, the department has created a secure Microsoft Azure Open AI sandbox environment. This allows limited groups of users to build and test AI models based on specific uses cases, in a safe and secure environment. Use cases are approved by a technology-led steering group, and this group will ultimately decide on which applications could potentially be moved into production for use more broadly across the organisation.We draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI usage. For example the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard.The department has also had access to the Central Digital and Data Office, based in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, for expert advice.

What information her Department holds on the number of children that were home-schooled in Lincolnshire in the (a) 2022-23 and (b) 2023-2024 academic years.

The department collects data on children in elective home education (EHE) from local authorities. The latest data, including at the local authority level, is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.In Lincolnshire, the number of EHE children at any point during the 2022/23 academic year was 2,280 and 2,040 in 2023/24.The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced on 17 December, will place a duty on all local authorities in England to hold and maintain registers of children not in school in their area. Parents and certain providers of out-of-school education will be required to provide the local authority with the information needed for the registers and there will be sanctions for failing to do so. The Bill also includes a new requirement for parents to obtain local authority consent before they can home educate if their child is subject to a child protection enquiry or has a child protection plan. Local authorities will have new powers to require any home educated child to attend school if their home or learning environment is unsuitable. These proposals will strengthen the existing system of oversight for these children.

If she will commission a review into the reasons that teachers have left that profession in the last 10 years.

Driving high and rising standards is central to the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child relies on a highly skilled workforce in schools, with high-quality teaching the in-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. This is why we are committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament to ensure every child has the qualified expert teacher they need. A successful recruitment strategy starts with a retention strategy, and we continuously review what works best in retaining teachers and the barriers to retention. The department collects data on teachers’ and leaders’ intention to leave the profession, and reasons for having left, through the Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders (WLTL) longitudinal study. The department uses the study’s findings to design policies that better support teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders. The study is accessible at the following link: https://www.workinglivesofteachers.com/. The WLTL study findings show that teachers most commonly leave, or consider leaving, the profession due to high workload, followed by stress and/or poor wellbeing. We are committed to working with the sector to address these issues. The department has made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing. The department’s ‘improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service, developed alongside school leaders, helps schools to cut unnecessary workload. It can be accessed at: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/. In addition, the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter, co-created with the sector, sets out commitments from government, Ofsted, schools, and colleges to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff. Over 3,900 schools and colleges have signed up to the Charter. The WLTL findings also show that teachers consider leaving, or do leave, due to pressures related to inspection and pupil outcomes. We are introducing a school report card in place of Ofsted single headline grades to deliver more information for parents on the strengths and weaknesses of schools and proportionate accountability for staff. The independent School Teacher Review Body (STRB) suggested that government should consider the removal of performance related pay (PRP) in favour of enabling schools to decide on appropriate forms of appraisal which has been taken forward. Former teachers surveyed cited dissatisfaction with pay as a reason they left the profession. This government has accepted the STRB’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support the retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most. Former teachers also cited a lack of flexible working opportunities as a reason for leaving the profession. The department has published a flexible working toolkit, which includes practical resources to help school leaders implement flexible working and to support school staff to request it. It is accessible here: https://www.flexibleworkingineducation.co.uk/dfe-toolkit. These resources have been produced by school leaders and other sector experts, together with the department. We have also clarified that teachers can undertake their planning, preparation and assessment time at home.

What recent steps she has taken to ensure school uniform is affordable.

The cost of school uniform, particularly of branded items, remains a key concern for parents. Whilst uniforms play a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities, too many schools still require high numbers of branded uniform items despite statutory guidance stating branded items should be kept to a minimum. Currently 24% of primary and 71% of secondary schools still require five or more branded items, with some parents saying they were asked to provide 10 or more.This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education kit that schools can require to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.

Whether she has made a recent estimate of how many primary school children do not speak English as their first language.

The department publishes information on whether a pupil is known to speak English as a first language or not. This data can be found in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, based on the January 2024 school census. The most recent figures are accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency or a good proxy for recent immigration.

