Written questions by Anderson.

What steps she is taking to support people with the cost of adult training courses.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her department has considered the potential merits of including additional water safety lessons during key stage 3.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has considered the potential merits of increasing the number of swimming lessons included as part of the national curriculum.

Awaiting answer.

If she has considered the potential merits of including level 2 and 3 qualifications on the list of available courses for lifelong learning entitlement loans.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils are adequately educated on water safety.

Awaiting answer.

If she has considered the potential merits of adding non level 4 (a) training, (b) adult education and (c) skills based courses to the eligibility for lifelong learning entitlement loans.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of support guidelines in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools for children with autism.

To ensure teachers can support children before needs escalate, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards that set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators across the 0 to 25 system, to use in identifying and supporting children and young people with additional needs.Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis. Educators will be able to draw on the National Inclusion Standards to put in place evidence-based support as needs are identified, including for autistic children and young people.From this year, schools will be held to account on the use of their inclusion funding in the form of an Inclusion Strategy. This will ensure schools are taking steps through evidence-based activities and approaches to embed inclusive practice. Ofsted will be able to draw on the strategy to assess how effectively leaders are planning for, implementing and delivering inclusive practice.

What recent assessment the Government has made of the connection between speech, language and communication needs and educational attainment in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) nationally.

We set out our plans to reform the system of support for children with special educational needs in the Schools White Paper and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document and will continue to invest in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention and an extension of the Early Language Support for Every Child programme. This includes £1.8 billion for the new Experts at Hand offer, £15 million to establish new speech and language therapy advanced practitioners, and £200 million to train staff in mainstream settings to better support pupils with SEND, including speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).Nationally, in 2024/25, 72.5% of those with no primary special educational need achieved grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared to 28.6% of those with SLCN as a primary need. In Nottinghamshire these figures were 73.7% and 34.3% respectively. This data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/2024-25.Nationally, for 2022/23 academic year study leavers, 68.0% of those who had completed 16 to 18 study with SLCN as a primary need were in sustained education, apprenticeships or employment in the following academic year, compared to 80.7% of those with no identified need. The data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/16-18-destination-measures/2023-24.

What recent assessment the Government has made of the connection between speech, language and communication needs for children and their long-term employment prospects in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) nationally.

We set out our plans to reform the system of support for children with special educational needs in the Schools White Paper and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document and will continue to invest in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention and an extension of the Early Language Support for Every Child programme. This includes £1.8 billion for the new Experts at Hand offer, £15 million to establish new speech and language therapy advanced practitioners, and £200 million to train staff in mainstream settings to better support pupils with SEND, including speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).Nationally, in 2024/25, 72.5% of those with no primary special educational need achieved grades 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared to 28.6% of those with SLCN as a primary need. In Nottinghamshire these figures were 73.7% and 34.3% respectively. This data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/2024-25.Nationally, for 2022/23 academic year study leavers, 68.0% of those who had completed 16 to 18 study with SLCN as a primary need were in sustained education, apprenticeships or employment in the following academic year, compared to 80.7% of those with no identified need. The data is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/16-18-destination-measures/2023-24.

What steps she is taking to ensure (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are able to support pupils with hearing difficulties.

The majority of children and young with hearing impairments are already taught in mainstream schools and we aim to improve inclusivity and expertise in these schools further. In addition to requiring those teaching children with sensory impairment to hold the relevant Mandatory Qualification in Sensory Impairment, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has launched a Sensory Impairment apprenticeship route into the school workforce.Early years settings, schools and colleges have clear legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled children and young people, including those with hearing impairments, are not placed at a substantial disadvantage. Making these adjustments is central to ensuring full participation in school life and delivering high-quality, inclusive education.To help schools meet these duties, we are improving the clarity and practicality of guidance on reasonable adjustments. This includes developing more accessible tools and examples with partners such as the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

What steps her Department is taking to help reduce bullying in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensuring that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.Where bullying is reported, it is important that schools take prompt action to support the pupil and prevent the bullying from happening again. ​Ofsted’s renewed Education Inspection Framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area.​To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers to guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying, and actions to focus on prevention. ​

What steps her Department is taking to ensure there is adequate mental health support available in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The government will provide access to NHS-funded Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in every school by 2029.As of April 2025, 47% of pupils in primary schools and 70% in secondary schools were covered by an MHST. Further data for 2024/25 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. This has been available since 16 May 2025 at national, regional and local authority level, and since 10 July 2025 at constituency level. Around six in ten pupils nationally are expected to have access to an MHST by April 2026.MHSTs supplement existing pastoral provision, and schools retain the freedom to determine support based on pupil need, making best use of their funding.To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on supporting pupils’ mental health, including a resource hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to select evidence-based targeted support.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of incorrect information in AI (a) learning resources and (b) tutoring on children’s educational attainment.

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that artificial intelligence (AI) used in education is safe, evidence-based and supports genuine learning.In January 2026, to complement work on the safe and effective use of AI, including our 5-point plan for AI in education, benchmarking, and the AI Education Content Store, the department announced that it was updating its generative AI product safety standards. Through programmes such as the EdTech testbeds and AI tutoring trials, we are generating robust evidence on the impact of AI on attainment, ensuring schools can make informed choices and that tools genuinely enhance teaching and learning.Following the recommendations of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we are strengthening digital education, with topics such as AI being incorporated within the revised computing curriculum. Alongside this, updated relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance, required from September 2026, includes additional content on online safety, including identification of deepfakes and other misinformation.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce regional inequalities in the ability to access private tutoring.

