Written questions by Slade.

If she will have discussions with Diabetes UK on (a) the ongoing consultation on SEND reform and (b) reforms to the SEND support system more broadly.

During the 12‑week special educational needs and disabilities consultation period, the department delivered an engagement programme that ensured we listened to children and young people, families, educators and the sector.A national public engagement programme, delivered in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children, ensured that families, practitioners and young people can engage meaningfully with the proposals. This included:Nine regional events.24 children and young people–led sessions.Six information webinars for health, education, local authority leaders, social care and parent carers.Additional departmental forums, including regional improvement for standards and excellence conferences, provided further channels to raise awareness and gather sector feedback. We delivered a national, multi‑channel engagement programme with more than 100 engagement events across a broad spectrum of sectors.We want engagement to continue. Ministers are holding ongoing stakeholder meetings and I would be happy to meet Diabetes UK should they write to my office.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering free GCSE exams to children studying under Elective Home Education across England.

The government provides funding to state schools and colleges, which covers examination entries for students who are on roll. When a parent chooses to educate their child outside of the school system, for any reason, they take full responsibility of their child’s education, including all associated costs, such as examination fees. For this reason, the department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of providing free GCSE examinations for home-educated pupils.The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, when implemented, will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide information on accessing GCSE examinations to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it, unless it would be unreasonable for them to do so. We will provide additional funding to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties.

If she will have discussions with Diabetes UK on (a) the open consultation on SEND reform, and (b) reforms to the SEND support system more broadly.

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

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the statutory guidance on school attendance to allow exemptions for term-time holiday fines for families where the parents have to work during school holidays.

The school year is structured so that there are opportunities for holidays outside of term-time. All schools have the discretion to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances, judging each application on the specific facts. However, generally a holiday would not constitute an exceptional circumstance. Schools and local authorities also have considerable flexibility to plan term dates themselves and hold inset days and other occasional days at quieter times of the year, helping families to plan breaks at times that suit them.Where term-time holidays are taken without permission, it is right that the law protects children’s right to a full-time education. The national framework for penalty notices is designed to improve fairness by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country, and on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules.

If she will add data about young people's caring responsibilities to information collected as part of the school census.

The School Census requires schools to indicate if a child has been identified as a young carer, and if so, by whom. Young carers can be identified by parents, the pupil themselves or by the school.The return of this data is a requirement for all schools, except nurseries, and data must be returned in the Spring Census each year. Schools do not need to seek the permission of the pupil or parent to return this data to the department.Data on young carers has been collected since the 2022/23 academic year and is published each summer.

What steps her Department is taking to improve teachers' (a) wellbeing and (b) working conditions to support them to deliver consistent high quality teaching.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of teachers' wellbeing on their ability to deliver high quality teaching.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

What steps she is taking to regulate how multi-academy trusts address concerns raised by parents of children whose school is joining a multi-academy trust.

Section 5 of the Academies Act 2010 requires maintained schools to consult appropriate persons on whether the school should convert to academy status before the conversion goes ahead. This does not apply to schools that are eligible for intervention.In the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the department committed to consult on requiring school trusts to have local governance structures that together include all their schools, hold annual parental forums, and ensure boards hear directly from parents and school communities. The consultation will draw on the strongest sector practice in engaging parents and communities, to ensure that trust boards benefit from clear, consistent insight into the needs and priorities of the families they serve.

Whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of interest rates on student loans on graduates’ likelihood of becoming home owners.

Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers as repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold, repayments are made at a constant rate of 9%. This rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial year under the repayment threshold of £29,385.Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.Having an outstanding student loan is not a barrier to accessing a mortgage, however regular student loan repayments will be considered alongside other living costs as part of the affordability check for mortgage applications.

Whether she has plans to review the commencement date of interest accruing on student loans.

We inherited the student loans system, including Plan 2, which was devised by the previous government. Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.Borrowers on Plan 5 student loans only accrue interest at Retail Price Index, currently 3.2%. This means graduates will not repay more than they borrow in real terms.Interest accrues on loan balances from the first day the loan is paid to the learning provider, and/or to the student, until the loan has been repaid in full or cancelled. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by borrowers.

If she will take steps to ensure that any changes to SEND provision include access to occupational therapy for children and young people with SEND in mainstream schools.

The department is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including occupational therapy for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As we look to reform the SEND system, we want to improve how services that support early identification and intervention and whole school inclusive practice are jointly commissioned and made available to schools. The local authorities and the Integrated Care Board as joint commissioners of services will continue to play an important role in this.

If she will take steps to provide dedicated funding for (a) sensory-friendly adaptations and (b) other environmental adjustments in schools to support the inclusion of children and young people with SEND.

