Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps she is taking to ensure consistency of support offered by local authorities for children receiving cancer treatment who cannot attend school.

If a child is too unwell to attend school, local authorities have a duty under Section 19 of the Children's Act 1996 to provide suitable and (normally) full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education.Where full-time education is not possible due to a child’s health needs, local authorities must arrange part-time education on whatever basis they consider to be in the child's best interests. Full and part-time education should still aim to be equivalent to the education the child would receive in their mainstream school. Any part-time education should be reviewed regularly, with the aim of eventually increasing the number of hours up to full-time as soon as the child’s health allows.The department does not routinely collect or hold data on the outcomes of children who have missed periods of schooling due to ill health.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 on the best available evidence on the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (0-25) with different types of needs.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of local authority provision for children who miss substantial periods of school due to cancer treatment.

If a child is too unwell to attend school, local authorities have a duty under Section 19 of the Children's Act 1996 to provide suitable and (normally) full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education.Where full-time education is not possible due to a child’s health needs, local authorities must arrange part-time education on whatever basis they consider to be in the child's best interests. Full and part-time education should still aim to be equivalent to the education the child would receive in their mainstream school. Any part-time education should be reviewed regularly, with the aim of eventually increasing the number of hours up to full-time as soon as the child’s health allows.The department does not routinely collect or hold data on the outcomes of children who have missed periods of schooling due to ill health.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 on the best available evidence on the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (0-25) with different types of needs.

What data she holds on educational outcomes for children who miss substantial schooling due to cancer treatment.

If a child is too unwell to attend school, local authorities have a duty under Section 19 of the Children's Act 1996 to provide suitable and (normally) full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not receive suitable education.Where full-time education is not possible due to a child’s health needs, local authorities must arrange part-time education on whatever basis they consider to be in the child's best interests. Full and part-time education should still aim to be equivalent to the education the child would receive in their mainstream school. Any part-time education should be reviewed regularly, with the aim of eventually increasing the number of hours up to full-time as soon as the child’s health allows.The department does not routinely collect or hold data on the outcomes of children who have missed periods of schooling due to ill health.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 on the best available evidence on the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (0-25) with different types of needs.

What data she has on the number of children who are irregular migrants and enrolled in schools; and what the estimated annual cost is for educating those children.

The requested information is not held by the department.

What assessment she has made of the contribution of playtime to children’s a) social, b) emotional and c) cognitive development.

The early years foundation stage statutory framework is clear that play is essential for children’s wellbeing and development. Play builds confidence and enthusiasm for learning, and develops self-awareness, self-regulation and social skills. Early years practitioners should plan how to support children’s development through high quality play.Schools are expected to organise the school day and school week in the best interests of their pupil cohort, to both provide them with a full-time education suitable to their age, aptitude and ability, and to incorporate time for play and other activities.The department commissioned the Children of the 2020s study to improve our understanding of children’s progress throughout key phases of learning and education. We will assess the findings of the study for supporting children’s holistic development including through play and other approaches.

Whether she plans to issue guidance encouraging schools to adopt evidence-based playtime improvement schemes.

Breaktimes can be an important part of a pupil’s school experience, providing opportunities to rest, play and connect with peers. While the department has no plans to introduce dedicated guidance or measures on breaktime, we have committed to work with partners to draw up and publish a good practice framework to help schools increase pupil engagement. This will include support for schools to effectively measure the factors which contribute to children attending, achieving and thriving at school, to inform evidence-based support inside and outside of school.

If she will include measures related to breaktime quality within (a) school wellbeing and (b) inspection frameworks.

Breaktimes can be an important part of a pupil’s school experience, providing opportunities to rest, play and connect with peers. While the department has no plans to introduce dedicated guidance or measures on breaktime, we have committed to work with partners to draw up and publish a good practice framework to help schools increase pupil engagement. This will include support for schools to effectively measure the factors which contribute to children attending, achieving and thriving at school, to inform evidence-based support inside and outside of school.

What steps she is taking to ensure that schools have adequate time for play during the school day.

Play is an essential part of children’s development and learning, as recognised in the early years foundation stage statutory framework. Schools, governing bodies and academy trusts are responsible for ensuring the school day includes opportunities for social interaction, physical activity and enrichment activities.Government guidance sets out an expectation that the school week in all state-funded mainstream schools should be at least 32.5 hours including breaks, providing opportunity for schools to incorporate time for play and other enrichment activities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) careers guidance and (b) school-to-work transition programmes in the context of the UK’s above OECD average for youth unemployment.

