Written questions by Braverman.

How many reported assaults on teachers and school staff occurred in each of the last five years.

No member of school staff should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will work with the sector to make clear that abuse against teachers will not be tolerated.Schools have a duty and a responsibility to protect pupils and staff and the government supports them with a range of guidance to help fulfil their responsibilities, including advice on health and safety, school security and targeted advice on gangs and youth violence. More information on work-related violence can be found in guidance from the Health and Safety Executive: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/.The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England, including those with a reason of physical assault on adults. To note, the numbers of suspensions and permanent exclusions is not the same as the number of incidents. A suspension could relate to a number of incidents, and up to three reasons can be given for suspensions and permanent exclusions.The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of current penalties for parents whose children fail to attend school regularly.

Evidence on the use of legal interventions for non-attendance, including penalty notices and prosecutions, is considered alongside wider attendance data and local authority feedback to assess the effectiveness of current penalties.Attendance data for unauthorised absence in the 2024/25 academic year showed our approach is having a positive impact, as the proportion of absence due to unauthorised holiday fell from 0.53% in 2023/24 to 0.48% in 2024/25 meaning approximately 1.3 million fewer absence sessions due to unauthorised holidays across the 2024/25 school year. The overall rate of absence fell by 0.37 percentage points, resulting in over five million more days in school last year.Our guidance is clear that enforcement should be used as a last resort and as part of a broader support-first approach. 93% of penalty notices issued in 2024/25 were for unauthorised term-time holidays, demonstrating that fixed penalty notices are being used primarily in circumstances where support is not appropriate, as intended.The department continues to work with schools and local authorities to promote effective practice and improve attendance outcomes for all pupils.

How many suspensions were issued in each of the last five academic years, broken down by type of school.

Statistics on suspensions, by academic year and school type, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This has been available since 10 July 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2024.

The department publishes termly and annual statistics on suspension and permanent exclusions, including the reasons why pupils are suspended. The latest full academic year release, covering 2023/24, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This data sets out national patterns and drivers of suspension and informs the department’s ongoing approach to behaviour and exclusion policy.

What assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2016.

The department publishes termly and annual statistics on suspension and permanent exclusions, including the reasons why pupils are suspended. The latest full academic year release, covering 2023/24, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This data sets out national patterns and drivers of suspension and informs the department’s ongoing approach to behaviour and exclusion policy.

What guidance is provided to schools and local authorities on when to issue penalty notices or pursue prosecution for persistent non‑attendance.

The department’s statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools and local authorities on attendance support and the proportionate use of enforcement, including when penalty notices or prosecution may be considered for persistent non‑attendance. The national framework for penalty notices is intended to improve fairness and consistency by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country and on an individual basis, preventing the use of blanket rules.The guidance emphasises a support‑first approach and makes clear that legal intervention should only be used where support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or is not appropriate, including in most cases of unauthorised term‑time holidays. The department engages regularly with local authorities to support consistent implementation and keeps the attendance enforcement system under review.

How many complaints about pupil suspensions were upheld by her Department in each of the last five years.

The department’s School Complaints Compliance Unit considers complaints about exclusions including pupil suspensions in relation to both academies and local authority maintained schools. Complaints are categorised as exclusions complaints on our case management system. Data on complaints logged as exclusion complaints for the last five academic years is in the table below: Number of exclusion complaints upheld or partially upheld by the departmentAcademic YearNumber of academy exclusion complaintsNumber of maintained school exclusion complaints2020/211372021/221382022/231152023/242752024/251392025/26*139Total9043 *Complaints received and closed up to and including 31 March 2026.

What remedies are available to parents who wish to challenge disciplinary decisions made by academy schools.

Parents can raise concerns about behaviour management in academies through the academy’s complaints process.Where parents believe that an academy has not followed proper procedures or has acted unlawfully, and they have fully exhausted the academy’s complaints process, they can raise a complaint with the department. Parents may also pursue legal remedies where appropriate, including judicial review, and may bring claims to the First‑tier Tribunal where a decision is alleged to involve disability discrimination.The Schools White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for ensuring the school complaints process works better for all involved.

Whether she plans to introduce additional oversight mechanisms for academy trusts in relation to complaints about suspensions and behaviour management.

Parents can raise concerns about behaviour management in academies through the academy’s complaints process.Where parents believe that an academy has not followed proper procedures or has acted unlawfully, and they have fully exhausted the academy’s complaints process, they can raise a complaint with the department. Parents may also pursue legal remedies where appropriate, including judicial review, and may bring claims to the First‑tier Tribunal where a decision is alleged to involve disability discrimination.The Schools White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for ensuring the school complaints process works better for all involved.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools in preventing and responding to assaults on teachers.

