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 and with reference to her Department's Guidance for local authorities about membership of Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education, published in September 2023, whether membership of (a) Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education and (b) Agreed Syllabus Conferences must also be drawn from non-religious worldviews analogous to a religious belief.

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’s view on the ruling and makes clear that, where an application has been received, representatives from non-religious belief systems may be appointed to Group A of a SACRE and/or to an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC). The non-religious beliefs adhered to by the person/s to be appointed must be analogous to a religious belief, in accordance with case law under the European Convention of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, and attain the necessary level cogency, seriousness, cohesion, and importance to attract protection under the Convention Rights. The final decision on appointment of persons to a SACRE or ASC, however, is a matter for local authorities.Locally agreed syllabuses should take account of non-religious worldviews. As referenced in the department’s 2010 guidance, religious education (RE) should encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs, whether they are religious or non-religious. Inclusion of non-religious worldviews should be seen as part of a well-rounded RE curriculum.

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 and (b) other principal non-religious worldviews.

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’s view on the ruling and makes clear that, where an application has been received, representatives from non-religious belief systems may be appointed to Group A of a SACRE and/or to an Agreed Syllabus Conference (ASC). The non-religious beliefs adhered to by the person/s to be appointed must be analogous to a religious belief, in accordance with case law under the European Convention of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, and attain the necessary level cogency, seriousness, cohesion, and importance to attract protection under the Convention Rights. The final decision on appointment of persons to a SACRE or ASC, however, is a matter for local authorities.Locally agreed syllabuses should take account of non-religious worldviews. As referenced in the department’s 2010 guidance, religious education (RE) should encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs, whether they are religious or non-religious. Inclusion of non-religious worldviews should be seen as part of a well-rounded RE curriculum.

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 of research and engagement to understand the risks and opportunities posed by AI in education. The call for evidence on generative AI in education sought views and experiences from practitioners across all stages of education, as well as the education technology sector and AI experts. The report highlights the opportunities and risks of AI, including consideration of the impacts on pupils and concerns around the quality and reliability of tools.In partnership with The Responsible Technology Adoption Unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the department commissioned research to understand parent and pupil attitudes to the use of AI in education. This research can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-on-parent-and-pupil-attitudes-towards-the-use-of-ai-in-education/research-on-public-attitudes-towards-the-use-of-ai-in-education.Parents and pupils were found to be supportive of opportunities for teachers to use AI to help reduce workload and allow them to focus on face-to-face interactions with pupils, but had concerns about pupil use of AI, including the impacts on wellbeing through over-reliance on technology and privacy and safeguarding risks.The department’s approach to AI in education is informed by these insights. We have committed to publish expectations for the safety of generative AI products used in education to address concerns around safeguarding and privacy. Our project to develop a store of educational content optimised for use with AI aims to drive up the reliability and quality of tools. We are providing funding for innovation to develop tools which will help to reduce everyday feedback and marking workload for teachers, whilst avoiding AI use for high stakes marking, responding to parent and pupil views.The department will continue to gather feedback and evidence on AI in education to inform the policy direction and remains committed to working in partnership with the sector to respond to technological developments.

