Written questions by Wilson.

What assessment her Department has made of the impact of a life-threatening or terminal illness on children’s school attendance, attainment and wellbeing, whether they are the affected child or their sibling.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance her Department provides to schools on supporting siblings of children with life-threatening or terminal illness; and whether this includes consideration of partnership working with community-based social palliative care services.

Awaiting answer.

If she will include Previously Looked After Children in the definition of disadvantaged children, in regard to the core eligibility criteria for the Holiday Activity and Food programme.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to eligible children during the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to learn. The core purpose of the programme is to support children and young people who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) given that children from low-income households are more likely to experience food insecurity, reduced physical activity, and fewer opportunities for enriching experiences during the school holidays.Local authorities have discretion to allocate 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for school-age children who do not meet the eligibility criteria but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed SEND reforms on care-experienced children whose needs arise from early trauma and attachment disruption, particularly where those needs span education, health and social care and may not meet the highest threshold within any single category.

Care-experienced children will benefit from our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms and vision to create a more inclusive education system. A strengthened universal offer, grounded in high‑quality adaptive teaching and earlier support, will enable additional needs to be identified and met more quickly. For children with SEND, our £1.8 billion ‘Experts at Hand’ service will give settings access to specialist input earlier, even where needs may be masked by trauma, and individual support plans will help ensure those working with children understand their needs and how best to support them. For those with the most complex needs, education, health and care plans will remain in place, underpinned by strengthened specialist provision packages that make expectations clear and consistent across the system.Every local authority must appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of the children in their care. Looked-after children also have highest priority for school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus of £2,690 per child, up to age 16.And for the first time under their new framework, Ofsted now assesses all settings for inclusion. Collectively, these reforms seek to ensure all children who can achieve and thrive in mainstream education will be supported to do so, and children and young people who need specialist support will receive it promptly and with dignity, clarity and care. The consultation for these reforms is underway and we encourage anyone with views, including on how reforms will affect care-experienced children, to participate.

What statutory time limits will apply when SEND Tribunals quash local authority decisions under the proposed Specialist Provision Package framework; and what safeguards will be put in place to prevent cycles of reconsideration impacting on provision.

The government set out its proposals for reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal in its ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’ consultation document.The department proposes that the SEND Tribunal will make binding judgments on local authority decisions to not undertake an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, whether a child or young person meets the threshold for a specialist provision package or whether the package(s) offered is suitable. The Tribunal will also consider whether a local authority’s decision about the placement named in an EHC plan is reasonable and, if they find against the local authority, it will have the power to require the decision to be retaken.The SEND reform proposals are subject to consultation and further details will be set out in the government’s response to the consultation.

Whether independent oversight mechanisms will apply to Individual Support Plans under the proposed SEND reforms; and whether families will be able to challenge the adequacy of provision where detailed support is no longer contained within an Education, Health and Care Plan.

There will be a legal duty on settings to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for every child or young person receiving targeted or specialist support, ensuring help keeps pace with their development, prevents challenges from escalating, and reduces the risk of them disengaging from learning.Where there are concerns about provision, parents and young people will be able to resolve this directly with the setting using schools’ improved complaints systems. The school complaints system will be strengthened by having clearer processes, reduced duplication, and the inclusion of an appropriate, independent special educational needs and disabilities specialist in the final stage panel.The use and quality of ISPs will also be considered in Ofsted inspections, and the department will also work with parent groups and experts to explore how a second opinion could give families extra confidence that their child’s plan is right and being delivered well. We also expect governors will sample ISPs.

What powers Ofsted have to respond where a school's SEN information report is not written in straightforward language that is accessible to young people and parents.