Careers guidance is key to supporting young people into work and further study. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported that in England, over 98% of pupils are offered careers guidance at their school compared to an average of 74% across other OECD countries. Gatsby Benchmark attainment continues to improve and in 2024/25, schools and colleges achieved 6.0 out of 8 Gatsby Benchmarks on average, up from 5.8 in 2023/24. The government is committed to continuing to improve careers guidance and ensuring all young people complete two weeks’ worth of work experience which is shown to reduce the likelihood of a young person becoming ‘not in education, employment, or training’ (NEET). In the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we committed to prevent young people becoming NEET by ensuring that those without a post-16 study plan are automatically allocated a place at a local college or further education provider.

Pursuant to Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 87656, what plans she has to issue updated guidance to higher education providers in the context of the Office for Students’ assessment that reliance on international student fee income presents a risk to financial sustainability.

Higher education (HE) providers are responsible for managing their finances. As such, they must continue to adapt to uncertainties and financial risks. However, this government is committed to putting the HE sector on a secure financial footing so that it can face the challenges of the next decade. Our decision to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation, alongside refocusing the Office for Students (OfS) on monitoring the sector’s financial health, demonstrates this commitment. The government does not currently have any plans to issue guidance to higher education providers in light of the Office for Student’s (OfS) assessment of the HE sector’s reliance on international student fee income. The OfS is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the financial sustainability of the sector, including risks relating to international student recruitment.

What steps she is taking to support higher education providers to (a) diversify their income sources and (b) reduce financial vulnerability arising from international recruitment.

Higher education (HE) providers are responsible for managing their finances. As such, they must continue to adapt to uncertainties and financial risks. However, this government is committed to putting the HE sector on a secure financial footing so that it can face the challenges of the next decade. Our decision to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation, alongside refocusing the Office for Students (OfS) on monitoring the sector’s financial health, demonstrates this commitment. The government does not currently have any plans to issue guidance to higher education providers in light of the Office for Student’s (OfS) assessment of the HE sector’s reliance on international student fee income. The OfS is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the financial sustainability of the sector, including risks relating to international student recruitment.

What plans she has to monitor the time taken by schools to respond to formal complaints.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has acknowledged the concerns being raised about parental complaints, including the increasing number of complaints being received by schools and the impact it is having on both parents and carers and school leaders, and has been clear that we need to make the system more robust and respectful with a focus on finding resolutions quickly and in the best interest of children.The department is working closely with the Improving Education Together group to improve the complaints system, including by exploring how we reset the relationship between schools and parents and carers so that issues can be resolved informally, reduce unnecessary duplication, and clarify roles and responsibilities so that complaints that schools cannot resolve are dealt with in a timely manner by the right body.We expect to provide more detail on how we will improve the school’s complaints system in the Schools White Paper.

What discussions she has had with Essex County Council on the impact of the We Rise Business Mentoring Programme on (a) youth employment and (b) skills development.

The department does not hold data on the impact of the We Rise Business Mentoring Programme, as it is part of the ‘Essex Year of Opportunity’, a campaign by Essex County Council. Departmental officials and Essex County Council regularly discuss how to improve opportunities for young people in Essex.

What guidance her Department provides to councils on encouraging the use of kinship care arrangements.

The department’s statutory guidance on the purpose, principles for practice and expected outcomes of children’s social care that should be achieved so children and young people can grow up to achieve and thrive is in the Children’s Social Care National Framework.The second outcome of the national framework sets out the expectation that children’s social care “needs to consider how to unlock family networks and identify kinship carers to be a source of support, whenever children and young people need help, protection, or care”.The support available to help embed the national framework in practice is available in the accompanying advice. Further, the kinship care statutory guidance for local authorities sets out a framework for the provision of support to kinship families, and how family networks can be engaged to support the needs of children throughout the children’s social care system, including those unable to live with their parents.

What plans she has to publish data on graduate career progression to assess the long-term impact of higher education on entry into high-skilled employment.

