Written questions by Trott.

What steps her department is taking to ensure pupils, particularly those with imminent exams, can continue to attend schools safely in the context of the meningitis outbreak.

Children and young people, including those identified as contacts of cases, can and should continue to attend school or college as normal, including sitting exams and qualifications, unless directly advised otherwise by the local health protection team.Meningococcal disease does not spread easily, and outbreaks of the size seen in Kent are rare. Transmission of meningococcal disease requires close and prolonged contact to spread, including living in the same household, and intimate contact such as kissing or sharing vapes.A targeted programme of preventative antibiotics and meningitis B vaccination has been introduced to provide longer-term protection for students and young people in the area. Vaccination has been offered to all those who have received preventative antibiotics, and to year 11, 12 and 13 students in schools and colleges in Kent where confirmed or probable cases have been identified. Widening the vaccine offer is a precautionary measure to ensure longer-term protection whilst helping to minimise disruption to school attendance at a critical time in the academic year.

Whether school children who have been in a classroom, dining hall, shared areas with someone who now has confirmed meningitis are being offered a)antibiotics b)vaccinations.

Children and young people, including those identified as contacts of cases, can and should continue to attend school or college as normal, including sitting exams and qualifications, unless directly advised otherwise by the local health protection team.Meningococcal disease does not spread easily, and outbreaks of the size seen in Kent are rare. Transmission of meningococcal disease requires close and prolonged contact to spread, including living in the same household, and intimate contact such as kissing or sharing vapes.A targeted programme of preventative antibiotics and meningitis B vaccination has been introduced to provide longer-term protection for students and young people in the area. Vaccination has been offered to all those who have received preventative antibiotics, and to year 11, 12 and 13 students in schools and colleges in Kent where confirmed or probable cases have been identified. Widening the vaccine offer is a precautionary measure to ensure longer-term protection whilst helping to minimise disruption to school attendance at a critical time in the academic year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 108298, when she estimates to complete their work on producing robust repayment figures broken down by British citizen status.

The department and the Student Loans Company (SLC) have strengthened the quality and consistency of the data in this area and now hold reliable information on borrowers’ citizenship status, nationality and residency category.However, eligibility for student finance is complex, not dependent on nationality and not determined solely by immigration status. We will continue to work with SLC and look at any further data improvements that may provide additional insights.

Whether the £3.5 billion funding announced in the White Paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published 23 February 2026, is additional funding beyond that announced at the Spending Review.

I refer the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question HL14880 and HL14881.

Whether the £4bn announced in her Department's policy paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published on 23 February 2026, is from her Department’s existing spending envelope.

I refer the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question HL14880 and HL14881.

Pursuant to Answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 104334, how many students with settled status obtained a student loan in 2024-25; and how much was spent on repaying these loans in the same time period.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

Whether RSL levels will continue once V-Levels are introduced in September 2027.

The department has recently closed the consultation on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways. We are carefully considering transition arrangements to reach the new qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper, and will set out plans in due course.

Whether a student with settled status, who has lived in the UK for three years, can obtain a student loan.

Eligibility for student finance is determined by several criteria, including residency status, the type of course, its location, the student’s previous study history, and whether they already hold a higher education qualification. Students residing in England who hold settled status and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for the three years preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course will be eligible for student finance, subject to meeting all other eligibility criteria. To qualify, this period of residence must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.

What steps she is taking to ensure that funding being provided for secondary schools on the National School Breakfast Programme in the 2026/2027 academic year is used as effectively as possible.

From September 2026, participating national school breakfast programme schools with secondary-aged pupils will continue to be supported to an equivalent value of what they currently receive on the national school breakfast programme. Further details and guidance for eligible schools will be published in the spring term.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the funding that mainstream primary schools with SEN Units receive to fund their free breakfast club.

The department selected schools, including those with special educational needs units, for the early adopter (EA) scheme to ensure that there is a range of participating schools operating within different contexts and from diverse starting points.The EA ‘test and learn’ phase has been crucial to informing the national rollout of free breakfast clubs. Through consultation with EAs, we have heard from the sector about what schools and trusts need to do to ensure free breakfast clubs effectively support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). EA funding was designed to take account of the numbers of children with additional needs in different schools. However, we heard from EAs that the way funding was allocated did not always align with the number of children attending a club who may need additional support and was therefore not working as effectively as possible for some EA schools. In line with our ‘test and learn’ approach, we have therefore changed the funding rate and allocations for mainstream schools on the programme for national rollout so that the funding better enables all schools to meet the needs of children who attend, including children with SEND. These changes simplify the funding rate and mean schools will receive more money, at a rate of £25 per day, plus £1 per child per day. Schools have the autonomy to spend this funding according to how it best fits their needs.

How many OIA settlements have been reported as breached to Office for Students in each of the last 5 years, and what enforcement action was taken in each case.

The Office for Students (OfS) and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) are independent from government, and we do not hold details on information shared between the two bodies.The OfS’ registration condition C2 states that registered providers ‘must cooperate with the requirements of the student complaints scheme run by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, including the subscription requirements’, but it does not have the power to enforce compliance with the OIA’s recommendations.Where a provider does not comply with the OIA’s recommendations, and the OIA believes this may indicate systemic issues with the provider, the OIA may share this information with the OfS or other relevant bodies.

