Every parliamentary written question tabled by John Milne this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–8 of 8 · Department for Education
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of section 68 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 on the funding routes available for new secondary school provision required to serve strategic housing development sites.
Awaiting answer.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a specific legal working temperature for schools.
Awaiting answer.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing independent Local Authority Designated Officers.
The Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) plays a vital role in safeguarding children by overseeing the management of allegations made against adults who work with children in any capacity.The department is aware of proposals to introduce independent LADOs, including a recommendation from the Children’s Commissioner in September 2025. To ensure this vital role is delivered consistently and effectively across all local authorities, we continue to work with key stakeholders across the sector including the Office of the Children’s Commissioner on key policy developments and to explore how the role of LADO can be strengthened. Evidence and intelligence gathered through this engagement will be considered alongside wider stakeholder input to inform future policy development.
Whether her Department plans to include young carers within the daily attendance recording.
The department wants to ensure that young carers have the best life chances by supporting them to access and thrive in education. We recognise that absence from school can be a symptom and indicator of wider needs within a family, and that the early identification of attendance issues is crucial.Young carers are now included in the school census, providing annual data to establish long-term trends and help schools develop identification and support strategies. The department continues to monitor the quality of data on young carers collected via school registers, informing consideration on whether to include young carers in the daily data collection in the future.The statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, in place since 19 August 2024, specifically references young carers and promotes a ‘support first’ approach. The department has also provided local authorities with access to code level breakdowns of attendance data at pupil level, enabling local authorities to cross-reference real-time data sources to monitor the attendance of pupils identified as young carers.
With reference to her Department's publication entitled Suspensions and permanent exclusions by young career status, published on 10 July 2025, what steps her Department help reduce (a) suspension and (b) permanent exclusion rates among young carers.
Whilst schools can use sanctions to improve behaviour, in the most serious cases, exclusion may be necessary. The statutory ‘Suspension and permanent exclusion’ guidance is clear that school leaders should consider early intervention to address the underlying causes of disruptive behaviour.‘Keeping children safe in education’ also sets out school staff should be alert to the potential need for early help for young carers and requires designated safeguarding leads to be trained to understand and respond to their needs.The department is committed to ensuring every child can succeed and learn in a safe, calm environment. To support this, we have committed to providing access to mental health support in every school and ensuring earlier intervention for pupils at risk of exclusion. Our new attendance and behaviour hubs will directly target the schools with the highest need, as well as wider support for schools in all corners of the country.
What assessment she has made on the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across her Departmental responsibilities.
I refer the hon. Member for Horsham to the answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 73095.
What steps she will take to ensure young people are supported in choosing from the range of (a) technical and (b) vocational options available to them after the end of the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge contract in summer 2025.
Enabling access to apprenticeships and technical education remains a key part of this government’s education policy. There is a range of support available to schools, colleges, parents, careers and young people to support careers education and the promotion of apprenticeship and technical education options.Young people, parents and carers, as well as schools and colleges seeking support to raise awareness of apprenticeships and technical education can continue to access:The Skills for Careers Apprenticeships support page, which can be found here: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/training-choice/apprenticeships.The Careers and Enterprise Company’s (CEC) resource directory, which is available here: https://resources.careersandenterprise.co.uk/.Amazing Apprenticeships which offers a wide range of resources and support for schools and colleges.CEC’s network of Careers Hubs, covering 95% of schools and colleges, works with schools and colleges to support their careers education programmes.CEC also supports enhanced Provider Access Legislation compliance which specifies schools must provide at least six encounters with approved providers of apprenticeships and technical education.The Apprenticeship Ambassador Network of around 2,000 volunteers which visits institutions sharing compelling experiences about apprenticeships.
What plans her Department has to cover costs to schools for Sports and PE funding between July 2025 and October 2025.
The physical education (PE) and sport premium helps all eligible primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the PE, sport and physical activity they provide. Schools can decide how to use it, in line with the conditions of the grant. It does not fund specific provision.The government has provided £320 million of funding for the primary PE and sport premium in this academic year and has recently committed to continuing this level of funding for the 2025/26 academic year. As in previous years, the funding will be provided in two payments, in the autumn and spring terms.