Written questions by Collins.

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.

Awaiting answer.

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.

Awaiting answer.

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.

Awaiting answer.

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 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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

What assessment her Department has made 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 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 long-term funding for schools supported by the Music and Dance Scheme.

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 assessment her Department has made of the amount of technology required by state schools in England.

The department monitors the level of technology required by state schools in England through the Technology in Schools Survey 2025, which captures evidence on digital infrastructure, devices and connectivity.To support schools, the department has published clear digital and technology standards, covering broadband, wireless networks, filtering and monitoring, cyber security, cloud storage, devices and digital leadership. These standards help schools make informed decisions about the technology required for safe and effective teaching.We continue to invest in programmes such as Connect the Classroom and the Plan Technology for Your School service to ensure all schools can meet these expectations by 2030.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure the education system distinguishes between children with short-term speech and language delays and lifelong communication needs.

We know that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists is essential. This is why the department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).We also know that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings and announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that every teacher, teaching assistant and leader can be trained to support pupils with SEND.We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure that free period products are accessible to everyone who needs them in schools, workplaces, and public facilities.

Nobody should have to miss out on education because of their period, which is why the department provides free period products to girls and women in their place of study through the period products scheme. The scheme aims to remove periods as a barrier to accessing education and addresses pupils being unable to afford period products.

What comparative assessment she has made of disparities in AI training and support between (a) state and private schools, and (b) high-performing and underperforming schools; and what steps she is taking to address these inequalities.

The department does not publish comparative assessments of artificial intelligence (AI) training between school types, but we monitor sector capability through the Technology in Schools Survey, which informs our programmes. Earlier this year we published online support materials to help teachers and leaders use AI safely and effectively, developed with sector experts. Our approach benefits all schools and reduces disparities in access and capability.Following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report on 5 November, we will update the national curriculum to prepare young people for life and work in a changing world. Refreshed programmes of study will include AI, including issues like bias, in addition to digital and media literacy.To ensure consistency, we are legislating so that academies will be required to teach the refreshed national curriculum alongside maintained schools. Content will be shaped through expert engagement, with a public consultation on draft proposals next year.