How many fixed penalty notices have been handed out for school non-attendance in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) England in each of the last five years.

The department collects information from local authorities on penalty notices issued for unauthorised absence. This is published in the statistical release on parental responsibility measures and can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures. The numbers of penalty notices issued in Lincolnshire and England can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/169aa7d0-a3ce-44bc-0f1d-08dd167ca495. No data was collected for 2019/20 due to the pandemic. Attendance at school was heavily disrupted in 2020/21 and for two months measures were disapplied when schools were not open to all pupils.

Whether she has made a recent estimate of how many primary school children in England were born overseas.

The information requested is not held by the department. The department publishes information on ethnicity and whether a pupil is known to speak English as a first language or not. This information can be found in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which is based on January school census data. The most recently published figures can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. Neither ethnicity nor language can be used as a proxy to determine whether a pupil was born overseas.

If she will take steps to ensure that there is adequate careers (a) advice and (b) guidance in schools on maritime career pathways.

High-quality careers information, advice and guidance is key to helping young people make informed decisions about their future and involves finding out about and considering the different options available to them, including maritime industries. As new technologies and industries emerge, it is critical that young people understand the breadth of careers and opportunities available and can make informed decisions about their future, including the value of technical and vocational pathways to employment. Good quality careers advice is essential if we are to ensure we meet the higher technical skills needs of our country. Whilst an essential element of careers advice is that it is person-centred and impartial, the department’s partner organisations provide a range of wider careers information and advice across all employment sectors, including maritime industries. The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) supports schools and colleges to embed best practice so that young people are aware of the full range of careers across all sectors of the economy. The department also funds Careers Hubs, which lead partnerships of secondary schools, colleges, employers, combined authorities, local authorities and careers providers to help young people connect closely to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. Through this network, schools can engage with employers from a wide range of sectors to raise awareness of different career pathways and to improve careers education. This supports young people to make informed choices, and to develop the skills they need and employers want. Sector bodies and individual employers can register their interest through CEC to support schools and colleges, for example through the Enterprise Adviser Network or as a Cornerstone Employer. Cornerstone Employers are a flagship group of employers from a range of sectors that work with networks of schools and colleges to improve careers education and make sure key skills for their sector are understood by teachers and education leaders. Cowes Enterprise College has created Maritime Futures, an exciting model for integrating maritime into a mainstream curriculum at key stage 3, showcasing successful engagement between schools and employers. In discrete curriculum subjects, including mathematics, science, geography, history, art, the national curriculum content is taught through a maritime lens, using the wealth of learning opportunities the maritime sector presents. Subject leaders work together so that learning in each discipline reinforces and enhances the learning in other subjects. Students apply the robust knowledge acquired to practical projects. For example, students build boats in design technology and apply what they have learnt on the physics of buoyancy, drag and variables. Local maritime employers advise on curriculum content and help deliver some lessons. In addition, the National Careers Service, which is a free, government-funded careers information, advice and guidance service, draws on a range of labour market information to support and guide individuals. The service website gives customers access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to support them, including ‘Explore Careers’ which includes more than 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles, including a range of maritime roles ranging from merchant navy to boat building describing what those roles entail, qualifications and entry routes.

How many pupils in primary schools in England were suspended in each of the last three academic years.

The department publishes figures from the school census on suspensions and permanent exclusions from state-funded schools in England. The most recent release is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england.The number of pupil enrolments in primary schools with one or more suspensions for the 2020/21 to 2022/23 academic years, which is the latest data available, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/40b7a1f8-c523-4d20-d522-08dd12dee30d.For 2020/21, while suspensions and permanent exclusions were possible throughout the academic year, pandemic restrictions will have had an impact on the numbers presented, so caution should be taken when comparing across years.

How many people started T-levels in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in each year since 2020.