As set out in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, this government is determined that our world leading higher education (HE) system drives economic growth by creating a highly skilled workforce.The independent regulator of the HE sector, the Office for Students (OfS) defines high-skilled employment as those working in occupations within the Standard Occupation Classification codes 1-3 (managers, directors and senior officials; professional occupations; and associate professional occupations).The OfS publish progression rates for graduates measuring the proportion with positive outcomes including those in high skilled employment and/or further education as part of the student outcomes dashboard. Data for the English HE sector and by provider is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/. This data is published annually and was last published in August 2025.The Higher Education Statistics Agency also publish annual statistics in the ‘Graduate Outcomes’ publication. This looks at the outcomes of graduates 15 months after their graduation, including high skilled employment, defined as above. This data is published annually and was last published in July 2025 here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of financial pressures on universities on their international recruitment practices.

​​The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK and positively impact our higher education (HE) sector. However, we will not tolerate abuse of the student visa system in any way and measures set out in the Immigration white paper in May, set out a balanced approach, helping the government achieve our manifesto commitment on reducing net migration and whilst maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.​The Office for Students (OfS) has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health as a response to this risk and others.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of degree subjects associated with persistently (a) low employment and (b) earning outcomes; and what steps is she taking to address this.

​​The Post-16 education and skills white paper, published in October 2025, sets out plans to ensure the higher education system drives economic growth. This includes policies to incentivise delivery of courses that produce the skills needed for the economy and, therefore, employment.​The department is reforming the Strategic Priorities Grant from the 2026/27 academic year to ensure funding for courses aligns with the Industrial Strategy and future skills needs. We have also announced that we will introduce targeted maintenance grants to support students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the Industrial Strategy and our Missions before the end of this Parliament.​The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator for higher education in England. The regulatory system is designed to help ensure all courses lead to positive employment outcomes. The conditions of registration set minimum expectations for the percentage of students in professional employment or further study 15 months after graduating. Our proposals to ensure that large franchised providers are registered with the OfS will also help tackle the poor outcomes some students are getting from franchised courses.​The OfS is currently consulting on proposals to consider a wider range of employment outcomes when awarding quality ratings for student outcomes, including earnings data and data on whether graduates are utilising the skills they learned in higher education in future jobs. ​

What assessment she has made of graduate earning outcomes in the UK relative to other OECD countries.

The department works with the OECD to support their publications on education.The OECD’s ‘Education at a glance 2025’ shows that the earnings of graduate workers relative to secondary-educated workers in the UK is close to the OECD average. In particular, the report shows that the UK has a first degree graduate earnings premium of 37% among working age individuals, compared to 39% for the OECD average. In addition, table A4.5 presents the earnings differences in absolute terms. The publication can be found here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-at-a-glance-2025_1c0d9c79-en.Variations by field of study are explored further in the following OECD report: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2021/01/how-does-earnings-advantage-from-tertiary-education-vary-by-field-of-study_60f20424/8a4b8f7a-en.pdf.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of differences in high-skilled employment rates by degree subject.

​​The Post-16 education and skills white paper, published in October 2025, sets out plans to ensure the higher education system drives economic growth. This includes policies to incentivise delivery of courses that produce the skills needed for the economy and, therefore, employment.​The department is reforming the Strategic Priorities Grant from the 2026/27 academic year to ensure funding for courses aligns with the Industrial Strategy and future skills needs. We have also announced that we will introduce targeted maintenance grants to support students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the Industrial Strategy and our Missions before the end of this Parliament.​The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator for higher education in England. The regulatory system is designed to help ensure all courses lead to positive employment outcomes. The conditions of registration set minimum expectations for the percentage of students in professional employment or further study 15 months after graduating. Our proposals to ensure that large franchised providers are registered with the OfS will also help tackle the poor outcomes some students are getting from franchised courses.​The OfS is currently consulting on proposals to consider a wider range of employment outcomes when awarding quality ratings for student outcomes, including earnings data and data on whether graduates are utilising the skills they learned in higher education in future jobs. ​

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of regional variation in the (a) progress, (b) attendance and (c) exclusion rates of pupils with SEND in schools receiving RISE intervention.

​​Regional Improvements for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams are a key part of the government‘s work to drive up education standards in schools across England. Attainment, attendance and exclusion rates are all among the criteria we are monitoring at national and regional level as part of assessing the impact of RISE-targeted intervention on the schools, but it is too early in the life of the programme to report on RISE impact. We expect to start publishing that data with appropriate comparisons over time during 2026.