No member of school staff should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will work with the sector to make clear that abuse against teachers will not be tolerated.Schools have a duty and a responsibility to protect pupils and staff and the government supports them with a range of guidance to help fulfil their responsibilities, including advice on health and safety, school security and targeted advice on gangs and youth violence. More information on work-related violence can be found in guidance from the Health and Safety Executive: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/.The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England, including those with a reason of physical assault on adults. To note, the numbers of suspensions and permanent exclusions is not the same as the number of incidents. A suspension could relate to a number of incidents, and up to three reasons can be given for suspensions and permanent exclusions.The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24.

If her Department will consider pausing repayment demands until an investigation into the causes of the incorrect payments has been completed.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What discussions she has had with the Student Loans Company on the processes used to verify course attendance requirements before awarding maintenance support.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What number of students have been notified that they may be reassessed as ineligible for maintenance support as a result of incorrect course classifications by higher education providers.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Whether her Department has assessed the extent to which franchised higher education provision contributed to the misclassification of weekend‑only courses as eligible for maintenance loans.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment she has made of trends in the pay gap between further education teachers and school teachers, and the potential impact of this gap on the level of recruitment and retention in technical subjects.

The statutory requirements for maintained schoolteachers' pay are set nationally subject to recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body. In 2023/24, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) salary for teachers in secondary schools was £47,666.Further education (FE) colleges have statutory autonomy over the pay of their staff. There is value in colleges having the freedom to meet local technical skills needs within their own local circumstances, and the government does not set college teacher pay. In 2023/24, the median FTE average salary for teachers on permanent or fixed term contracts in FE colleges was £36,316 and £47,133 in sixth form colleges.FE teachers are central to delivering high-quality technical education. Last year, we announced an additional £190 million broadly equivalent to the pay award in schools for colleges and other 16-19 providers to help them address the recruitment and retention of specialist FE teachers. Our targeted retention incentive offer is designed to retain eligible FE teachers in technical subjects with payments of up to £6,000 after tax. In its first year, nearly 6,000 teachers received a payment.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in funding for 16 to 19 education in 2026-27 on the financial sustainability of further education colleges.

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

Whether she plans to review the lagged funding model for 16–19 provision, in the context of trends in the level of demographic growth and the inability of further education colleges to receive full in‑year funding for additional learners.

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

With reference to her Department's joint publication entitled Post-16 education and skills white paper, published on 20 October 2025, whether it remains her policy to increase 16–19 funding in real terms for the next academic year.

In recent years, the number of students in 16 to 19 education and the funding to support them have risen rapidly. In the 2026/27 academic year, the government will provide nearly £9 billion in 16 to 19 funding. We have made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024/25 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect that the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year.The expected funding per student in 2026/27 will be an increase of 1.66% compared with the 2025/26 academic year, meeting the White Paper commitment by reflecting forecast inflation at the time the Spending Review was settled and the White Paper published. This increase does not include the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund which will provide £83 million per year in additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision over the next three years, to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of special educational needs and disabilities needs.These increases in funding contribute to the financial sustainability of further education colleges. We will continue to fund the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds, providing significant investment to ensure there are valuable and high-quality post-16 places for every student that wants one, supporting our economy and enabling young people to be able to progress and thrive. However, the lagged funding model for 16 to 19 provision will be kept under review and we will announce the position on in-year growth for the 2025/26 academic year in due course.

Whether she plans to strengthen whistleblowing protections for teachers who raise concerns about safeguarding, political indoctrination or unlawful gender‑related practices in schools.

School and trust leaders are responsible for making decisions about staff in school and should follow employment law when carrying out their duties.The laws protecting whistleblowers also apply to teachers. Details of who can be a whistleblower, and what complaints fall under whistleblowing laws can be found in the ’Whistle blowing for employees’ guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/whistleblowing.Personal grievances, for example bullying, harassment and discrimination, are not covered by whistleblowing law, unless the particular case is in the public interest, and should instead be raised through a school’s grievance process.The government has introduced a new measure, through the Employment Rights Act 2025, that will address the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by employers. The government will consult on the conditions under which NDAs can still be validly.

What steps she is taking to support university (a) staff and (b) students who raise concerns about breaches of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. ​We commenced provisions from the Higher Education (HE) (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 on 1 August 2025 including strengthened provider duties to secure and promote the importance of free speech and academic freedom, and a requirement to put in place effective free speech codes of practice. The Office for Students’ Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the HE sector to offer advice and share best practice, so providers themselves are more effectively protecting free speech and academic freedom.Our commitment to the complaints scheme was clearly set out last year: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-the-higher-education-freedom-of-speech-act-2023. Students can continue to report their free speech complaints to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.