Written questions by Glover.

What additional support her Department is providing to teachers in response to the increased number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in early years settings.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that early years education providers are not disadvantaged by restrictions on charging flexibility for funded childcare hours.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to encourage (a) retention and (b) recruitment of teachers in early years education settings.

Awaiting answer.

What number students eligible for the 16-19 large programme uplift funding in the last five academic years studied the International Baccalaureate Level 3 programme and pursued STEM-related subjects.

The information requested is not held by the department. The department does not hold information on the constituent subjects that make up the International Baccalaureate as this information is not provided by awarding organisations.

In the last academic year, what (a) percentage and (b) number of pupils were eligible for the Pupil Premium and received the 16-19 large programme uplift funding for studying four or more A Levels.

The Pupil Premium is not available for post-16 students. Therefore, no students were eligible in the last academic year for the Pupil Premium and received the Large Programme Uplift for studying four or more A levels or a T Level and at least one A level alongside.

In the last academic year, what (a) percentage and (b) number of pupils were eligible for the Pupil Premium and received the 16-19 large programme uplift funding for studying a T Level and at least one A Level alongside.

The Pupil Premium is not available for post-16 students. Therefore, no students were eligible in the last academic year for the Pupil Premium and received the Large Programme Uplift for studying four or more A levels or a T Level and at least one A level alongside.

What number of students eligible for the 16-19 large programme uplift funding in the last five academic years studied four or more A Levels and pursued STEM-related subjects.

The requested data can be found in the below table. Please note that the large programme uplift (LPU) is calculated using attainment data and as such operates on a three-year lag. Therefore, the latest LPU calculation was for 2025/26 academic year allocations based on 2022/23 attainment data. The department has announced that moving forward LPU funding will be focused on large programmes which include maths, further maths and other high value A-levels.Time PeriodNumber of Students2022/2376062021/2278752020/2191262019/2082302018/196485 Notes about the data:1. Includes state-funded students who ended 16-18 study in the reported year (e.g. 2022/23).2. Includes students who entered for at least four STEM A levels and achieved at least a grade B in each A level, or a grade C in the case of further mathematics.3. Discounting rules apply (i.e. where students have multiples entries in the same subject, the best result is included).4. STEM subjects are defined by subject mapping codes as used in the A level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release.

Whether her Department has considered the merits of introducing a statutory requirement for schools to screen children for dyslexia before the age of 7.

I refer the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.

What steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are adequately trained on identifying dyslexia in the early years of primary education.

I refer the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of early dyslexia screening on literacy outcomes in primary school children.

I refer the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.

What recent estimate her Department has made of the number of children in England with undiagnosed dyslexia; and what steps she is taking to help reduce that number.

I refer the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage to the answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40829.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations within the article entitled Transforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport, and physical activity, published by the University of Manchester on 12 February 2025.

This government values physical education (PE) and sport as a way to improve not only the health, but the wellbeing and lives of all children and young people. Existing government-funded programmes look to address this with the primary PE and sport premium and the School Games Organisers.To address specific barriers, we have recently launched an open procurement for a new grant programme for up to 3 financial years (from April 2025 to March 2028 at up to £300,000 per year) to develop and deliver a programme that improves and increases PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities for pupils with SEND. The inclusive education hub, funded by the department through the inclusion 2024 programme is an online platform of bespoke resources to help schools make PE and sport more inclusive.

Whether she plans to develop programmes promoting active lifestyles for children and young people as recommended in the article by Sarah MacQuarrie and Alexandra Hennessey entitled Transforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport, and physical activity, published on 12 February 2025.

This government values physical education (PE) and sport as a way to improve not only the health, but the wellbeing and lives of all children and young people. Existing government-funded programmes look to address this with the primary PE and sport premium and the School Games Organisers.To address specific barriers, we have recently launched an open procurement for a new grant programme for up to 3 financial years (from April 2025 to March 2028 at up to £300,000 per year) to develop and deliver a programme that improves and increases PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities for pupils with SEND. The inclusive education hub, funded by the department through the inclusion 2024 programme is an online platform of bespoke resources to help schools make PE and sport more inclusive.

What steps she is taking to support schools to (a) understand and (b) support autistic pupils.

The government is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that education settings should put in support to meet the needs of the child or young person when they are identified. All children and young people should be supported within their education setting. All teachers are teachers of SEND, including autism.To increase understanding of autism the department has a contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This contract funds SEND training and provides support for the school and further education workforce, with over 220,000 professionals having completed autism awareness training since May 2022.In November 2024 the department brought together a group of leading neurodiversity experts to advise the department on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.The department has also introduced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, alongside NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, backed by £13 million funding.PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children in around 1,600 (10%) mainstream primary schools and supports neurodiverse children at the whole-school level. It is needs led, rather than diagnosis-led, therefore it includes children without a formal diagnosis.The programme is being evaluated, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.