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out plans to build on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience to ensure every child has what they need to get on in life.We know that many schools use their pupil premium to fund tuition. Schools can use their pupil premium to provide peer tutoring and one-to-one or small group tuition when choosing support that will most improve progress, using the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.Through our AI Tutoring Tools Programme, we will be co‑creating and trialling curriculum‑aligned, safe‑by‑design AI tutoring tools with teachers, pupils and experts. This will support teaching, build evidence of impact on attainment and inclusion to ensure pupils, including those who often cannot access private tuition, benefit from high quality individual learning support.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that new foster carers are adequately vetted.

The department is taking wide‑ranging action to strengthen foster care and ensure that children receive the support they need to thrive.We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements during this Parliament. These reforms are designed to reverse the long‑term decline in fostering capacity, expand the number of suitable homes, and rebuild the system so children can grow up in loving, local family settings with carers who feel trusted and valued. To achieve this, we are improving regional coordination so local authorities can work more effectively together, and we are re-writing the rule book to prioritise stable, trusted relationships.Foster carers must be thoroughly assessed before approval. All prospective carers undergo rigorous checks and training, and our updated standards will help services ensure assessments are robust, consistent, and focused on the skills needed to provide high quality care.To support long‑term retention, our reforms will ensure stronger wraparound support, so foster carers receive the practical and emotional help they need. This includes use of carers’ wider support networks, peer support and training. These measures aim to improve the experience of current carers and to encourage more people to come forward.

What steps her Department is taking to increase long term retention rates for foster carers.

The department is taking wide‑ranging action to strengthen foster care and ensure that children receive the support they need to thrive.We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements during this Parliament. These reforms are designed to reverse the long‑term decline in fostering capacity, expand the number of suitable homes, and rebuild the system so children can grow up in loving, local family settings with carers who feel trusted and valued. To achieve this, we are improving regional coordination so local authorities can work more effectively together, and we are re-writing the rule book to prioritise stable, trusted relationships.Foster carers must be thoroughly assessed before approval. All prospective carers undergo rigorous checks and training, and our updated standards will help services ensure assessments are robust, consistent, and focused on the skills needed to provide high quality care.To support long‑term retention, our reforms will ensure stronger wraparound support, so foster carers receive the practical and emotional help they need. This includes use of carers’ wider support networks, peer support and training. These measures aim to improve the experience of current carers and to encourage more people to come forward.

What steps she is taking to ensure foster carers receive adequate (a) financial and (b) mental support.

The department is taking wide‑ranging action to strengthen foster care and ensure that children receive the support they need to thrive.We have launched an ambitious fostering reform programme that aims to create 10,000 additional foster placements during this Parliament. These reforms are designed to reverse the long‑term decline in fostering capacity, expand the number of suitable homes, and rebuild the system so children can grow up in loving, local family settings with carers who feel trusted and valued. To achieve this, we are improving regional coordination so local authorities can work more effectively together, and we are re-writing the rule book to prioritise stable, trusted relationships.Foster carers must be thoroughly assessed before approval. All prospective carers undergo rigorous checks and training, and our updated standards will help services ensure assessments are robust, consistent, and focused on the skills needed to provide high quality care.To support long‑term retention, our reforms will ensure stronger wraparound support, so foster carers receive the practical and emotional help they need. This includes use of carers’ wider support networks, peer support and training. These measures aim to improve the experience of current carers and to encourage more people to come forward.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure children in the foster care system are able to access suitable foster carers in their local area.

The department is committed to ensuring that children can access suitable foster placements close to home. Our fostering reforms will expand national capacity and strengthen regional collaboration, improve recruitment and matching processes, and assist local authorities to maintain stable local options.In the East Midlands specifically, the Foster for East Midlands regional fostering hub is helping increase recruitment by providing a single, streamlined point of entry for enquiries across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The hub offers clear information, specialist advice and consistent, high quality support to prospective carers, and has already generated strong interest since launch. It also incorporates initiatives such as Mockingbird constellations, which demonstrate the supportive networks available to carers and help increase the appeal of fostering by reducing isolation and enabling a strong community ethos.

What steps her department is taking to increase the number of approved foster carers in Nottinghamshire.

The department is committed to ensuring that children can access suitable foster placements close to home. Our fostering reforms will expand national capacity and strengthen regional collaboration, improve recruitment and matching processes, and assist local authorities to maintain stable local options.In the East Midlands specifically, the Foster for East Midlands regional fostering hub is helping increase recruitment by providing a single, streamlined point of entry for enquiries across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The hub offers clear information, specialist advice and consistent, high quality support to prospective carers, and has already generated strong interest since launch. It also incorporates initiatives such as Mockingbird constellations, which demonstrate the supportive networks available to carers and help increase the appeal of fostering by reducing isolation and enabling a strong community ethos.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure children from disadvantaged backgrounds can access private tutoring.

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets out plans to build on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience to ensure every child has what they need to get on in life.We know that many schools use their pupil premium to fund tuition. Schools can use their pupil premium to provide peer tutoring and one-to-one or small group tuition when choosing support that will most improve progress, using the department’s ‘menu of approaches’, which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.Through our AI Tutoring Tools Programme, we will be co‑creating and trialling curriculum‑aligned, safe‑by‑design AI tutoring tools with teachers, pupils and experts. This will support teaching, build evidence of impact on attainment and inclusion to ensure pupils, including those who often cannot access private tuition, benefit from high quality individual learning support.