Written questions by Dillon.

How her Department plans to promote the National Year of Reading within early years policy and strategy during 2026 and beyond.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 16 February 2026 to Question 111973.

What steps she is taking to address regional disparities in school exclusion rates.

The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

What plans her Department has to help reduce levels of school exclusion related to (a) drugs and (b) alcohol in West Berkshire.

The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

What steps her Department is taking to address levels of school exclusion in West Berkshire.

The department publishes detailed exclusion data at a regional and local authority level and regularly monitors trends in school exclusion rates for pupil groups.The department is delivering a comprehensive programme of behaviour support for schools, including Attendance and Behaviour Hubs which are targeting schools with the highest need and providing wider national support The Suspension and Permanent Exclusion guidance states that schools, local authorities, and partners should work together to understand local trends. Local leaders should also use this to plan and implement targeted action suitable to local context. The guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-exclusion.Furthermore, the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance includes curriculum content on drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping to ensure that pupils can understand the risks and implications of misuse. This guidance can be read in full here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

What steps she is taking to improve the quality and availability of industry placements for T Levels.

T Levels are providing excellent opportunities for young people to progress into skilled jobs and careers, and 96% of students in receipt of a T Level result completed their industry placement last year. The national Skills for Life campaign raises awareness of skills development that includes T Levels, ensuring businesses and learners understand their value. Our network of over 1,000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community. The department supports employers to host high-quality placements through guidance, workshops and direct support. Our digital Connect service supports local providers and employers to connect with each other and our updated delivery approaches allow greater flexibility for providers to design a high-quality placement experience. We provide targeted support for industry placements in specific sectors and localities, with seven industry placement coordinators currently in local NHS integrated care systems, and an employer support fund supporting small and medium sized enterprises and priority sectors with the essential costs of hosting a placement.

What steps she is taking to encourage businesses to offer work placements for 16 to 18 year-olds within and outside the T Level programme.

T Levels give young people a strong route into skilled employment, with 96% of completing students completing their industry placement last year. The Skills for Life campaign raises awareness of T Levels and other training, ensuring businesses understand their value. Our network of over 1,000 T Level ambassadors strengthens understanding and engagement with businesses. The Careers & Enterprise Company provides resources to help employers engage with schools and colleges. Local careers hubs coordinate employer encounters such as work experience placements, career talks and mentoring. The department is delivering a targeted small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) campaign to increase awareness of T Level industry placements and encourage more employers to take part. The government is investing £6.3 million through the employer support fund to encourage SMEs and key‑sector employers to host T Level placements supporting with hosting costs. As part of the construction skills package, the government has committed £100 million to support 40,000 industry placements each year for level 2 and 3 construction learners.

What steps she is taking to increase employer awareness of training programmes available beyond apprenticeships.

The government’s Skills for Life campaign promotes the wide range of range of training options available to employers, including apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications. This includes digital advertising, public relations, social media, trade press partnerships and collaboration with business organisations. We offer support, events and guidance to T Level providers to develop and implement effective employer engagement strategies. Our network of over 1000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community. 1,390 businesses of all sizes are using our Employer Standards framework to assess and report on the impact of their employer engagement, helping to open new pathways and opportunities in their sector for young people.Local Skills Improvement Plans bring together local employers, leaders and training providers to identify and address skills needs, giving employers a strategic voice in shaping skills provision and support to recruit/train skilled workforces.

What plans she has to increases levels of emphasis on the development of essential life skills in schools and colleges.

A reformed national curriculum will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life. The department will prepare young people for life and careers in a changing world, embedding vital applied knowledge skills in financial, media and digital literacy in the revised curriculum, improving climate and sustainability education. We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and artificial intelligence. We are also setting out a new enrichment framework for every pupil, which will help them play, explore, create, and develop wider life skills. We will develop ‘V Levels’ as the pathway of vocational qualifications at level 3 for young people. These will be linked to occupational standards. This will be complemented by sharing best practice between 16-19 providers to ensure students develop the important applied knowledge and transferable skills for adulthood.

What plans she has to increases levels of emphasis on the development of work-related skills in schools and colleges.

A reformed national curriculum will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life. The department will prepare young people for life and careers in a changing world, embedding vital applied knowledge skills in financial, media and digital literacy in the revised curriculum, improving climate and sustainability education. We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 and will explore a new level 3 qualification in data science and artificial intelligence. We are also setting out a new enrichment framework for every pupil, which will help them play, explore, create, and develop wider life skills. We will develop ‘V Levels’ as the pathway of vocational qualifications at level 3 for young people. These will be linked to occupational standards. This will be complemented by sharing best practice between 16-19 providers to ensure students develop the important applied knowledge and transferable skills for adulthood.

What steps she is taking to support schools and colleges in the transition to V Levels.

We are currently consulting on post-16 pathways, including the introduction of V Levels. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026.Schools and colleges can expect to be supported with the transition to V Levels through access to a comprehensive package of guidance and resources. Dedicated online information will provide timely updates and practical materials to help prepare for delivery. Clear guidance will set out the structure and requirements of the new qualifications, supporting staff understanding and effective implementation. Exemplar pathway documents will assist providers in planning learner routes, while study programme guidance will explain how V Levels can be used to develop meaningful programmes of study.In addition, we expect awarding organisations to supply specifications, sample assessments and training materials to support accurate delivery and assessment. Together, these measures will provide schools and colleges with the clarity and confidence needed for the successful implementation of V Levels.