Ofsted’s school inspection toolkit makes clear that inspectors will consider the extent to which special educational needs (SEN) information reports are easily accessible when gathering evidence about special education needs and disabilities (SEND).As set out in our proposals for SEND reform, schools will be required to detail the support they provide through a new duty to produce an inclusion strategy. This will ultimately replace the current duty to produce SEN information reports. Schools will be required to ensure this report is easily accessible, so that parents and local partners can understand how inclusion is being delivered.Through its inspection framework, Ofsted will assess how leaders ensure the inclusion strategy is embedded in practice, and how staff are equipped to deliver it.We have proposed the creation of new National Inclusion Standards for the first time, based on evidence, to inform best practice in identifying barriers and meeting needs. We will work with Ofsted to ensure that these standards inform its inspections in the future.The consultation for these reforms is underway and we would encourage anyone with views on SEN information reports or our inclusion strategy proposals to participate.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of additional powers for Ofsted to respond in cases where a school's SEN information report is not written in straightforward language that is accessible to young people and parents.

Ofsted’s school inspection toolkit makes clear that inspectors will consider the extent to which special educational needs (SEN) information reports are easily accessible when gathering evidence about special education needs and disabilities (SEND).As set out in our proposals for SEND reform, schools will be required to detail the support they provide through a new duty to produce an inclusion strategy. This will ultimately replace the current duty to produce SEN information reports. Schools will be required to ensure this report is easily accessible, so that parents and local partners can understand how inclusion is being delivered.Through its inspection framework, Ofsted will assess how leaders ensure the inclusion strategy is embedded in practice, and how staff are equipped to deliver it.We have proposed the creation of new National Inclusion Standards for the first time, based on evidence, to inform best practice in identifying barriers and meeting needs. We will work with Ofsted to ensure that these standards inform its inspections in the future.The consultation for these reforms is underway and we would encourage anyone with views on SEN information reports or our inclusion strategy proposals to participate.

If she will set out the requirements councils must meet to be eligible for the write-off of 90% of their historic SEND-related deficits.

As set out in the final Local Government Finance Settlement, all local authorities with a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) related High Needs deficit will be eligible in 2026/27 to receive a High Needs Stability Grant that will cover 90% of their accumulated High Needs‑related DSG deficit up to the end of 2025/26. This is conditional on each local authority securing my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s approval of their Local SEND Reform Plan, as confirmed in the government’s announcement on managing accumulated SEND deficits.Each local area will be required to set out credible and deliverable actions that support a more inclusive and financially sustainable system, consistent with the vision for earlier intervention, stronger mainstream inclusion and improved outcomes for children and young people as set out in the Schools White Paper.

What powers does she have to help ensure schools comply with (a) paragraph 6.81 of the SEN Code of Practice and (b) Equality Act 2010.

The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language. The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN. The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf. The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards. There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

What estimate she has made of the cost of providing written guidance to schools on how to write accessible SEN Information Reports.

The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language. The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN. The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf. The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards. There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

What steps she has she taken to help ensure schools comply with (a) paragraph 6.81 of the SEN Code of Practice and (b) Equality Act 2010.

The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language. The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN. The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf. The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards. There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports. We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

How much funding was originally made available for the provision of the planned 92 new special and AP free schools that were commissioned by the previous Government and were subject to a value for money review by this Government.

For the 18 schools where no trust had been appointed and which were in the earliest stages of development local authorities will receive funding for 2487 school places in Summer 2026, equivalent to places the school would have provided.For local authorities with the choice between accepting the alternative funding offer or continuing with the free school, the deadline to confirm their choice is 27 February 2026. After this date, we will know how many local authorities have accepted the alternative funding offer and the total funding amount.Funding for delivery of free school projects are provided at different stages of a project’s development, in line with key delivery milestones. Most of the projects in scope of the alternative funding offer are at the earliest stages of development and therefore have not received any funding. Where sites have been secured for these schools, details and costs of acquisitions will have been set out on the Land Registry website. Additionally, the department will have published contract details and costs for all free school construction contracts on Contracts Finder.

How much alternative funding has been provided to the local authorities of the 18 cancelled special and AP free schools, to create specialist spaces in mainstream schools.

