Written questions by Hall.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the Religious Education Initial Teacher Training bursary on the quality of RE provision in secondary schools.

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. As such, we review bursaries annually to take account of several factors, including recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. Between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for religious education increased by 68%, one of the largest increases across all subjects.New teachers benefit from three years of professional development through the initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core knowledge, skills, and behaviours for great teaching, alongside expert mentoring and support. All trainee teachers must meet the Teachers’ Standards for qualified teacher status in full before they qualify, which requires that they ‘Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge’.

What steps she is taking to ensure that schools have access to mental health support for pupils.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Warrington South to the answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 115995.

What steps her Department is taking to improve access to speech and language support for children with communication needs in schools.

Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often, children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) wait too long to receive support from them.As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from professionals such as SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. These experts will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers, and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.This is in addition to £3.4 million being invested this year in the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, helping to identify and respond to speech and language needs, continued investment in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on speech and language skills particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and an expansion of English Hubs support to include specialist early language support from the 2026/27 academic year.

Whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit all forms of physical punishment of children in England.

The department continues to look closely at the legislative changes made in Wales and Scotland but has no plans to legislate to remove the reasonable punishment defence in England at this time. It is right that we protect all children at risk of harm, but it is also right that we do not intervene in family life when children are safe, loved and well supported.The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide greater protection for children who are at risk of abuse and neglect. We have also launched plans for a new Child Protection Authority and are providing £2.4 billion funding for the Families First Partnership programme to support families who need targeted support. In addition, we are rolling out Best Start Family Hubs, backed by over £500 million, to ensure families in every part of the country have access to a range of universal services, including evidence-based interventions for parenting.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the early (a) identification and (b) support of children with special educational needs (i) in areas with lower special educational needs resources, (ii) for children without formal diagnosis and (iii) in all areas.

The department is determined to ensure that all settings have the tools to identify special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) early, support children and young people, and prevent the escalation of needs later on. Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.We recognise that the early years presents a crucial opportunity to invest in children’s development. We are investing in additional support and improving how funding is distributed to providers, supporting them to strengthen inclusion and early intervention.Best Start Family Hubs will also provide high quality support in every local authority. Each hub will include access to a professional trained to support parents of children with additional needs, helping to identify SEND early and connect families with local services.The department is also investing in evidence-based programmes, including the Nuffield Early Language Intervention and the Early Language and Speech for Every Child programme, to support children with their speech and language development. We have published free resources for providers, including an online training module and SEND assessment guidance, and we are funding the level 3 Early Years qualification for an additional 1,000 early years Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund fair access limit on the mental health of adopted children and children living with a special guardianship.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Warrington South to the answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 47954.

What steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce delays in Education, Health and Care Plan assessments and (b) ensure consistency in provision across local authorities; and whether she plans to provide additional resources to areas with high caseloads.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high-quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.

Whether she plans to take steps to improve the delivery of financial literacy skills in secondary schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April to Question 43513.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of financial education provision in the national curriculum for preparing young people to manage personal finances.

I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April to Question 43513.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that all new Education, Health and Care Plans are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high-quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.

What steps she is taking to consult (a) disabled children, (b) young people and (c) families on SEND reforms under development.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is engaging with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) charities, stakeholders, young people and parents and carers on a wide variety of issues, including through weekly engagement sessions via webinars, meetings and visits. She also conducts roundtables with charities and campaigners, the most recent of which was in June.As a new Minister, I am committed to engagement with young people, families, teachers and experts in SEND. These engagements will carry on throughout the White Paper consultation period into the autumn and beyond, including consulting with disabled children, young people and families on SEND issues.

What steps she is taking to support parents with the adoption process.

​​The government is funding Adoption England with £8.8 million this year to improve adoption services. Adoption England has published national standards for the adopter journey which covers all stages of the approval process from initial contact, through to assessment, approval and matching. A key feature of the standards is that prospective adopters feel welcomed and supported throughout the process. This includes opportunities to meet existing adopters and others going through the approval process. Adoption England regularly undertake mystery shopping exercises to ensure the advice and support adopters receive is consistent and high-quality across the country.Adoption agencies agree a support plan with prospective adopters when they have been matched with children which evolves over time as the child grows and develops.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of funding for local authorities to deliver timely and effective SEND provision.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.The department is providing total high needs funding of over £12 billion in 2025/26 for children and young people with complex SEND in England. Warrington Borough Council is being allocated over £36 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.The department is considering the funding required for future years and how it is to be allocated, following the conclusion of the recent spending review. Our objective is that future funding for SEND supports our plans for reforming the SEND system, which will be set out in further detail in an upcoming White Paper.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) improve and (b) simplify the SEND tribunal process for parents.