The department does not currently publish T Level student recruitment data at this level. We have announced that we will start publishing provider level data on T Level students, starting 2023/24 academic year. We are currently finalising plans on our approach to do this and the data will be published in due course. The publication date will be announced as soon as possible in line with the requirements of the Code of Practice for Statistics.

What steps she is taking to support parents of children with SEND to access transport to school in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The department's ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport.Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. There are extended rights to free home-to-school travel for children from low-income families, aimed at helping them exercise school choice.The department is aware that challenges within the wider SEND system are creating pressure on home-to-school travel. The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, with specialist provision supporting children with the most complex needs, so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. This will reduce the pressure on home-to-school travel over time.Most central government funding for home-to-school travel is provided through the Local Government Finance Settlement administered by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The government recognises the challenges local authorities are facing. The department has listened to voices across the sector and prioritised local government at the Autumn Budget 2024. £1.3 billion of new grant funding in 2025/26 was announced for local government to deliver core services. Together with local income from council tax and business rates, this will provide a real-terms increase in core spending power of around 3.2%.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the recruitment of male primary school teachers.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​High quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education with teachers helping shape the lives of young people.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England, but the government must do more to ensure we have the workforce needed to provide the best possible education for every child in all parts of the country. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.​The first crucial step towards achieving this is to ensure teaching is once again an attractive and respected profession. As part of this, it is important that teachers get the pay they deserve, which is why this government has accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September.The department is committed to making teaching and teacher recruitment as inclusive as possible. This includes the Get Into Teaching marketing campaign, which provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching Service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and support candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.The service supports the department's overall aim to improve teacher sufficiency and quality by boosting teacher recruitment and retention. The department’s Apply for Teacher Training digital service gives it more data and greater insight into the behaviour of male candidates and schools and universities that offer initial teacher training. This is helping the department identify and address barriers for different groups, including men.The department offers a range of training pathways into teaching that appeals to the widest range of candidates. These include routes funded through student finance and, in some subjects, bursaries or employment-based training where trainees will earn a salary while they train, including teaching apprenticeships.

What steps her Department is taking to support early speech and language interventions in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The department’s vision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), is the same as it is for all children and young people. We want them to receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department is funding support for 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme. The majority of these are schools with the highest levels of disadvantage, as defined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. As of January 2024, we estimate over 211,000 reception age children so far have received this extra support.In partnership with NHS England, we are funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder programme, to trial new ways of working to earlier identify and support children with SLCN in early years and primary schools, utilising Therapy Support Assistants and a variation of identification tools across the pathfinders.In further partnership with NHS England and the Department for Health and Social Care, this department is funding the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme. PINS will build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children, including those with SLCN, through whole school interventions.The department funds a range of materials, to which all local areas are signposted, hosted on the Nasen website. This website is an online portal offering education professionals free, easy access to high quality information, resources and training for meeting the needs of children with SEND. It can be accessed here: https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/page/universal-send-services. We have funded the creation of a suite of condition specific videos to provide helpful pointers, techniques and advice on inclusive teaching strategies, which includes materials for schools to use for children and young people with SLCN. These videos can be accessed at: https://www.sendgateway.org.uk/resources?title=condition-specific. We also offer free training on speech language and communication, which is available here: https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/page/online-cpd-units.The department will consider how best to use learnings and insights from these programmes to improve support for children with SLCNs, including consistency of support provided across different geographies.

What steps she is taking to reduce school absences in rural areas.

The government recognises school absence as a key barrier to learning. If children are not in school, it does not matter how effective or well-supported teaching and learning is, they will not benefit. Thanks to the sector's efforts, more students are attending school this year compared to last. However, 1.6 million children remain persistently absent, missing 10% or more of lessons. To address this, the department will roll out funded breakfast clubs to all primary schools so that all children are ready to learn. The department will also introduce new annual Ofsted reviews on safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling. Mental health support is also being expanded, with specialists in every school. The ’Working together to improve school attendance’ statutory guidance promotes a support first approach, encouraging schools, trusts and local authorities to work with families to address attendance barriers. Every state school in England should now be sharing their daily attendance registers with the department, local authorities and trusts. Schools, trusts and councils are able to access this data via an interactive secure data dashboard maintained by the department. For all schools it is vital that there are opportunities to share best practice on how to improve attendance. Across the nation there is a network of 31 attendance hubs, working with 2000 schools to share to share their strategies and resources for improving attendance.