In December, the department announced at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30, to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities or who require alternative provision. This funding is intended to create facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.The department will confirm local authority allocations later in the spring.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of specialist occupational therapists to support children and young people with SEND in schools.

The department is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including occupational therapy for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). As we look to reform the SEND system, we want to improve how services that support early identification and intervention and whole school inclusive practice are jointly commissioned and made available to schools. The local authorities and the Integrated Care Board as joint commissioners of services will continue to play an important role in this.

If she will take steps to ensure that occupational therapists are consulted in the design of (a) new school buildings and (b) new learning environments, funded through school capital investment programmes.

Departmental construction programmes build or rebuild schools in line with our design and construction standards. These standards integrate statutory requirements for accessibility and equitable use in all new or rebuilt school settings, including mainstream.Since our specifications are prepared by industry experts and reference the latest standards and guidance for accessible, equitable and inclusive environments, it is not necessary to engage with occupational therapists.We use evidence from building-in-use studies to ensure the specifications guiding our designs meet end-user needs and are updated when necessary.Stakeholder engagement forms an integral part of the delivery process for all projects using the department’s suite of documentation.The Equality Act 2010 requires local authorities to prepare accessibility strategies for the schools for which they are the responsible bodies. There is a similar duty for individual schools of all types to develop accessibility plans.

If she will take steps to introduce testing for neurodiversity in educational settings for students aged 16 and above.

Improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings is a key part of the government’s ambition to ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need to achieve and thrive, in the most appropriate setting.The department has recently announced a new £200 million landmark teacher training programme which will support the workforce in identifying and supporting the individual needs of learners.By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for the National Inclusion Standards. This will include a digital library of high-quality identification tools and provision across the 0-25 system covering all layers of support and making clear what provision should be available in every setting.The special educational needs and disabilities Code of Practice sets out expectations for supporting neurodiverse learners, and places strong emphasis on inclusive practice.It remains the case that providers have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students.

With reference to the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, (a) when the Department plans to publish the full evaluation of this programme; and (b) whether the findings of this evaluation will inform (i) the SEND Improvement Plan and, (ii) any future Schools White Paper.

An independent interim evaluation of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme was published on 2 December 2025, and is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/partnerships-for-inclusion-of-neurodiversity-in-schools-pins-interim-evaluation-report.The second year of PINS delivery is due to conclude on 31 March 2026, with independent evaluation activity continuing until summer 2026. We anticipate publishing a final evaluation report of the PINS programme after this date.The learning from the PINS interim evaluation is informing policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children. We will set out our plans for reform of the special educational needs and disabilities system in the upcoming Schools White Paper, building on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.

What consideration she has given to the potential benefits for schools of introducing a register of supply teachers, allowing access to available, qualified and DBS checked substitute staff.

The department continues to develop and review policy on supply teaching and currently has no plans to introduce a national supply register for teachers.The mix of models presently available in England, including agencies, direct hire and some local pools, gives schools choice over how they secure supply teachers, how many providers they work with and how they engage with providers to ensure their needs are met.As part of our Maximising Value for Pupils programme, we will introduce a cap on supplier rates on the new Crown Commercial Service framework due in June 2026, and expect schools and trusts to use this new framework unless they are achieving better value for money elsewhere.

If she will publish guidance for schools on (a) responding to parental requests for the withdrawal of books from recommended reading lists and (b) the circumstances under which schools can remove books from those lists.

The current National Curriculum requires teachers to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. Following the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review on 5 November 2025, the department will continue to emphasise the importance of pupils listening to, discussing, and reading for themselves a wide range of stories, poems, plays and non-fiction books.Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools make their own choices about which specific books or other resources they use. Teachers have flexibility in their choice of books to teach within the context of the curriculum.  Any sensitive issues should be covered by the school’s own policy, and in consultation with parents.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that Ofsted inspections are carried out in accordance with standardised procedures across childcare settings.

From 10 November 2025, Ofsted report cards will be introduced across all education remits Ofsted inspects, including early years. We need all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism. That is what Ofsted is determined to achieve.Ofsted will receive additional funding from the department as part of the Best Start in Life strategy to enhance the quality and consistency of early years inspections. We will also fund Ofsted to move to inspecting all providers at least once every four years, as opposed to the current six-year window, to achieve parity with schools. This investment will support the government’s ambition to deliver the best start in life for every child.

Whether her Department holds data on families with home-educated children who are unable to (a) secure a place in a GCSE examination centre and (b) afford exam entry fees.

The department does not hold data on families with home educated children who are unable to secure a place in a GCSE examination centre or afford exam entry fees.The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce the first ever duty on local authorities to provide support for home educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request support. This support could include advice and information on how to access examinations.