Written questions by Hinds.

What estimate she has made of the total historic SEND deficits accrued in local authorities in England up to the end of (a) 2024/5 and (b) 2025/6; and what estimate she has made of the level of funding that will be required from central government to offset these historic SEND deficits.

We have set out plans to address Dedicated Schools Grant deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit as at 31 March 2026, once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action. This is in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.

What proportion of currently-projected local authorities’ SEND deficits she expects to be covered from the central government funds when the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

We have set out plans to address local authorities’ high needs-related dedicated schools grant deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit. Grants will be paid once councils have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with the department’s new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that we will continue to take a proportionate approach to such support, though it will not be unlimited. We will set out more details about our approach in due course.

With reference to her Department's publications entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, and Education estates strategy: a decade of national renewal, published on 11 February 2026, how many inclusion bases in secondary schools will be added in each year of the 10-year plan; and how much funding is allocated to inclusion bases in each year of the plan.

In our consultation on special educational needs and disabilities, the department has set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base.Where new places are needed, this will be supported by the £3.7 billion in high needs capital that we are investing between 2025/26 and 2029/30. This funding is allocated to local authorities, who know their schools and will determine how best to spend funding to meet local need. £740 million of this funding has already been allocated, and allocations for 2026/27 will be published in the spring.Currently, provision is inconsistent across the country, which is why we are also going to improve data collection on which schools have inclusion bases, so we can make sure that all pupils are given the support they need.

With reference to her Department's publications entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, and Education estates strategy: a decade of national renewal, published on 11 February 2026, how much revenue funding has been allocated for the operation of the additional inclusion bases in secondary schools for each year of the 10 year plan.

In the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation, the department set out our ambition that, in time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base. In every year of this parliament, core funding for schools and SEND is expected to increase, subject to future spending reviews. Overall, there will be £7 billion more being spent on SEND provision in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. We will also consult on a range of specialist provision funding reforms later in 2026, working with the specialist sector, local authorities and others to develop new funding models. More information about SEND reform was set out in the SEND consultation. For example, by 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for, and then provide, National Inclusion Standards. Additionally, new research into SEN identification will be delivered by UK Research Innovation to develop approaches for the early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support of children and young people with SEN.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the write-off of 90 per cent of the High Needs block debts of English councils on the amount of SEND funding to be absorbed into her Department's Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits from 2028-29 .

The High Needs Stability Grant is concerned with historic spending and will have no impact on pressures in 2028/29. From the 2028/29 financial year, the government has confirmed that special educational needs and disabilities pressure will be absorbed within the overall government departmental expenditure limits budget such that the government would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds. Budgets from 2028/29 onwards, including the core schools budget, will be confirmed at the 2027 Spending Review.

What projection she has made of the deficit in the High Needs block budgets of English councils between now and the start of FY 2028/9.

The department has set out plans for a reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in the recent Schools White Paper. Our assessment of future SEND spending will be updated following the SEND consultation. From 2028/29, SEND spending will be covered by the overall government Departmental Expenditure Limit budget.

With reference to her Department's announcement of 11 February 2026 entitled 10-year plan to revitalise schools and colleges for every child, how many and what proportion of secondary schools do not have an inclusion base, SEN units or pupil support unit.

The number of state-funded secondary schools with resourced provision or special educational needs units, as of January 2025, was 485. This represents 14% of all state-funded secondary schools.

What estimate she has made of the change to the level of (a) payment and (b) reimbursement of business rates in (i) her Department and the (ii) Education and Skills Funding Agency between financial years (A) 2025-2026 and (B) 2026-2027.

Since April 2022, most schools’ business rates are paid directly by the department to billing authorities. If all billing authorities in the local authority have not agreed to this system, academies make business rates payments and are reimbursed by the department.For both of these payment mechanisms, we operate on a reactive basis. Therefore, it is not possible to provide funding totals for either the 2025/26 financial year, as the financial year has not concluded, or 2026/27.For local authority-maintained schools where the local authority does not have agreement from all billing authorities within it, the department allocates funding to local authorities via the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) to cover business rates payments. DSG publications show total funding to local authorities for each financial year:2025/26: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2025-to-2026.2026/27: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2026-to-2027.

With reference to the press release entitled Government modernises exam records with new app, published on 8 January 2026, how the £30m savings figure was estimated; and what the average saving for a state secondary school is estimated to be.

The £30 million saving in the education sector is based on reducing administrative processes in further education and apprenticeships. Extensive user research with colleges identified activities that could be eliminated or streamlined, including photocopying documentation, manually matching emails with applications, and reducing data entry and correction through improved quality. Other efficiencies include removing support time for paperwork, eliminating manual searches for unique learner numbers and reducing checks on prior attainment to simplify enrolment for mathematics and English. These changes will also reduce delays caused by missing documentation and cut follow-up activities linked to incomplete records. Due to the nature of the calculation, the department has not estimated a saving per secondary school.

With reference to Table 4.1 entitled Budget 2025 policy decisions in the Budget Red Book, line item 42, National Year of Reading: Fund state-funded secondary schools in England to increase book supplies, how these funds will be allocated to schools.

As part of the National Year of Reading, state-funded secondary schools in England will receive funding to purchase books to support and encourage reading enjoyment amongst their pupils. Funding will be distributed by the Department for Education, during the National Year of Reading 2026. This separate from the Dormant Assets Fund which will be used to fund libraries in primary schools and is administered by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Details about the allocation of funds will be communicated in the coming months. This £5 million funding for books will accompany new continuous professional development training for secondary schools. The ‘Unlocking Reading’ programme starts in January 2026 and will equip schools with assessment tools and evidence-based strategies to support pupils with reading.