For the 18 schools where no trust had been appointed and which were in the earliest stages of development local authorities will receive funding for 2487 school places in Summer 2026, equivalent to places the school would have provided.For local authorities with the choice between accepting the alternative funding offer or continuing with the free school, the deadline to confirm their choice is 27 February 2026. After this date, we will know how many local authorities have accepted the alternative funding offer and the total funding amount.Funding for delivery of free school projects are provided at different stages of a project’s development, in line with key delivery milestones. Most of the projects in scope of the alternative funding offer are at the earliest stages of development and therefore have not received any funding. Where sites have been secured for these schools, details and costs of acquisitions will have been set out on the Land Registry website. Additionally, the department will have published contract details and costs for all free school construction contracts on Contracts Finder.

How much alternative funding has been provided to the local authorities who have decided to not proceed with the building of the proposed special and AP free schools, following the review of planned special and AP free schools.

For the 18 schools where no trust had been appointed and which were in the earliest stages of development local authorities will receive funding for 2487 school places in Summer 2026, equivalent to places the school would have provided.For local authorities with the choice between accepting the alternative funding offer or continuing with the free school, the deadline to confirm their choice is 27 February 2026. After this date, we will know how many local authorities have accepted the alternative funding offer and the total funding amount.Funding for delivery of free school projects are provided at different stages of a project’s development, in line with key delivery milestones. Most of the projects in scope of the alternative funding offer are at the earliest stages of development and therefore have not received any funding. Where sites have been secured for these schools, details and costs of acquisitions will have been set out on the Land Registry website. Additionally, the department will have published contract details and costs for all free school construction contracts on Contracts Finder.

How much has been spent on the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile in each of the last five years; and how many children have gone through that assessment in each of the last five years.

The early years foundation stage profile assessment (EYFSP) is undertaken by teachers at the end of the academic year in which children turn five, usually reception year. No fee is charged per child for the EYFSP. Any costs incurred by schools would primarily relate to staff time in connection with undertaking the assessment and submitting the data to their local authority. The department does not collect data on the time spent to complete the assessment at school level or time spent processing the data by local authorities.The number of children assessed under the EYFSP in the last five years is available alongside further details on GOV.UK at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/cf4c5896-b574-421b-70de-08de5e4c1b9a.The 2020/21 EYFSP data collection was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, so the department does not hold information for that year.

What information her Department holds on the primary types of special educational need for a) looked after children in a foster placement with a relative or friend, b) previously looked after children subject to a special guardianship order and c) previously looked after children subject to a children arrangements order.

The department does not hold information on special educational need (SEN) status for children looked after (CLA) who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend, or on SEN primary type of need for CLA who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend. Table 1 (attached) gives counts of the primary type of need for state-funded school pupils with SEN who were previously looked after (PLA) and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. This information is from the January 2025 school census collection. Table 2 (attached) gives the number and proportion of state-funded pupils who were PLA and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order who had an education, health and care plan or SEN Support as of January 2025.

How many looked after children in a foster placement with a relative or friend have (a) special educational needs support and (b) an education, health and care plan.

The department does not hold information on special educational need (SEN) status for children looked after (CLA) who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend, or on SEN primary type of need for CLA who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend. Table 1 (attached) gives counts of the primary type of need for state-funded school pupils with SEN who were previously looked after (PLA) and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. This information is from the January 2025 school census collection. Table 2 (attached) gives the number and proportion of state-funded pupils who were PLA and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order who had an education, health and care plan or SEN Support as of January 2025.

When the statistics for the reviews of marking and moderation for GCSEs and A-Levels for summer 2025 exam series will be published.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. member for Twickenham directly, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

How many previously looked after children subject to a) a special guardianship order and b) a children arrangements order have i) SEN support and ii) an EHC plan.

The department does not hold information on special educational need (SEN) status for children looked after (CLA) who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend, or on SEN primary type of need for CLA who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend. Table 1 (attached) gives counts of the primary type of need for state-funded school pupils with SEN who were previously looked after (PLA) and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. This information is from the January 2025 school census collection. Table 2 (attached) gives the number and proportion of state-funded pupils who were PLA and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order who had an education, health and care plan or SEN Support as of January 2025.