Written questions by McMurdock.

If she will meet with parents who home school their children to discuss the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest. There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.

What steps she is taking to support children living in temporary accommodation to ensure their access to a stable education in (a) Thurrock and (b) England.

The Opportunity Mission will break the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success across Thurrock and the whole of England, by ensuring family security and providing the best start in life. It will ensure all children are achieving, thriving and building skills for opportunity and growth. High and rising standards in every school are at the heart of this mission, driving better outcomes for every child, and delivered through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, and a system which removes the barriers to learning which hold too many children back. We know that disadvantaged young people in particular face barriers to engagement with education, including insecure housing. If children are unable to engage with education, then no matter how good teaching and learning is, they are much less likely to succeed. From April 2025 the department will be rolling out Family Help Services that will prioritise supporting the whole family and intervening at the earliest opportunity to prevent challenges escalating. Lead practitioners will undertake assessments of all needs of the family, including those who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness and work to support families where this may be part of a more complex set of needs. As announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26. The Child Poverty Taskforce has also started urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy. The Strategy will tackle overall child poverty including a focus on children in deepest poverty lacking essentials. This is set out in more detail in the 23 October publication ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Strategy’, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy. Homeless children are included in the Fair Access Protocol, which is a mandatory mechanism developed by local authorities in partnership with all schools in their area. Its aim is to ensure that vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible.

What steps she is taking to improve the number of (a) work experience and (b) apprenticeship opportunities in (i) existing and (ii) emerging sectors.

The department is committed to ensuring that all pupils are provided with at least two weeks' worth of work experience over the course of their secondary education, by the end of this Parliament. We are piloting the delivery of this guarantee through our delivery partner, the Careers and Enterprise Company. This includes exploring improving the supply of work experience opportunities in all, including emerging, sectors, such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing and digital, ensuring equitable access to activities and placements. We are looking at ways to reduce the administrative burden on both employers and schools to encourage greater uptake of work experience amongst pupils. Piloting work began in October 2024, with end of pilot reporting in August 2025.Our levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England, aligned with our industrial strategy creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors. From August 2025, three trailblazers in the key priority sectors of green energy, healthcare and film/TV production will be among the first to pioneer, and benefit from, the flexibilities that new shorter duration apprenticeships offer. These will support more people to gain high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country.

What comparative assessment she has made of the employment rates between working-age non-graduates and young graduates.

The department produces an annual publication that uses the Labour Force Survey and compares the employment rates of postgraduates, graduates and non-graduates. The publication can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-markets#dataBlock-3450d11e-68f3-4f34-9284-4a9dd67e861a-tables.The employment rates for graduates and non-graduates of working age (16 to 64) and for the young population (21 to 30) can be found in two of the tables provided in ‘Section 4. Employment rates time series (2007 – 2023)’ of the publication. These are highlighted below:Employment rates by working age population for 16- to 64-year-olds: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/8c070fb0-8bb7-4278-a65f-08dc7b21f080#:~:text=https%3A//explore%2Deducation%2Dstatistics.service.gov.uk/data%2Dtables/permalink/dcb4226c%2Dc97e%2D4908%2Dd8c5%2D08dd4a33315d.Employment rates by young population for 21- to 30-year-olds: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/a671ed04-c746-435a-6d61-08dd48e2728c.The figures in the publication show that:Employment rates for young graduates are higher than those for working age non-graduates across all years of the time-series since 2007. The latest figures for 2023 show that employment rates for young graduates were 87.4% and were 68.7% for working age non graduates.The gap between employment rates for young graduates and working age non graduates has been growing recently, increasing from 16.0 percentage points in 2019 (pre-COVID pandemic) to 18.7 percentage points in 2023.Whilst employment rates have remained relatively stable for young graduates since 2019 (pre-COVID pandemic), employment rates have fallen by 3.2 percentage points for working age non graduates between 2019 and 2023.

What assessment she has made of the factors contributing to the decline in mature student applications.

