Written questions by Khan.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) schools and (b) colleges are equipped to (i) identify and (ii) support (A) autistic girls and (B) autistic girls who mask symptoms.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.

What steps she is taking to ensure that autistic girls with (a) avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, (b) sensory sensitivities and (c) other additional needs are able to access inclusive learning environments.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.

What funding was allocated to family hubs in the Spending Review 2025.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

What steps her Department is taking to support (a) teachers and (b) school leaders to enforce mobile phone usage policies in schools.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

If she will require local authorities to provide family hubs in communities.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

What steps she is taking to ensure that family hubs are available in all areas.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

What steps she is taking to ensure that that integrated family hubs are available to support families in local communities.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

Whether she plans to develop a national outcomes framework for family hubs.

On 11 June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.On 7 July 2025, the government published the policy paper ‘Giving every child the best start in life’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.This outlines the government’s commitment to delivering a new Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services, as well as creating and funding Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of mobile phone usage in schools on (a) levels of bullying and (b) safeguarding.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

What discussions she has had with (a) parents, (b) students and (c) teachers on the management of mobile phone use in schools.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's guidance on mobile phone use among young people in schools, published in February 2024, on the use of mobile phones in schools.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of mobile phone use on (a) student behaviour and (b) academic performance in schools.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

Whether she has commissioned research on the use of mobile phones by young people outside of school.

​Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.New research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that most schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.We will continue to build a robust evidence base on the effectiveness on school mobile phone policies.The department engages regularly with parents, teachers and pupils on a range of issues, including pupil behaviour and mobile phone use.

Whether funding for family hubs will be included in the Child Poverty Strategy.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The Child Poverty Taskforce meeting in January focused on the crucial role of local services, including family hubs, in reducing the impact of poverty.Our new publication ‘Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life’ sets out that we are making a significant investment of over £500 million which will build back crucial family services and provide high quality support to parents and children from pregnancy to age five. Proposals include:A new Best Start Family Hub programme that will take the best of the Sure Start, Family Hub and Start for Life programme approaches to create Best Start Family Hubs, bringing together the trusted advice and guidance all parents need in one place, and linking families to their local services.Funding for Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority, so these services will reach the children and families who will benefit most from this support including those from lower-income families and with additional vulnerabilities.This publication is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life.The Hubs will help tackle the stain of child poverty ahead of our ambitious Child Poverty Strategy, due to be published in the autumn.

What steps her Department is taking to promote digital literacy education in schools to encourage the responsible use of mobile technology.

Within the computing curriculum pupils are taught to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, to keep personal information private, to recognise unacceptable behaviour, and to understand where to seek support.Within citizenship and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), pupils learn how to identify misleading and malicious information and to counter the effects of negative and harmful news, events and information online.The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report states a renewed focus on digital literacy is key to responding to the rise of artificial intelligence. The department will consider how best to implement the Review’s recommendations following the final report.The department’s ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day to prevent disruption to pupils’ learning.

If she will make a comparative assessment of the level of wages for a (a) school teacher and (b) college teacher.

The government’s role in relation to pay and conditions across schools and colleges differs.The statutory requirements for teachers' pay and conditions within maintained schools in England are set out in the school teachers’ pay and conditions document. This is updated each year, based on recommendations from the independent School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB).This year, the department announced a 4% pay award to school teachers and leaders, accepting in full the STRB’s pay recommendation. Combined with last year’s 5.5% award, this above-inflation pay award means school teachers will see an increase in their pay of almost 10% over two years.In 2023/24, the median full-time equivalent (FTE) average salary for teaching staff on permanent or fixed term contracts in secondary schools was £48,773.The further education (FE) sector does not have a pay review body and government does not set or recommend pay and this remains the sole responsibility of providers themselves.Alongside the 2025/26 school teacher pay award, we have announced an investment of £160 million in the 2025/26 financial year, to support colleges and other 16-19 providers with key priorities, including recruitment and retention.Additional funding of over £30 million will also be provided for 16-19 provision in schools. This funding comes from within the overall funding envelope of £615 million for 2025/26 announced alongside the 2025/26 school teachers’ pay award.In 2023/24, the median FTE average salary for teaching staff on permanent or fixed term contracts in general FE colleges was £36,300 and £47,100 in sixth form colleges.The school and FE pay figures are sourced from different datasets and recorded differently which may make it difficult to make direct comparisons.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that reductions in the adult skills fund allocations does not disproportionately impact (a) people in receipt of benefits and (b) young people not in education, employment or training.

We are facing a challenging fiscal context. Fixing the foundations of the economy will take time, and tough decisions are needed across the public sector to get our finances under control to ensure we deliver on our priorities through our Plan for Change. It is against this backdrop that the decision was made to make a small reduction to the Adult Skills Fund (ASF).We have launched a Youth Guarantee of support for all 18 to 21-year-olds to access training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work and prevent them from becoming excluded from education or work at a young age. £45 million has been allocated to eight Mayoral Strategic Authority Trailblazers to develop the Youth Guarantee. We will work with local areas on future expansion.Currently 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF to their learners and the department is responsible for the remaining ASF.In non-devolved areas, learners claiming benefits or who earn less than £25,000, are eligible for full funding. This supports social mobility by enabling individuals to move into employment or progress further in their career.

When the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review will be published; how she plans to implement recommendations from that review; and how she plans to protect the mental health of children and young people in future reforms.

The interim report sets out the Review’s interim findings and confirms the key areas for future work, but there is more to do before publication of the final report. The Review is now carrying out a further investigation into specific policy and subject issues, working closely with the sector and building on the body of evidence gathered so far.The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.The Review takes place in the context of an education system facing considerable challenges and staff shortages. The Review recognises the inevitable trade-offs that will be faced in delivering high standards and a broad and balanced curriculum within this context.The department will give schools, colleges and teachers sufficient time to plan and prepare for changes, particularly where they are significant.We will also consider how to best support schools to access the resources, training and networking they need. For example, we will consider the role of Oak National Academy, subject associations or the new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams.

What steps she is taking to support SEND transport providers in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) nationally.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Manchester Rusholme to the answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27291.

How many representations her Department has received from Manchester City Council on the (a) funding and (b) quality of SEND provision in Greater Manchester in the last five years.

The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.Manchester City Council (MCC) is one of ten local authorities making up Greater Manchester. Following their SEND inspection, which found no Written Statement of Action was necessary in November 2021, the department has continued to liaise with MCC through regular meetings updating on any key issues or risks in the area. MCC are a lead partner of the SEND Change Programme and provide insights to the department including sharing learning on SEND provision in Manchester.