Whether she plans to include kinship care in the school census.

The government recognises that there is a need for greater awareness of the needs of kinship children and families and the importance of improving data collection in this space and is therefore exploring including kinship in the school census.Following the Care Review, the government has updated ‘Kinship Care Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’. This guidance outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families. The government has also extended both the delivery of over 140 kinship carer peer support groups across England and the virtual school head (VSH) role (on a non-statutory basis) to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care.The government intends to make this role statutory through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will publish updated statutory guidance setting out how VSHs will be expected to work with kinship carers and guardians to support the educational outcomes of these children.

What guidance her Department provides to educators to support their understanding of kinship care.

The government recognises that there is a need for greater awareness of the needs of kinship children and families and the importance of improving data collection in this space and is therefore exploring including kinship in the school census.Following the Care Review, the government has updated ‘Kinship Care Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities’. This guidance outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families. The government has also extended both the delivery of over 140 kinship carer peer support groups across England and the virtual school head (VSH) role (on a non-statutory basis) to include championing the education, attendance, and attainment of children in kinship care.The government intends to make this role statutory through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We will publish updated statutory guidance setting out how VSHs will be expected to work with kinship carers and guardians to support the educational outcomes of these children.

Whether she is taking steps to align her Department’s work on enrichment, including the Enrichment Framework, the Enrichment Expansion Programme, the forthcoming Schools White Paper and the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, with the design and scope of the Dormant Assets Fund.

The department is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help ensure all children and young people can access a broad range of enrichment activities. The next tranche of Dormant Assets funding for the Youth Cause will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability. It will be delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund. The government is working with them to design the specific programmes to be delivered, ensuring they align with ministerial priorities, including the Enrichment Framework and Schools White Paper, while ensuring the additionality principle is upheld. Further details will be announced in due course.

What discussions she has had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the National Lottery Community Fund on the design and scope of the Dormant Assets Fund.

The department is working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help ensure all children and young people can access a broad range of enrichment activities. The next tranche of Dormant Assets funding for the Youth Cause will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability. It will be delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund. The government is working with them to design the specific programmes to be delivered, ensuring they align with ministerial priorities, including the Enrichment Framework and Schools White Paper, while ensuring the additionality principle is upheld. Further details will be announced in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of early interventions in speech and language support.

The potential merits of focusing on early intervention in providing speech and language support are clear. That is why we have invested in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, and the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, both of which support children with their speech and language. We are funding Family Hubs to train practitioners to support families with the home learning environment to help parents support children’s speech and communication. We will fund local early language leads to provide training to early years settings. Reception staff will also be able to access early language and literacy support.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a new right to kinship care leave.

The government has launched a review of the parental leave system, which represents a much-needed opportunity to consider the department’s approach to the system of parental leave and pay. This will consider whether the support available meets the needs of working families, such as kinship carers.In 2023, the department published ‘Kinship Carers in the Workplace: Guidance for Employers’, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/kinship-carers-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. This sets out best practice for supporting kinship carers at work, including how to adapt internal policies, signpost existing entitlements and create a culture of support to meet the needs of kinship carers. The department has since implemented our own Kinship Leave and Pay offer and we encourage all organisations to review their guidance and explore what changes they can make.

Whether her Department has considered providing sun-safety education in schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 81731.

Whether her Department has considered including sun-safety lessons in the national curriculum.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 81731.

What steps she plans to take to support schools and colleges in Newbury in the transition to V Levels.

The department is currently consulting on post-16 pathways, including the introduction of V Levels. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026.All schools and colleges, including those in Newbury, will be supported through the transition to V Levels by access to a comprehensive package of guidance and resources. Dedicated online information will provide timely updates and practical materials to help providers prepare for delivery. Clear guidance will set out the structure and requirements of the new qualifications, supporting staff understanding and effective implementation. Exemplar pathway documents will assist providers in planning learner routes, while study programme guidance will explain how V Levels can be used to develop meaningful programmes of study.In addition, we expect awarding organisations to supply specifications, sample assessments and training materials to support accurate delivery and assessment. Together, these measures will provide schools and colleges with the clarity and confidence needed for the successful implementation of V Levels.

What steps she is taking to improve the quality and supply of industry placements for T Levels.

T Levels are providing fantastic opportunities for young people to progress into skilled jobs and careers, and 96% of students completed their industry placement last year.The department supports employers to host high quality placements through guidance, workshops and direct support. The department’s digital ’Connect’ service supports local providers and employers to connect with each other and our updated delivery approaches allow greater flexibility for providers to design a high quality placement experience.We provide targeted support for industry placements in specific areas, with seven industry placement coordinators currently in local NHS integrated care systems, and an employer support fund supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and priority sectors with the essential costs of hosting a placement.The national ’Skills for Life’ campaign raises awareness of skills development and promotes T Levels, ensuring businesses and learners understand their value, and our network of over 1,000 T Level Ambassadors builds T Level understanding and engagement in the business community.