Data published by Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) on full-time undergraduate higher education (HE) applications for the 2025 admissions cycle shows the overall number of applicants to UK HE is slightly higher than last year, with demand remaining strong.UCAS data from the equal consideration deadline, which was in January, shows applications from mature UK applicants, those aged over 21, are down 6.4% on 2024, and down 21.3% on 2020. However, acceptances at end of cycle are not always reflective of these earlier trends.In 2024, UK domiciled mature applicants were down 15.8% on 2019 at the January deadline but were up 1.3% at end of cycle. Acceptances at end of cycle were up 2.2%. There has been long-term growth in the number of UK domiciled mature acceptances reported at end of cycle between 2006 and 2024. This is shown in the green line in the attachment.Eligible full-time and part-time undergraduate students, including mature students, qualify for up-front fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Full-time students also qualify for partially means-tested loans as a contribution towards their living costs, which are paid at four different rates depending on where a student is living and studying. In addition, vulnerable groups of students who are eligible for benefits, such as lone parents, qualify for higher rates of loans for living costs. Full-time students aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course qualify for a single rate fully means-tested loan for living costs.Full-time undergraduate students with adult or child dependants can apply for fully means-tested dependants’ grants.Part-time undergraduate students attending eligible courses also qualify for partially means-tested loans for living costs.Students undertaking postgraduate master’s or doctoral degree courses can apply for loans to help them with fee and course costs.Maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for undergraduates and postgraduates will increase by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year with the largest cash increases to means-tested support for students from low-income families.In terms of additional support available, all HE providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the OfS. APPs articulate how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups, including mature students.There are many excellent examples of interventions that show a real commitment to widening access into HE for mature students, but we want the sector to go further. By summer, the department will set out our plan for HE reform and the part we expect providers to play in improving access and outcomes for all under-represented students.Finally, from January 2027, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will transform the student finance system in England. Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to 4 years of full-time tuition. Returning learners who have previously received government support will have a reduced entitlement. This will depend on previous funding received. Learners will be able to use this new entitlement more flexibly than ever before to fund individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges, universities or independent providers. The government expects to see the LLE being taken advantage of by mature students, those wishing to change career and retrain, or those wanting to move up in their existing career and upskill. Mature students may particularly benefit from the additional flexibility that LLE will bring as they frequently study part-time while combining paid work and other familial and financial commitments.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in international student applications on the availability of university spaces for domestic students.

Universities and other higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies and are independent of government and responsible for their own admissions decisions in relation to both domestic and international students. Our world class universities are highly attractive to all students.This government is clear that international students, who make a positive impact on HE, as well as our economy and society as a whole, are welcome in the UK. They bring significant benefits, by enriching our university campuses, forging lifelong friendships with our domestic students and becoming global ambassadors for the UK.Domestic students continue to make up the majority of students within our universities. Higher Education Statistics Agency data shows that international students made up 16% of all undergraduate entrants at UK providers in the 2022/23 academic year, down from a high of 18% in the 2019/20 academic year. Tuition fees paid by international students in the 2022/23 academic year are estimated at £12.1 billion, with this contribution supporting provision of places for domestic students and research and development.The department will continue to monitor available data and engage closely with the HE sector to assess the level of international student admissions to UK universities for the next academic year.

What assessment she has made of potential implications for her policies of the proportion of university students who leave their university courses early due to mental health issues.

This government is breaking down barriers to opportunity by ensuring young people receive the mental health support they deserve. It is vital that higher education (HE) students are supported to achieve and thrive during their time at university.Figures on non-continuation following year one of entry to HE are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for full-time first-degree entrants starting courses between the 2014/15 and 2019/20 academic years. Further information is available in Table T3 at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation.More recent information on continuation rates, which are the inverse of non-continuation, for first year full-time degree entrants entering HE are published by the Office for Students (OfS). This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.The proportion of UK domiciled student enrolments to HE providers who declared a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder, was 5.6% in the 2022/23 academic year, compared with 1.8% in 2014/15. Although specific data on the number of students who have left their course due to a mental health issue is not known, we are determined that action is taken so students can maximise the opportunity to study in HE.This government has committed to recruiting 8,500 additional staff across children and adult NHS mental health services.To drive meaningful change in HE mental health support, the HE Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, is chairing the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The taskforce includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. The taskforce published its second stage report in December, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce.We appointed the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health to undertake a National Review of HE Student Suicides. This review has seen excellent engagement from universities and will publish its report in the spring, with a focus on highlighting lessons learned and recommendations for better prevention of student suicides.