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 eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act, advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it, and foster good relations across all characteristics.Education is a key component of building a fairer and more equal society. As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, there are opportunities in the curriculum for children to learn about:Citizenship education, which teaches about diversity, mutual respect and understanding.Relationships education, which teaches about the impact of prejudice and the importance of respect.Religious education, which teaches about religious tolerance.The department is making sure that all children in England will learn about respectful relationships, in person and online, as part of mandatory relationships, sex and health education. These subjects are designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe and healthy lives, and to foster respect for other people and for difference.The department has published ‘Respectful School Communities’, which is a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline. This can combat bullying, harassment, and prejudice of any kind, including hate-based bullying. This tool is available here: https://www.educateagainsthate.com/resources/respectful-school-communities-self-review-signposting-tool-2/.Educate Against Hate provides education settings with access to free, quality-assured teaching resources that build students’ resilience to all forms of extremism and hatred. These resources help settings discuss sensitive topics with students, including discrimination, hate-crime and holding classroom debates and discussion.Non-crime hate related incidents are often managed under school and college behaviour policies and procedures. The Home Office’s statutory guidance on Non-Crime Hate Incidents is clear that if a report is made to the police about an incident that occurs in a school and does not amount to a crime, the appropriate police response would be to refer the matter to the school management team and to offer advice to the complainant about available support.The school management team will assess the risk and decide on a proportionate response. When considering resolution of such incidents, the school management team should implement safeguarding measures for any children involved, and in appropriate circumstances ensure that a parent or guardian is notified and present when a child may be questioned.Ofsted inspectors will expect to see records and analysis of bullying incidents, discriminatory and prejudiced behaviour, either directly or indirectly, which puts the onus on schools to keeping these records already. Where bullying, aggression, discrimination and use of derogatory language has occurred, inspectors will expect that this is dealt with quickly and effectively and is not allowed to spread. Ofsted’s school inspection handbook sets out that the behaviour and attitudes judgement is likely to be inadequate where such incidents are frequent, and pupils have little confidence in a school’s ability to tackle them successfully.

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 communities, which is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18. To support high-quality teaching, the department offers a £10,000 bursary for those undertaking RE postgraduate initial teacher training in the 2024/25 academic year.The government does not specify of what a local RE curriculum should consist. These considerations, in relation to mainstream state funded schools, are a matter for individual schools or for Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs), which review and recommend a locally agreed syllabus to their local authority for approval.Academies and most maintained schools with a religious designation are permitted to develop their own RE syllabus. In the case of schools with a religious designation these may be in accordance with their trust deeds or tenets of their faith. For other schools, and in locally agreed syllabuses, schools must reflect: “the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain”.Legislation requires each locally agreed syllabus for religious education to be reviewed at least once every five years by an ASC established by the local authority. Membership of the ASC must be drawn from Christian denominations and such other religions and religious denominations as, in the opinion of the local authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area. Membership must also be drawn from the Church of England, teacher associations and the local authority. This ensures that all relevant faith groups can be consulted.

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 communities, which is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18. To support high-quality teaching, the department offers a £10,000 bursary for those undertaking RE postgraduate initial teacher training in the 2024/25 academic year.The government does not specify of what a local RE curriculum should consist. These considerations, in relation to mainstream state funded schools, are a matter for individual schools or for Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs), which review and recommend a locally agreed syllabus to their local authority for approval.Academies and most maintained schools with a religious designation are permitted to develop their own RE syllabus. In the case of schools with a religious designation these may be in accordance with their trust deeds or tenets of their faith. For other schools, and in locally agreed syllabuses, schools must reflect: “the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain”.Legislation requires each locally agreed syllabus for religious education to be reviewed at least once every five years by an ASC established by the local authority. Membership of the ASC must be drawn from Christian denominations and such other religions and religious denominations as, in the opinion of the local authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area. Membership must also be drawn from the Church of England, teacher associations and the local authority. This ensures that all relevant faith groups can be consulted.

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 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 communities, which is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18. To support high-quality teaching, the department offers a £10,000 bursary for those undertaking RE postgraduate initial teacher training in the 2024/25 academic year.The government does not specify of what a local RE curriculum should consist. These considerations, in relation to mainstream state funded schools, are a matter for individual schools or for Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs), which review and recommend a locally agreed syllabus to their local authority for approval.Academies and most maintained schools with a religious designation are permitted to develop their own RE syllabus. In the case of schools with a religious designation these may be in accordance with their trust deeds or tenets of their faith. For other schools, and in locally agreed syllabuses, schools must reflect: “the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain”.Legislation requires each locally agreed syllabus for religious education to be reviewed at least once every five years by an ASC established by the local authority. Membership of the ASC must be drawn from Christian denominations and such other religions and religious denominations as, in the opinion of the local authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area. Membership must also be drawn from the Church of England, teacher associations and the local authority. This ensures that all relevant faith groups can be consulted.