With reference to Table 4.1 entitled Budget 2025 policy decisions in the Budget Red Book, line item 42, National Year of Reading: Fund state-funded secondary schools in England to increase book supplies, which Department will disburse these funds.

As part of the National Year of Reading, state-funded secondary schools in England will receive funding to purchase books to support and encourage reading enjoyment amongst their pupils. Funding will be distributed by the Department for Education, during the National Year of Reading 2026. This separate from the Dormant Assets Fund which will be used to fund libraries in primary schools and is administered by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Details about the allocation of funds will be communicated in the coming months. This £5 million funding for books will accompany new continuous professional development training for secondary schools. The ‘Unlocking Reading’ programme starts in January 2026 and will equip schools with assessment tools and evidence-based strategies to support pupils with reading.

With reference to Table 4.1 entitled Budget 2025 policy decisions’ in the Budget Red Book, line item 42, National Year of Reading: Fund state-funded secondary schools in England to increase book supplies, whether these funds will be supplemented by funding from Dormant Assets.

As part of the National Year of Reading, state-funded secondary schools in England will receive funding to purchase books to support and encourage reading enjoyment amongst their pupils. Funding will be distributed by the Department for Education, during the National Year of Reading 2026. This separate from the Dormant Assets Fund which will be used to fund libraries in primary schools and is administered by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Details about the allocation of funds will be communicated in the coming months. This £5 million funding for books will accompany new continuous professional development training for secondary schools. The ‘Unlocking Reading’ programme starts in January 2026 and will equip schools with assessment tools and evidence-based strategies to support pupils with reading.

With reference to statement in the OBR’s report entitled Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, that the Government has announced in the Budget that SEND provision will be fully absorbed into existing RDEL limits from 2028-29, whether this absorption will be in the Department for Education’s budget.

The autumn budget made clear that future special educational needs and disabilities funding implications will be managed within the overall government departmental expenditure limits envelope, such that the government would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the statutory override ends at the end of 2027/28.

With reference to the OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absorption of SEND provision into existing RDEL limits from 2028-29 on the Core Schools Budget.

To deliver these reforms, the department is putting more money into the education system, with £7 billion more being spent on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support compared to 2025/26. The department’s budgets will increase above previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025 by £3.5 billion in 2028/29 to support investment in the SEND system. In every year of this parliament, core funding for schools and SEND is expected to increase, subject to future Spending Reviews. As we invest in the system, we will update the SEND Code of Practice and legal requirements for support to be provided in all mainstream education settings from early years to post-16, thereby strengthening the law to make sure children and young people receive the help and support they need.

By what measures the impact and effectiveness of Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams will be assessed.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.The impact of RISE intervention will rely on both a quantitative evaluation of the impact on pupils, aligned to the government’s Opportunity Mission for all children to achieve and thrive, and an evaluation on the process and delivery of RISE.An impact evaluation of the programme measuring change over time in key success measures, such as attainment and attendance, for schools receiving targeted RISE intervention set against a suitable group of comparator schools will be carried out in due course.

Whether her Department has undertaken research on the main causal factors of trends in the number of young children presenting with special needs.

International evidence indicates that the number of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is also increasing in comparable countries. Although definitions and systems vary considerably, the key drivers include improved understanding and diagnosis of need, as well as social and medical factors.The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings, for example through our recently published evidence reviews, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identifying-and-supporting-the-needs-of-children-with-send-in-mainstream-settings.The department also funds a ‘What Works in SEND’ programme, which is delivered by the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Partnership. This programme produces research and local area case studies that harness best practice from practitioners and partner organisations on local area SEND service delivery.The Schools White Paper, due to be published in the new year, will set out how the department plans to move forward with reforms to improve the SEND system in future years.

From when and how frequently she plans to publish estimations of the impact and effectiveness of RISE teams.

Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.The department expects to start publishing that data with appropriate comparisons over time during 2026.

Whether maintained nursery schools will be eligible for capital funding in Phase 3 of the School-based Nurseries programme.

High quality early years is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. School-based nurseries are one part of our diverse and vibrant early years landscape, and this government is boosting availability and access to early years places through the school-based nursery programme. Maintained nursery schools are eligible to apply for funding in Phase 2.Phase 3 of the programme will launch in early 2026, when the department will publish guidance covering eligibility criteria and our approach to funding.

At what geographical level deprivation criteria will be applied in Phase 3 of the School-based Nurseries programme.

High quality early years is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity, give every child the best possible start in life and is essential to our Plan for Change. School-based nurseries are one part of our diverse and vibrant early years landscape, and this government is boosting availability and access to early years places through the school-based nursery programme. Maintained nursery schools are eligible to apply for funding in Phase 2.Phase 3 of the programme will launch in early 2026, when the department will publish guidance covering eligibility criteria and our approach to funding.

How she will measure the impact of the 2026 'Year of Reading' on children and young people.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults, aiming to engage new audiences in reading and make lasting change to the nation’s reading habits.Grounded in existing evidence and new research by an external research agency, the campaign is designed to deliver meaningful impact during 2026 and beyond. The impact of the National Year of Reading will be measured through an independent external evaluation. The evaluation will examine how the campaign influences reading behaviours, connects with audiences and shapes attitudes towards reading, particularly among the campaign’s priority audiences including teenage boys, the early years, and families from disadvantaged communities. It will also assess the wider impact on the literacy sector and the foundations for long-term change. The findings will be published in 2027.