Whether she plans to make funding available for Local Authorities to clear the backlog of young people waiting for their EHCP to be implemented.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision (AP) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department recognises the challenges that families face in accessing support for children and young people as part of the education, health and care plan process and we are considering carefully how to address this situation. We have listened to many parents and those who advise them, local authority colleagues and partners across education, health and social care and we are reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.The department is providing almost £1 billion more for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. The department has also announced £740 million of high needs capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to invest in places for children and young people with SEND or who require AP.

What steps she is taking to improve the value for money of education, health and care plans.

For too long, the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.The department wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high-quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. Our approach will support families and break down the barriers to opportunity for their children.The department recognises the complex financial challenges facing the existing SEND system and the strain that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting on local government. But this government also understands that more money is not always the answer. What matters is how the money is spent and what behaviours we are incentivising within the system from funding allocations. The government wants to focus on meeting more children’s needs in mainstream which enables children to thrive, provides high value and ensures more families have confidence that their children’s needs will be met without having to pursue an EHC plan. Where EHC plans are needed we will consider what further can be done to deliver these through inclusive mainstream provision.The Delivering Better Value in SEND programme worked with 51 local authorities to review and improve the way their services are structured so they can support children and young people with SEND more effectively and sustainably. The programme required local authorities to develop action plans that place greater emphasis on early intervention in order to meet children and young people’s needs early.The department has published an independently-commissioned insight report which showed that if the system improved, 65% of children and young people could have their needs met in a more effective way, and that this could lead to tens of thousands more children having their needs met without an EHC plan, in a mainstream setting, rather than a specialist placement.The department has published a toolkit to help other local areas learn from the experience of those on the Delivering Better Value in SEND programme.

What steps she has taken to improve the inclusivity of mainstream schools for autistic and neurodivergent young people.

The government is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that education settings should put in support to meet the needs of the child or young person when they are identified. All children and young people should be supported within their education setting. All teachers are teachers of SEND, including autism.To increase understanding of autism the department has a contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This contract funds SEND training and provides support for the school and further education workforce, with over 220,000 professionals having completed autism awareness training since May 2022.In November 2024 the department brought together a group of leading neurodiversity experts to advise the department on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.The department has also introduced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, alongside NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, backed by £13 million funding.PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children in around 1,600 (10%) mainstream primary schools and supports neurodiverse children at the whole-school level. It is needs led, rather than diagnosis-led, therefore it includes children without a formal diagnosis.The programme is being evaluated, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.

If she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the University of Manchester's research entitled Social and Emotional Learning for Every Child: Why SEL Matters, published on 6 November 2024.

Schools have a statutory duty, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development. The department published guidance in 2014 to support schools in delivering that requirement.In health education, which is part of mandatory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), there is a strong focus on mental wellbeing, including a recognition that mental wellbeing and physical health are linked.The aim of teaching pupils about mental wellbeing and physical health is to give them the information they need to make good decisions about their own health and wellbeing, recognise issues in themselves and others and, when issues arise, how to seek support. This includes learning how to recognise and talk about their emotions, the benefits of exercise and self-care techniques, as well as developing pupils’ resilience and their ability to self-regulate and recognise the early signs of mental wellbeing concerns.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public the consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence.

What steps her Department is taking to include (a) schools and (b) educational agencies in local arrangements for safeguarding.

The involvement of education and childcare agencies is fundamental at all levels of safeguarding arrangements. The department knows that teachers and educators are often the first to spot warning signs of abuse and neglect and are the largest referrer of cases into children’s social care after the police. That is why the department is introducing measures through the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to strengthen the role of education in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. We will make it a legal obligation for safeguarding partners to automatically include all education and childcare agencies at both operational and strategic levels of their safeguarding arrangements. These measures include all education settings, covering early years and childcare settings through to schools, colleges and alternative provision, so that opportunities to keep children safe are not missed.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of either (a) removing the margin or (b) capping the interest rate on student loans.

Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree. The government does not make a profit from the student loan repayment system. The department is determined that the higher education (HE) funding system should deliver for our economy, for universities and for students and the government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. We will set out this government’s longer-term plan for HE reform by summer 2025. Interest rates on student loans do not affect monthly repayments made by borrowers. Regular repayments are based on a fixed percentage of earnings above the applicable student loan repayment threshold, not on the amount borrowed or the rate of interest. If a borrower’s income drops, so does the amount they repay. If income is below the relevant student loan repayment threshold, or a borrower is not earning, then they do not have to make repayments at all. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower. Interest rates are set annually in relation to the Retail Price Index. The government caps maximum student loan rates when needed to ensure that student loan interest rates do not exceed market rates for comparable unsecured personal loans. A full equality impact assessment of how student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.