Written questions by Wilson.

How many pupils are currently studying GCSE choices not compatible with the new Progress 8 framework.

The government is proposing improvements to the Progress 8 model that balance a strong academic core with breadth and student choice, reflecting the importance of a curriculum that supports high standards. Pupils currently studying GCSE courses have selected options under the existing Progress 8 model which influences behaviour and the options that schools make available to their pupils.The government will consult on the proposed Progress 8 model in due course and expects to include further information on likely impact. Schools will have time to take the revised measure into account when determining subject choices for pupils who will start their GCSEs in September 2027.

How many children will lose transitional protection funding for free school meals by each key stage group in 2025.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections. The action we are taking will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained free school meals (FSM) eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. The department intends to bring transitional protections to an end once the new eligibility is introduced. We have not yet carried out analysis by cohort characteristics to understand which pupils may no longer be eligible.

How much of the savings to the public purse made through changes to large programme Uplift funding for the International Baccalaureate diploma will be allocated to each pupil undertaking (a) maths and (b) high-value A-Level programmes.

The department has made significant investments into 16 to 19 education funding. The base rate of funding per student has increased to £5,105 in academic year 2025/26 up over 5% on last year. But we must make this funding work hard, tilting it towards key priorities. That is why we have announced that we will focus the Large Programme Uplift (LPU) funding, which is on top of the base rate, on large programmes which include mathematics, further mathematics and other high value A levels. These programmes will retain the LPU funding. Funding saved from the LPU will be used to help to ensure there are enough suitable places in post-16 education for every young person that wants one.We will set out the full 16 to 19 funding priorities for academic year 2026/27 in due course. Institutions receiving 16 to19 funding will retain the freedom to decide what programmes of study to offer, including the International Baccalaureate.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of people who will no longer have transitional protection funding for free school meals by location after the 2025-26 financial year.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections. The action we are taking will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained free school meals (FSM) eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. The department intends to bring transitional protections to an end once the new eligibility is introduced. We have not yet carried out analysis by cohort characteristics to understand which pupils may no longer be eligible.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of people who will no longer have transitional protection funding for free school meals by ethnicity after the 2025-26 financial year.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections. The action we are taking will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained free school meals (FSM) eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. The department intends to bring transitional protections to an end once the new eligibility is introduced. We have not yet carried out analysis by cohort characteristics to understand which pupils may no longer be eligible.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of children in (a) rural and (b) urban areas who will no longer have transitional protection funding for free school meals after the 2025-26 financial year.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections. The action we are taking will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained free school meals (FSM) eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. The department intends to bring transitional protections to an end once the new eligibility is introduced. We have not yet carried out analysis by cohort characteristics to understand which pupils may no longer be eligible.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of children with SEND who will no longer have transitional protection funding for free school meals after the 2025-26 financial year.

We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections. The action we are taking will ensure that over 500,000 additional children and pupils will receive a free and nutritious lunchtime meal.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained free school meals (FSM) eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. The department intends to bring transitional protections to an end once the new eligibility is introduced. We have not yet carried out analysis by cohort characteristics to understand which pupils may no longer be eligible.

How many physics teachers are teaching in (a) secondary schools and (b) sixth-form colleges as of October 2025.

Information on the school workforce, including the number of subject teachers in state-funded secondary schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication.As of November 2024, the latest date for which data is available, there were 5,649 (headcount) physics teachers employed in state-funded secondary schools in England: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/eb317beb-0226-4d5e-2d32-08ddcdee7988. This has been available since 5 June 2025.School workforce statistics as of November 2025 will be published in summer 2026.Information on the further education workforce, including the number of subject teachers in sixth-form colleges, is published in the 'Further education workforce' statistical publication. This has been available since 29 May 2025.As of the 2023/24 academic year, the latest date for which data is available, there were 101 (headcount) physics teachers employed in sixth-form colleges in England: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9a8eb9b8-83f4-4737-0b18-08de07233b94.Further education workforce statistics for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in spring 2026.

How many students with qualified teacher status (a) have and (b) have not secured an early career teaching post after completing training in the last 12 months.

​​In the 2023/24 academic year, 25,845 trainees achieved qualified teacher status. The department provisionally estimates that 18,910 of these were teaching in a state-funded school in England within 16 months of the end of the 2023/24 academic year and 6,935 trainees were not. These numbers include both postgraduate and undergraduate trainees. Some trainees will also have entered the education sector through a different type of academic institution, such as an independent school or further education college.​This information is available in the initial teacher training performance profiles publication, which is available here: ​https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-performance-profiles-2023-to-2024.​This publication provides information about the outcomes for teacher trainees in England in the 2023/24 academic year. Outcomes for teacher trainees for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in July 2026.

How many of the 13,660 children looked after in kinship foster care on 31 March 2024 were subject to (a) a full care order, (b) an interim care order and (c) a voluntary arrangement under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989.

Information on the number of children looked-after in foster placements with relatives or friends by legal status is shown in the table below. Number of children in England in foster placements with relatives or friends at 31 March 2024 by legal statusInterim care order (C1)3,430Full care order (C2)8,450Single period of accommodation under section 20 (Children Act 1989) (V2)1,720Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.An additional 70 children were in foster placements with relatives or friends in other types of placement. These other placements include short term breaks, placement orders granted, police protection orders, emergency protection orders and child assessment orders.Historical data may differ marginally from data that has been published in previous questions on this theme. This is mainly due to the implementation of minor amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. The latest information on children looked-after in foster placements with relatives or friends under all legal statuses, relating to the year ending 31 March 2024, was published on 14 November 2024 in the annual statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’ at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2024.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of applying VAT to independent school fees on boys who are neurodiverse.