How many complaints has OIA received from disabled students in each of the last 5 years, what proportion were upheld, and how many reasonable adjustments were made during complaint processes.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator is independent from government, and the department does not hold the requested information.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of using evidence-based parenting programmes, like Triple P and Incredible Years, to ensure more families receive more support to manage their children’s online activities.

As part of our ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ strategy, the department is investing in evidence-based parenting and home learning environment interventions delivered through Best Start Family Hubs. These interventions are designed to strengthen children’s social, emotional and behavioural wellbeing and promote positive parent-child interactions, encouraging families to chat, play and read together. They help parents create balanced routines that may include using screens as a tool for learning while also supporting activities away from screens, fostering healthy habits and strong relationships. The department is working in partnership with the National Centre for Family Hubs, the Foundations - What Works Centre for Children & Families, and Nesta to ensure local areas can identify and implement the most effective programmes. This approach will promote greater consistency and quality across the country and support our ambition for 75% of children to achieve a good level of development by 2028. Protecting children online is a priority, and we will continue to build the evidence base on the impact of screen time on children and listen to parents, children and schools to help us improve our guidance and our understanding of emerging needs and gaps.

What steps she plans to take to prevent schools removing PVI settings operating on their premises in order to apply for future expansions of the school-based nursery grant.

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. This government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, including school led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers operating from school sites.The department continues to work closely with the early years sector to scale the programme effectively. We will use learnings from the first phase of the programme in relation to PVI providers operating from school sites to help inform future phases so any new provision continues to meet the needs of children, parents, and schools, and supports a thriving and diverse market.The establishing school-based nurseries guidance includes advice about co-location with other providers and was published on 24 October 2024. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of banning schools who have evicted PVI settings from their premises in the last two years in order to apply for the school-based nursery grant from future expansions of the school-based nursery scheme.

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. This government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, including school led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers operating from school sites.The department continues to work closely with the early years sector to scale the programme effectively. We will use learnings from the first phase of the programme in relation to PVI providers operating from school sites to help inform future phases so any new provision continues to meet the needs of children, parents, and schools, and supports a thriving and diverse market.The establishing school-based nurseries guidance includes advice about co-location with other providers and was published on 24 October 2024. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision.

What steps her Department plans to take to ensure that school-based nurseries opened as a result of the school-based nursery grant are supplementing PVI setting provision.

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. The government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, including school led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers operating from school sites.To be eligible for the 2024/25 grant, schools were asked to outline how their proposals met local demand and to confirm that their local authority early years lead and pupil place planning lead were content with their proposal to use surplus space to add new or expanded nursery provision.We are engaging with the sector, including with PVI providers, on the next phase of the school-based nursery programme which is due to launch in the autumn.

How many applicants for school-based nurseries have served notices to quit to PVI settings operating on their premises in the last two years.

High quality early years is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. This government is boosting availability and access through the school-based nurseries programme, including school led provision and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers operating from school sites.The department continues to work closely with the early years sector to scale the programme effectively. We will use learnings from the first phase of the programme in relation to PVI providers operating from school sites to help inform future phases so any new provision continues to meet the needs of children, parents, and schools, and supports a thriving and diverse market.The establishing school-based nurseries guidance includes advice about co-location with other providers and was published on 24 October 2024. This guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision/establishing-school-based-nursery-provision.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the effective delivery of two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, in the context of business operational constraints.

Employers that offer high quality work experience opportunities see direct business benefits, from a more diverse future pipeline of talent, which helps to address local and national economic needs.The department is piloting a new model of work experience to reduce barriers to participation for young people, schools and employers. This includes small and medium-sized employers, for whom traditional block work experience placements in the summer term can be challenging, and provides the flexibility and scope to tailor their work experience offer while still realising business benefits.Based on a more flexible and progressive approach, young people will have access to two weeks’ worth of meaningful and varied workplace experiences throughout key stages 3 and 4, allowing access to different industries and occupations, including in priority growth sectors.The Careers and Enterprise Company has developed a suite of tools and resources to help employers understand and prepare for September 2025 when schools will begin to prepare and introduce the multiple, meaningful and varied workplace experiences. The department will set out more detail in due course.

What steps she is taking with early years providers to help tackle early years staffing shortages in areas identified as childcare deserts.

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change.We are supporting recruitment through our national ‘Do something BIG’ campaign, with a dedicated website setting out information on qualifications and linking to job vacancies, alongside financial incentives to attract and retain educators in areas of most need.In addition, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to promote and raise awareness of early years careers through the Jobcentre Plus network. We are creating new routes into the workforce through Skills Bootcamps and funding early years initial teacher training, while our delivery support contractor, Childcare Works, is supporting local authorities and providers with one-to-one targeted support.These efforts are starting have an impact, with staff numbers increasing by over 18,000 between 2024 and 2025.

How many of the schools that started the breakfast club pilot scheme on 22 April 2025 have withdrawn; and for what reason each withdrew.

The first term of free breakfast clubs has already served two million breakfasts and parents, pupils and teachers are seeing the positive benefits this has to the school day.This is part of a test and learn phase in advance of national rollout. This is a voluntary scheme.The department is providing a package of support to all schools partaking in the early adopter scheme, including peer-to-peer learning and expert advisers, to ensure that they are confident to deliver their free breakfast clubs. We are working with schools to understand the sufficiency of this offer to inform the national rollout of the new free breakfast clubs.