Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the findings of Magic Breakfast’s recent report entitled Root Causes of Child Morning Hunger.

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. We agree that a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day sets children up ready to learn. This is why the department is committed to delivering on the pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. Since April 2025, we have delivered over seven million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.Alongside the rollout of free breakfast clubs, we are going further in our mission to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by expanding free school meals to children in all households receiving Universal Credit from the 2026/27 school year.

What recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of child morning hunger across early years, primary and secondary school settings in England and its impact on school readiness and attendance.

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. We agree that a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day sets children up ready to learn. This is why the department is committed to delivering on the pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. Since April 2025, we have delivered over seven million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.Alongside the rollout of free breakfast clubs, we are going further in our mission to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by expanding free school meals to children in all households receiving Universal Credit from the 2026/27 school year.

If she will set out how much of the teacher training proposed in the Schools White Paper will be delivered in person.

Great teaching is the most important lever schools have for improving children’s attainment.The department provides a range of funded offers to schools to help them access high-quality professional development, which includes the new courses on Reception and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as part of the teacher training entitlement referenced in the Schools White Paper.When designing new training, the department is careful to consider how it will work with the schedules of teachers and schools, with many of them including a flexible, self-study element.For example, we have confirmed that the SEND and inclusion courses for teachers and leaders in schools and colleges will include a mixture of online self-study sessions and live facilitated sessions.We have also announced a package of materials for schools and colleges to support the development and delivery of in-house, in person training.

Whether the government has conducted any assessment of the efficacy of SEND reforms in Wales whilst developing the Schools White paper.

The department has already consulted with colleagues in the Welsh government on analysis published in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document comparing rates of special education needs across both nations. The use of data to assess the efficacy of the Welsh SEND reforms introduced in 2021 was not feasible due to variation at school and local authority level.We will continue to work with the devolved governments as we progress the proposals set out in the SEND consultation document, as well as preparations for future legislation, to ensure that legislative impacts are fully understood and addressed.

Whether the government has conducted an assessment of the number and availability of trained professionals needed to meet the Experts at Hand plan published in the Schools White Paper.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121419.

Whether the government has conducted a risk assessment of whether, as a result of the proposed reforms to the END system, schools could be discouraged from identifying children as having SEND due to inadequate resourcing and capacity.

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the SEND reform consultation document, we stated that the department intends to create clear statutory duties for schools, including identifying and meeting needs as early as possible and ensuring that they monitor children and young people’s progress to ensure timely and effective interventions. Parents can also continue to seek a needs assessment and obtain resolution via mediation or through appealing to the tribunal if necessary.To support schools to meet this legal duty, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards that set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for and then bring into effect National Inclusion Standards.This comes alongside significant investment to bolster capacity and expertise. This includes £4 billion over three years, which includes £1.8 billion so every community has access to Experts at Hand, £1.6 billion directly to schools for early intervention, and over £200 million to train all staff across early years, schools and colleges.The children’s rights impact assessment conducted by the department on the proposed reforms in the SEND consultation document is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69985b75047739fe61889ebe/SEND_reform_child_s_rights_impact_assessment.pdf.For schools and colleges, we will over time rebalance funding, by moving a portion of funding currently distributed through local authorities from high needs budgets directly into mainstream core budgets, to support earlier intervention and a more proactive approach to meeting needs. Alongside this, mainstream settings will continue to receive high needs funding from local authorities which covers the costs of delivery of a specialist provision package for those with the most complex needs, including through specialist bases.

With reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published on 23 February 2026, how much and what proportion of the proposed teacher training will be delivered in person.

We are currently in the design phase of the £200 million professional development package referenced in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper. We are working with a wide range of experts, including the department’s Inclusion Expert Advisory Group and the Education Endowment Foundation, to identify what will be most impactful in supporting settings to be more inclusive.We have confirmed that the courses for teachers and leaders in schools and colleges will include a mixture of flexible online self-study sessions and live facilitated sessions. We have also announced a package of materials for schools and colleges to support the development and delivery of in-house, in person training.

What (a) estimate her Department has made of the number and (b) assessment of the adequacy of availability of trained professionals required to meet the Experts at Hand plan.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121419.

With reference to the Schools White Paper 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Mission Coastal on young people in Poole.

The Schools White Paper launched Mission North East and Mission Coastal. The aim of the missions is to transform outcomes for children and young people and provide a blueprint for national change. The scope of Mission Coastal is still being developed.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of SATs on levels of school attendance of children with SEND.

The department has not identified evidence that SATs have a specific or disproportionate impact on the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Internal analysis indicates that overall attendance patterns for pupils with SEND remain consistent during the SATs assessment period.Primary assessments are extensively trialled and reviewed by teachers and SEND specialists to ensure they are suitable for all and of appropriate difficulty, with modified papers and access arrangements available for pupils with SEND where needed.The department’s ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance makes clear that pupils with SEND have the same right to education and the same attendance ambition as their peers, and that schools and local authorities should provide appropriate support to enable their attendance, including during assessment periods..