Whether she has held recent discussions with (a) the Russell Group, (b) the University Alliance, (c) MillionPlus and (d) the 1994 Group on the bringing into force of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

Department officials and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills are continuing to engage with a wide range of stakeholders on the future of the Act. These stakeholders include academics and others with concerns about constraints on freedom of speech and academic freedom, representatives of the higher education sector, including those from the Russell Group, the University Alliance and MillionPlus (aside from the 1994 Group, which the department understands dissolved in 2013), minority groups and unions.

Whether Ministers in her Department have met representatives of Arden Strategies since 5 July 2024.

Neither my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, nor Ministers in the department have had any Ministerial meetings with representatives of Arden Strategies since 5 July 2024.

What steps she is taking to reduce class sizes in Lincolnshire.

The average class size for state-funded primary schools in Lincolnshire is 25.5 pupils, which is below the national average of 26.6 pupils. The average class size for state-funded secondary schools in Lincolnshire is 21.5 pupils, which again is below the national average of 22.4 pupils.Legislation limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per school teacher. An infant class is one in which the majority of children will reach the age of five, six, or seven during the school year, which includes reception, year 1 and year 2.There is no statutory limit on the size of classes for older children (pupils aged eight and over), and it is up to schools to decide how to organise classes based on local needs and circumstances to ensure all children can be supported to achieve and thrive.It is local authorities who have responsibility to ensure there are sufficient school places in their area. The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need Grant to support local authorities to provide school places. Lincolnshire will receive £21.5 million in 2025/26 to support the provision of new school places needed by September 2026.

What steps she is taking to help increase the (a) availability and (b) affordability of childcare in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care to improve the life chances for every child and the work choices for every parent.From September 2024, eligible working parents of children age nine months and above have been able to access 15 hours childcare a week for 38 weeks a year. From September 2025, this entitlement will be extended to 30 hours a week. The department is also growing the provision of wraparound childcare, which is before and after school provision, for primary school children.In 2024/25, the department expects to provide over £1.7 billion to support local authorities and providers deliver the childcare expansion. This will rise to over £4.1 billion in 2027/28. By the same year, we expect to be providing over £8 billion every year overall on new and existing early years entitlements.For Lincolnshire County Council, the hourly rate for three to four year olds for 2024/25 is £5.47, which is an increase of 5.2% on 2023/24. For 2 year olds, this rate is £7.61 per hour and for under 2s, £10.36 per hour.In addition to the entitlements, parents may also be eligible for childcare support through Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare. Parents can check what childcare support they are entitled to via the Childcare Choices website, which is accessible at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England on their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing, including supporting them through our childcare delivery support contract where appropriate.

What steps she is taking to ensure that Skills England delivers value for money.

Skills England will bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade and break down barriers to opportunity. It will play a critical part in the government’s mission to drive growth across the country, supporting people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living. The skills system makes a significant contribution to enhancing productivity, and improvements in effectiveness can deliver major positive economic returns. Skills England is currently set up in shadow form in the department with plans to be fully established next year in accordance with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury processes, which includes an assessment of value for money. Both in shadow form and when fully established, Skills England will be subject to all necessary assessments and transparency to ensure it provides value for money for the taxpayer.

If she will remove the prohibition on the creation of new grammar schools in England.

The government has no plans to change the law that prohibits the creation of more grammar schools. The department is committed to creating opportunities for all children to give them the best life chances. This government if focused on ensuring every child has access to excellent local schools that deliver high standards for all their pupils so that they achieve and thrive.