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 deliver high quality, inclusive education.Most school support staff are currently employed on the pay and conditions of the National Joint Council (NJC) for local government services. The NJC is a negotiating body made up of representatives from trade unions and local government employers. The 2024/25 pay offer is currently under negotiation.On 29 July, we announced that we are providing schools with almost £1.1 billion of additional funding in 2024/25, through the new core schools budget grant (CSBG), to support them with their overall costs this year. This matches what we have calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, both the support staff pay offer and the teacher pay award in the 2024/25 financial year, after accounting for the overall available headroom in schools’ existing budgets. We recognise that the picture will be different for individual schools. Schools in Buckinghamshire will receive over £8.9 million from the CSBG.

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 Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness:The lack of a cohesive area strategy to identify and meet the needs of those children and young people requiring speech and language, communication and occupational therapy.Waiting times for assessments on the autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnosis pathways, and the system-owned plans in place to address this.Waiting times to see a community paediatrician.The local area was required to produce a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) to address these areas of weakness, which was accepted by Ofsted and CQC.Following the inspection outcome, the department has worked closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the local area partnership in making the necessary improvements. This includes regular monitoring meetings with the local area, focussing on the impact of actions taken on improving the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families.Buckinghamshire are part of the Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme which provides £1 million in grant funding to support local authorities to provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND at an early stage and with the right level of support. The department monitors Buckinghamshire's progress in the DBV programme through quarterly reporting and meetings with the local authority.

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 sector, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the department works with them using a range of support and challenge, improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address identified weaknesses.

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 understand the world in which they are growing up. The relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum is therefore designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to lead happy, safe and healthy lives, and to foster respect for other people and for difference.The RSHE statutory guidance states that all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT content during their school years. Pupils should have an equal opportunity to explore the features of stable and healthy same sex relationships and this should be integrated appropriately into the relationships and sex education programme, rather than addressed separately or in only one lesson.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, which is chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Curriculum and Assessment Review will seek to deliver a curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented. The review group has recently launched a call for evidence, setting out a number of key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome evidence and input.

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 local authorities process applications for SEND transport promptly.

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 that 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, 5-16, who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their SEND or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families. The department is aware that challenges within the wider SEND system are creating pressure on home to school travel. The department is grateful to local authorities for their continued efforts in the face of significant challenge to ensure transport is available for eligible children. The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, with specialist provision supporting children with the most complex needs. Improving early identification of need and setting clear expectations about the type of support that should be available in mainstream settings will mean fewer children need to travel long distances, with complex travel arrangements, to a school that can meet their needs. This will reduce the pressure on home to school travel.

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 government’s plan to ensure that we have the highly trained workforce needed to meet national, regional and local skills needs, such as those in Aylesbury. This is a critical part of the government’s mission to raise growth sustainably across the whole country, and to support people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living. This government is transforming the failing Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy to create opportunities across the whole country and give employers greater flexibility to train and upskill their workforce. By allowing investment in a broader range of skills training, the department will empower employers to address critical skill shortages and drive economic growth. The department is developing the design of the Growth and Skills Levy and will set out more detail in due course. In the Aylesbury region, Buckinghamshire College Group offers a range of T Levels, supporting 16-19 learners to develop their technical knowledge and skills and gain direct experience of the workplace through the integral industry placement. The department has provided £2,054,400 of capital funding in the last two years to support the development of state-of-the-art facilities in Buckinghamshire. The Aylesbury campus of the Buckinghamshire College Group has seen the development of facilities focussing on key local sectors including Construction, Engineering and Health and Social care, supporting the delivery of new qualifications at Level 3, HTQs and degree apprenticeships.