Whether she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the Law Commission recommendations on reform of social care law for disabled children.

On 16 September 2025, the Law Commission published its final report on disabled children’s social care.’ The department is now considering and assessing the 40 recommendations made in the report. In line with the protocol agreed between the Lord Chancellor and the Law Commission, the department will provide an initial response to these recommendations in March 2026, having engaged the relevant stakeholders. A full response to the recommendations as well as a proposed way forward will be provided in September 2026.

Whether she plans to provide music hubs with three year funding agreements.

The department has provided funding to support a network of Music Hub partnerships across England since 2012. As of September 2024, the network comprises of 43 Music Hub partnerships.The government has committed £76 million per year for the Music Hubs network, including the current 2025/26 academic year, to offer a range of services, including continuing professional development, musical instrument tuition, instrument loans and whole-class ensemble teaching.Future revenue grant funding will be confirmed with Music Hubs in the coming months, and matters related to level of funding and length of grant agreements will be set out at that point.

Whether her Department plans to provide an uplift in funding to music hubs parallel to that for National Portfolio Organisations.

The department has provided funding to support a network of Music Hub partnerships across England since 2012. As of September 2024, the network comprises of 43 Music Hub partnerships.The government has committed £76 million per year for the Music Hubs network, including the current 2025/26 academic year, to offer a range of services, including continuing professional development, musical instrument tuition, instrument loans and whole-class ensemble teaching.Future revenue grant funding will be confirmed with Music Hubs in the coming months, and matters related to level of funding and length of grant agreements will be set out at that point.

When she plans to answer Question 100240, tabled by the hon. Member for Poole on 15 December 2025.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 100240 was published on 4 February 2026.

If she will provide additional Ofsted funding to increase the frequency of (a) inspections and (b) unannounced inspections of early years settings.

Giving young children the best start in life is the foundation of the government’s opportunity mission.From April, the department is funding Ofsted to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and moving towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year window. This means standards will be reviewed more regularly and parents will have more up-to-date information to help them choose the right setting for their child.While Ofsted typically provides notice before an inspection, they can and do conduct inspections without prior notification, particularly when concerns have been raised about a setting. Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, there were 1,400 unannounced inspections (16%). We recognise the importance of unannounced inspections and they will continue.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding for Ofsted to (a) increase the duration of inspections in early years settings and (b) use CCTV as part of the inspection process.

Giving young children the best start in life is the foundation of the government’s opportunity mission. From April, the department is funding Ofsted to inspect all new early years providers within 18 months of opening and move towards inspecting all providers at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year window. This means standards will be reviewed more regularly and parents will have more up-to-date information to help them choose the right setting for their child. We will continue to work collaboratively with Ofsted as inspection reforms are implemented.The Secretary of State has announced that she will be appointing an expert panel to inform guidance for the sector on the effective and safe use of digital devices and CCTV in relation to safeguarding. The panel will consider the question of whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical information and clear expectations on CCTV and digital device usage.

When she will publish The Schools White Paper covering SEND matters.

To create a reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that will stand the test of time, we have undertaken a national engagement campaign on SEND reform, building on extensive engagement over the past year with children, young people, parents and professionals. The upcoming Schools White Paper will outline our proposed SEND reforms and will be followed by a formal consultation and further engagement.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of ending compulsory collective worship in schools.

Collective worship remains an important part of school life, supporting pupils to reflect on the concept of belief and the role it plays in our country’s traditions and values.Schools in England already have flexibility in how they meet this requirement and can deliver collective worship or assemblies in ways that reflect the diverse needs of their pupils and local communities. Students over 16 and parents of younger pupils also retain the right of withdrawal from collective worship.

If she will add Humanism to the Religious Education syllabus on the National Curriculum in England.

Religious education (RE) is not part of the national curriculum but is a mandatory subject for all pupils aged 5 to 18 in state-funded schools in England. Schools should deliver RE in an objective, critical and pluralistic way and already have the flexibility, through their locally agreed syllabi, to include the study of non-religious world views such as humanism.We welcome the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation that Vanessa Ogden, a former Review panellist specialising in RE, should lead a sector group, independent from government, to develop a draft RE curriculum. The sector group’s work on RE will reflect the role the subject plays in building understanding between people of different faiths, beliefs and communities, including those with non-religious world views. If the group reaches consensus on a draft curriculum, the government will consult on whether to add it to the national curriculum.

What steps her Department is taking to increase early identification of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. To support settings to identify need early, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices, as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.We also recently announced new government-backed research into special educational need identification, which will be delivered by UK Research Innovation in partnership with the department. This will aim to develop and test trusted and effective approaches to help the early identification of children needing targeted educational support.