Written questions by Kyrke-Smith.

If she will hold discussions with Ofsted on reducing the time taken to licence people who are in charge of children's homes.

The department is already taking steps to support Ofsted with effective prioritisation of registrations for new children’s social care provision. To address registration delays, we have supported Ofsted to update their registration prioritisation criteria, enabling Ofsted to prioritise applications for homes urgently needed to meet identified sufficiency gaps, homes receiving capital funding from us, and provision providing highly specialist care for children with complex needs and/or disability. The department will assist Ofsted to review the policy’s impact in April 2026 and consider further changes.We are also committed to working with Ofsted to identify improvements to the registration process for children’s home managers. This includes considering changes to regulations and procedures to streamline registration transfers when managers move between children’s homes so that they can take up new positions more quickly where they are needed.

What steps her Department is taking to help strengthen safeguarding arrangements in out-of-school settings.

This government is committed to safeguarding children and protecting them from harm, including in out-of-school settings (OOSS).The department has already updated guidance for providers and produced free e-learning, to support them in their legal duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in their settings and protect them from harm. We also strengthened guidance for local authorities on identifying and intervening in settings of concern, alongside updating guidance for parents and carers to help them make informed choices, including warning signs to look out for and steps to take if concerns arise.On 29 May 2025, we launched a Call for Evidence on OOSS safeguarding to better understand current practice and invite views on possible approaches to further strengthen safeguarding. This was extended for an additional month in August 2025 and finally closed on 21 September 2025. We are currently analysing responses, and will undertake further engagement with sector representatives, safeguarding experts, and parents before issuing a full response in due course.

If she will consider adding cheerleading as an approved (a) sport and (b) activity which can be assessed for GCSE Physical Education qualifications.

Cheerleading was recognised as a sport by the Home Nations Sport Councils in December last year.It is not part of the current GCSE activity list, which was last reviewed in 2018. The department and awarding organisations developed a set of five key considerations which were applied to each activity in order to ensure parity and rigour of assessment.The government launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review for ages 5 to 18, led by Professor Becky Francis CBE. As part of this review, curriculum and assessment arrangements are being evaluated, including the full range of national curriculum subjects and most GCSEs. This will address the key barriers to pupil achievement and ensure all young people have access to high standards and future opportunities. The department is currently awaiting the outcomes of the Review.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including essential safeguarding aspects of the law in the curriculum.

Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) has a vital role to play in supporting pupils’ wellbeing, health and safety. Pupils are taught a range of topics in relation to safeguarding, and guidance sets out that they should be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when relevant topics are being taught.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding available for Music Hubs.

The government has committed £79 million per year for the Music Hubs programme, inclusive of the 2024/25 academic year. The 43 Music Hubs partnerships across England offer a range of services, including musical instrument tuition, instrument loaning and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access to musical instruments, the government is investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology from the 2024/25 academic year. This funding enables Music Hubs partnerships to better cater to the needs of the children and young people they work with.The government believes creative subjects like music, art and drama are important elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves. Future programme budgets will be considered as part of the spending review and subsequent business planning process.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring all (a) teachers and (b) support staff in SEND settings receive training on dysphagia.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, governing bodies must comply with their duties under that Act.Governing bodies should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. They must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.

What recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of incidents relating to dysphagia in SEND settings; and what steps she is taking to manage dysphagia safely in those settings.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Where this is the case, governing bodies must comply with their duties under that Act.Governing bodies should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. They must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and should ensure that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2024 to Question 8936 on Religion: Education, whether locally agreed syllabuses on religious education must also take into account the teaching and practices of (a) humanism

Following the ruling in the Bowen vs Kent County Council case, the department published additional guidance for local authorities regarding the membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs). The guidance sets out the department...

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2024 to Question 8936 on Religion: Education and with reference to her Department's Guidance for local authorities about membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religio

Following the ruling in the Bowen vs Kent County Council case, the department published additional guidance for local authorities regarding the membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs). The guidance sets out the department...

Whether her Department has carried out research into the impact of AI in education settings on children's wellbeing.

Artificial intelligence (AI) represents an opportunity to give our schools’ leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life, but only if the technology is safe and reliable and risks are managed appropriately.The department has undertaken a range ...

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of creating a statutory requirement to log centrally incidents of hate at (a) schools and (b) colleges.

The department has published guidance for schools on how to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010. The Public Sector Equality Duty also requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, to have due regard to the need to el...

What steps she is taking to ensure that (a) teachers are given training in and (b) schools have high-quality resources to support teaching on Hinduism in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in Aylesbury cons

Religious education (RE) is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious...

What steps she is taking to ensure faith groups are regularly consulted on locally agreed syllabuses for religious education.

Religious education (RE) is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious...

What steps she is taking to ensure that Hinduism is taught in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Aylesbury constituency.

Religious education (RE) is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious...

Whether she has had discussions with Buckinghamshire Council on the adequacy of SEND provision in Buckinghamshire.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve its delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghams...

What steps she is taking to ensure the school curriculum is LGBTQIA+ inclusive.

Within a broad framework, set out in subject specific programmes of study, schools have flexibility to organise the content and delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils.To prepare children for life in modern Britain, pupils need to und...

What steps she is taking to help ensure that local authorities provide timely education, health and care plan assessments.

The department knows that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care plan processes. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach to support the...

If she will take steps to provide additional funding for pay increases for administrative staff in schools in Buckinghamshire.

This government recognises the vital role that support staff play in children’s education and we are committed to reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body. This reform will ensure that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to delive...

What steps she is taking help improve technical skill development in Aylesbury constituency.

High quality technical education is a priority for this government in order to boost opportunity for individuals and tackle skills gaps which are essential for driving economic growth. The department has established Skills England is central to the govern...

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her polices of recent trends in the amount of time taken for transport to be arranged for SEND pupils; and what steps she is taking to ensure that

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 ...