Every parliamentary written question tabled by Victoria Collins this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 84 · Department for Education
What assessment her department has made on the usage of Artificial Intelligence in schools by a) students and b) teachers.
The department continuously monitors the emerging implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on education, including its use by pupils and teachers.AI can have a transformative effect on education, supporting every child and young person to achieve and ...
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed SEND reforms on regional variations in access to specialist education support.
The department recognises that there are currently unacceptable regional variations in access to support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Our proposed reforms will address these disparities by introducin...
What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that media and digital literacy education is accessible to children with additional needs.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 16 June 2026 to Question 7748.
What steps her Department are taking to address the recruitment and retention of teachers in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
Recruiting and retaining expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, as high-quality teaching is the factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes in school. In Feb...
What steps her department is taking to support young people not in education employment or training, in Harpenden and Berkhamsted.
The government has announced a package of measures aimed at preventing young people from becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET). A central challenge is that too many young people are identified as at risk too late, when disengagement has...
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of PE funding in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
On 21 May 2026, the government announced that it is increasing investment and over £1 billion in school sports over the next three years, including funding for the new Partnerships Network, improvements to school sports facilities and transitional support...
How much pupil premium funding has been provided to schools in each Hertfordshire constituency (a) this year (b) in total since the policy was introduced.
Pupil premium allocations for Broxbourne, Harpenden and Berkhamsted, Hertford and Stortford, Hertsmere, Hitchin, North East Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield have been published each year since the ...
How many pupils have received universal school meals for infants in each Hertfordshire constituency (a) this year (b) in total since the policy was introduced.
The department holds the data for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) taken in Hertfordshire since the policy was introduced, but not at constituency level. This data is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and characteristics’ publication. The most r...
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the levels of funding for music and dance schools on the adequacy of the provision of music and dance training.
The government is committed to revitalising arts education.This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximatel...
How far the proposed SEND reforms will address the postcode lottery in access to specialist education support.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of then number of school places for children with SEND in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), rests with local authorities. To support this, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030. In 2025/26 and 2026/27, Hertfordshire has been allocated just over £11.1 million and circa £17.3 million respectively through high needs provision capital allocations.This funding can be used to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools to deliver more tailored support. It can also be used to improves accessibility in mainstream settings and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.Hertfordshire County Council will receive over £220 million through the high needs funding block of its 2026/27 dedicated schools grant, following a 10% per-head increase in its high needs revenue funding last year.Across Hertfordshire, the rate of education, health and care plans issued within 20 weeks was 94% in January 2026, 97% in February, and 93% in March.
What steps she is taking to make it easier for parents to get support for children with SEND in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), rests with local authorities. To support this, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030. In 2025/26 and 2026/27, Hertfordshire has been allocated just over £11.1 million and circa £17.3 million respectively through high needs provision capital allocations.This funding can be used to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools to deliver more tailored support. It can also be used to improves accessibility in mainstream settings and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.Hertfordshire County Council will receive over £220 million through the high needs funding block of its 2026/27 dedicated schools grant, following a 10% per-head increase in its high needs revenue funding last year.Across Hertfordshire, the rate of education, health and care plans issued within 20 weeks was 94% in January 2026, 97% in February, and 93% in March.
What recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of children’s happiness at school.
The department is committed to improving pupils’ experience of school, which can affect attendance, engagement, attainment and wider wellbeing.As set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, the government will work with partners to produce a Pupil Engagement Framework to be published later this year. This framework will help schools to measure and improve the key factors that determine pupils’ engagement in education, including their sense of belonging and safety, inclusion and relationships with teachers and fellow pupils. By the end of the Parliament, we expect every school to monitor children’s sense of belonging and engagement, up from around 60% of schools today, and take action in line with the Framework so more children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and disabilities, will feel a strong sense of belonging in school.
What assessment she has made of the trends in the length of time it takes parents who suspect their child has SEND to get an assessment in Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), rests with local authorities. To support this, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/2026 and 2029/2030. In 2025/26 and 2026/27, Hertfordshire has been allocated just over £11.1 million and circa £17.3 million respectively through high needs provision capital allocations.This funding can be used to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools to deliver more tailored support. It can also be used to improves accessibility in mainstream settings and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.Hertfordshire County Council will receive over £220 million through the high needs funding block of its 2026/27 dedicated schools grant, following a 10% per-head increase in its high needs revenue funding last year.Across Hertfordshire, the rate of education, health and care plans issued within 20 weeks was 94% in January 2026, 97% in February, and 93% in March.