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees. This is a comprehensive assessment of the VAT policy, including impacts on individuals and families, and equalities impacts. The TIIN is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees#who-is-likely-to-be-affected.

Whether any of the funding announced in the Spending Review for reform of the SEND system will be used to cover existing SEND related deficits at local authority level.

At the 2025 Spending Review, the department announced that funding for schools will increase by £4.7 billion per year by 2028/29 compared to the 2025/26 core schools budget, which was published in the Spring Statement 2025.This additional funding will enable us to transform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to make mainstream education more inclusive and improve outcomes for children with SEND.Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform, including how we will ensure children get the support they need earlier, will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.We do not expect local authorities to use their future high needs funding allocations to pay down their historic deficits.

How much of the funding announced in the Spending Review 2025 for reform of the SEND system will be invested in improving early identification of SEND.

At the 2025 Spending Review, the department announced that funding for schools will increase by £4.7 billion per year by 2028/29 compared to the 2025/26 core schools budget, which was published in the Spring Statement 2025.This additional funding will enable us to transform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to make mainstream education more inclusive and improve outcomes for children with SEND.Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform, including how we will ensure children get the support they need earlier, will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.We do not expect local authorities to use their future high needs funding allocations to pay down their historic deficits.

How much of the increase to the core schools budget for 2025-26 and 2026-27 is expected to be spent by schools in covering part of the (a) recent teacher pay rise and (b) National Insurance contribution increase.

The department is providing £1.4 billion to support schools with their increases to employer National Insurance contributions and staff pay awards in the 2025/26 financial year. Following the spring Spending Review, this level of funding will continue, and we announced additional funding that will take core school budgets to £65.9 billion by the 2028/29 financial year. Schools have autonomy over how they use their core funding to best meet their priorities, including any decisions on staffing.More information on core funding allocations for 2026/27 will be announced in the autumn, as part of the usual national funding formulae process. Costs such as pay for future years are currently uncertain and subject to the outcomes of separate pay processes.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of ending transitional protections for free school meals on levels of school funding.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained FSM eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. Following our expansion of eligibility from September 2026, it is our intention to end all protections.Schools will receive an increase in funding as a result of the change in FSM policy. We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections.There will be no impact of the removal of FSM protections on the pupil premium or related disadvantage funding during the spending review period. Pupils that are currently protected will remain so for 6 years after they receive FSM under the "FSM6" categorisation.Over the longer term, we are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium and related funding to schools and local authorities to ensure it is targeted to those who need it most, while maintaining the overall amount we spend on these funding streams.

Whether the announced expansion to Free School Meals eligibility will affect eligibility for Free School Transport.

100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this Parliament, through the extension of free school meals (FSM) to all households on Universal Credit. Children who meet the new, higher threshold for FSM from September 2026 will not automatically be entitled to ‘extended rights’ home to school travel. The government’s overriding priority is to tackle child hunger.Children will continue to be eligible for ‘extended rights’ home to school transport if they live in a household with an income below the existing FSM threshold and meet the eligibility criteria relating to the distance between their home and school. Further information about a new mechanism for assessing eligibility for ‘extended rights’ home to school travel will be available shortly.

What her Department's timetable is for bringing forward plans to reform SEND provision.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.We are aware of the challenges in the current SEND system, and the government is urgently considering how it needs to be reformed. However, these are complex issues which need a considered approach to deliver sustainable change.The department is working closely with experts on reforms, including appointing a strategic advisor for SEND, who is playing a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families.The department has also established an expert advisory group for inclusion to improve the mainstream education outcomes and experiences for those with SEND, and a Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group to provide a shared understanding of what provision and support in mainstream educational settings should look like for neurodivergent children and young people within an inclusive system.The department is working at pace to address these challenges and will be setting out our plans to do so in due course.

When she plans to respond to Question 49038 tabled by the hon. Member for Twickenham on 29 April 2025.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 49038 was published on 16 May 2025.

What the status is of each of the 19 special free schools that have been in pre-opening phase since 2021 or prior.

For those schools that have been in the pre-opening phase since 2021 or prior, the department is engaging with local authorities and trusts in the usual way and progressing work in line with our vision for the special educational needs (SEN) system.As the hon. Member for Twickenham will appreciate, pipeline projects are at different stages of development and the department is prioritising operational decisions on those that are due to open in the shorter term. The department is, however, pleased to note that one of those 19 schools, Carew Academy, has recently officially opened and pupils have moved in as of April 2025.The government is clear it wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.As with all government investment, special and alternative provision free school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the SEN system.

How many applicants for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support fund were unsuccessful in each year since 2015.

The table below shows the number of rejected applications for the adoption and special guardianship support fund by financial year:Financial YearRejected Applications2015/16112016/17932017/18482018/19242019/2002020/2102021/2202022/2302023/2412024/250 The reduction in rejected applications is largely the result of improved systems, and of close working between local authorities, Regional Adoption Agencies and the department’s delivery partner to address queries and support re-work of applications. This means that, although some applications are withdrawn for a range of reasons, few are ultimately rejected.