There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to ensure they are supported throughout their education and into adult life.The SEND tribunal will remain an important legal backstop for families. The department is working with parents and families, our expert partners and committed workforce to ensure any changes to the SEND system ensure easier and quicker access to support for children. Ensuring effective routes to resolving disputes is an important part of delivering a system which works for children and families and we will work collectively to secure this.

How much of the £740 million investment to support inclusive classrooms has been allocated to schools in Warrington South constituency; and what criteria were used to determine allocations for (a) adaptations, (b) specialist units and (c) additional special school places.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.Of this £740 million, Warrington Borough Council has been allocated £3 million.This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.It is up to the council to determine how they prioritise this funding to address local need in the most appropriate way.

What progress the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group has made on developing recommendations to improve inclusivity for neurodivergent children in mainstream schools.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University, is providing an expert view and making recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings.The group brings together experts including clinicians, scientists and academics, education professionals, and charities representing specific types of neurodivergence.The department has been clear that in developing their advice, we expect the group to draw on a wide range of inputs, including other sector experts and stakeholders, to ensure appropriate coverage of other types of neurodivergence. The group have also been listening to the voices of neurodivergent children and young people, their parents, and others who care for them.The group is finalising its recommendations.

Whether any schools in Warrington South constituency are receiving support through the new attendance and behaviour hubs; and how her Department is monitoring the impact of this programme on pupil (a) attendance and (b) behaviour outcomes.

The department recently announced our Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme and will be announcing the appointment of lead Hubs and further information about available support in the coming months. Schools in need of support will then be matched with lead hubs.Each new Attendance and Behaviour Hub will work closely with their respective regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) team to help identify and deliver the appropriate support for schools with attendance and behaviour challenges. In addition, lead Hubs will also deliver termly regional events, including open days and training sessions, collectively reaching up to 4,500 schools per year.The programme will be independently evaluated throughout its lifespan utilising process, impact and economic evaluation methodologies.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the national adoption strategy in improving outcomes for children in care; and what steps she is taking to (a) reduce waiting times and (b) ensure consistency in adoption services across England.

The department is always working to improve adoption services, and particularly the work of Adoption England, which we fund to improve local adoption services. The department collects quarterly statistics on the main adoption indicators of performance and Ofsted inspects local authority performance through their inspection programme.Adoption England published a three-year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. It sets out a wide range of work to develop services across the country, in partnership with those with lived experience. This includes the introduction of national standards, improving the recruitment of adopters and timely matching of children and family support. The strategy can be accessed here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.For 2025/26, the department has provided £8.8 million for Adoption England and I recently set out my priorities for this funding in a letter to Sarah Johal, Adoption England’s National Strategic leader. The letter can be accessed here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/FINAL%20JD%20LETTER%20TO%20SARAH%20JOHAL%20-%20030425.pdf. Departmental officials and I regularly meet with Sarah to discuss progress on improvements to adoption services.

What recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities continue to have reliable access to home-to-school transport.

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for eligible children. This includes children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of their special educational needs (SEN), disability or mobility problem.We know that challenges in the wider SEN system are creating pressure on home-to-school travel. We have committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. The Spending Review announcement on 11 June confirmed significant new funding to support special educational needs and disabilities reform and a White Paper with further details on plans will be published in the autumn. This will reduce the pressure on home-to-school travel over time leaving it better able to meet the needs of those that continue to need it.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the branded school uniform cap on families from less affluent backgrounds.

For too many families, the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. ​This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require, to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.​​Departmental research has found the average expenditure on uniform reduced as the range of outlets from which parents could purchase items increased. Average spend was significantly lower where all items could be purchased from anywhere (£227.29), than where all had to be purchased from a designated shop or from a school (£283.90).For some items, the survey found that parents buying from a designated shop or from school had paid twice that of parents able to buy from anywhere. The data also show that 8% of parents had, at some point in the past, been discouraged from applying to enter their child into a particular school due to the cost of uniform, rising to 26% among parents who had experienced financial hardship as a result of purchasing school uniform items. This research is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.Whilst savings to families from less affluent backgrounds will vary depending on schools' current practices, we estimate that requiring fewer branded items from designated suppliers could save some parents over £50 per child during the back-to-school shop from September 2026.