What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of children’s physical safety in schools.
Nothing is more important than the safety of children. It is the responsibility of those running our schools (academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies) to ensure their school buildings are safe, well-maintained, and compliant with relevant regulations. The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 specify minimum standards for the premises of all local-authority maintained schools in England, with the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 fulfilling the same function for voluntary aided, foundation and academy trust schools.The department provides guidance, tools and support to help schools and responsible bodies effectively manage their school buildings.The department has published the statutory safeguarding guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ alongside a range of other guidance, which sets out clear expectations in relation to training staff and putting effective systems in place to ensure the physical safety of children whilst in school. Schools are expected to have policies in place on security measures and to conduct risk assessments and develop plans, covering everything from deterring attacks and keeping learners safe, to developing lockdown procedures.
With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published on 23 February 2026, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of senior pay in multi‑academy trusts; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding is not diverted from the classroom to excessive management salaries.
The department is clear that executive pay must be justifiable, transparent, evidence-based and reflect individual responsibility. Trustees should adhere to these principles in setting pay, supported by our guidance and advice. We are taking steps to respond to instances where we see high salaries compared to peers. This includes tightening the Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) by requiring executive pay increases to be proportionate and justified, to prevent excessive increases for individuals carrying out broadly similar roles.The department reviews trusts’ annual accounts to identify trusts with outlying levels of executive pay and engages with them to ensure compliance with the requirements of the ATH.
What assessment her Department has made of the accessibility of written examination formats for neurodiverse students in schools and further education settings.
Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications, is responsible for ensuring the exams system is fair and accessible for all students. It has published guidance for awarding organisations to follow when designing qualifications, setting clear expectations around accessible language, layout, structure and the removal of unnecessary burdens to ensure that exams are designed to be accessible for all learners, including neurodiverse students.Ofqual has also conducted research into the role of time pressure in assessment, including speed of working, the impact of having extra time in exams and the wider evidence base on timed assessment.Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons to prevent substantial disadvantage in exams and assessments. Reasonable adjustments may include 25% extra time in the exam or the use of a reader, scribe, word processor or assistive technology, and ensure that students can demonstrate their knowledge without changing the exam content. A range of access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests and assessments, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency.Additionally, in the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department committed to working with Ofqual and the exam boards to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification process, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of timed examinations on the performance of neurodiverse students.
Ofqual, as the independent regulator of qualifications, is responsible for ensuring the exams system is fair and accessible for all students. It has published guidance for awarding organisations to follow when designing qualifications, setting clear expectations around accessible language, layout, structure and the removal of unnecessary burdens to ensure that exams are designed to be accessible for all learners, including neurodiverse students.Ofqual has also conducted research into the role of time pressure in assessment, including speed of working, the impact of having extra time in exams and the wider evidence base on timed assessment.Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled persons to prevent substantial disadvantage in exams and assessments. Reasonable adjustments may include 25% extra time in the exam or the use of a reader, scribe, word processor or assistive technology, and ensure that students can demonstrate their knowledge without changing the exam content. A range of access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests and assessments, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency.Additionally, in the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department committed to working with Ofqual and the exam boards to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification process, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
What steps her Department is taking to help ensure children from non-privileged backgrounds can access music and dance training (a) through the Music and Dance Scheme Schools and (b) any other schemes.
The government is committed to revitalising arts education. This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course. The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes. We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.
What plans her Department has to provide support to schools that face financial challenges to participate in the Music and Dance Scheme Schools.
The government is committed to revitalising arts education. This includes £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year, with £32.5 million allocated for the approximately 900 students attending schools and £4 million for the approximately 1100 students at Centres for Advanced Training. Future funding will be announced in due course. The government funds the Music Hub network, providing £76 million annually to support all state-funded schools and pupils. The government also provides means‑tested Dance and Drama Awards for dance students, and Arts Council England funds a wide range of music and dance education programmes. We will establish a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September, investing £13 million over three years to support state-funded schools to deliver more equitable arts education. Dance teaching in state‑funded schools will also be supported by the new PE and School Sport Partnership network as part of the revised physical education curriculum.