How many and what proportion of university students left their university courses early due to mental health issues in the 2024-25 academic year.

This government is breaking down barriers to opportunity by ensuring young people receive the mental health support they deserve. It is vital that higher education (HE) students are supported to achieve and thrive during their time at university.Figures on non-continuation following year one of entry to HE are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for full-time first-degree entrants starting courses between the 2014/15 and 2019/20 academic years. Further information is available in Table T3 at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation.More recent information on continuation rates, which are the inverse of non-continuation, for first year full-time degree entrants entering HE are published by the Office for Students (OfS). This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.The proportion of UK domiciled student enrolments to HE providers who declared a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder, was 5.6% in the 2022/23 academic year, compared with 1.8% in 2014/15. Although specific data on the number of students who have left their course due to a mental health issue is not known, we are determined that action is taken so students can maximise the opportunity to study in HE.This government has committed to recruiting 8,500 additional staff across children and adult NHS mental health services.To drive meaningful change in HE mental health support, the HE Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, is chairing the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The taskforce includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. The taskforce published its second stage report in December, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce.We appointed the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health to undertake a National Review of HE Student Suicides. This review has seen excellent engagement from universities and will publish its report in the spring, with a focus on highlighting lessons learned and recommendations for better prevention of student suicides.

What steps she is taking to help reduce the suicide rate amongst male university students.

This government is breaking down barriers to opportunity by ensuring young people receive the mental health support they deserve. It is vital that higher education (HE) students are supported to achieve and thrive during their time at university.Figures on non-continuation following year one of entry to HE are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency for full-time first-degree entrants starting courses between the 2014/15 and 2019/20 academic years. Further information is available in Table T3 at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation.More recent information on continuation rates, which are the inverse of non-continuation, for first year full-time degree entrants entering HE are published by the Office for Students (OfS). This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/access-and-participation-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/.The proportion of UK domiciled student enrolments to HE providers who declared a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder, was 5.6% in the 2022/23 academic year, compared with 1.8% in 2014/15. Although specific data on the number of students who have left their course due to a mental health issue is not known, we are determined that action is taken so students can maximise the opportunity to study in HE.This government has committed to recruiting 8,500 additional staff across children and adult NHS mental health services.To drive meaningful change in HE mental health support, the HE Student Support Champion, Professor Edward Peck, is chairing the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce. The taskforce includes representatives from students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector. The taskforce published its second stage report in December, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce.We appointed the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health to undertake a National Review of HE Student Suicides. This review has seen excellent engagement from universities and will publish its report in the spring, with a focus on highlighting lessons learned and recommendations for better prevention of student suicides.

What steps she is taking to improve education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools on media literacy to increase awareness amongst young people of social media harms.

Media literacy can help tackle a wide variety of online safety issues for all internet users, including children.Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study. Citizenship teaches about critical media literacy in relation to the proper functioning of a democracy, distinguishing fact from opinion as well as exploring freedom of speech and the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-programmes-of-study-for-key-stages-1-and-2.As part of the statutory guidance for relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The RSHE guidance for primary is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. The RSHE guidance for secondary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data, including images, online, harmful content, cyberbullying, and over-reliance on social media.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which ensures pupils are taught how to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, from key stage 1 to key stage 4, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will consider the key digital skills needed for future life and critical thinking skills to ensure children are resilient to misinformation and extremist content online. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy and to raise the public’s awareness of the nature and impact of harmful content and online behaviour. Ofcom conducts research to assess media literacy skills and experiences, including potential harms, through various trackers such as the Children and Parents' Media Literacy Tracker and the Online Experiences Tracker, which includes focus on children’s media use, attitudes, and understanding.Since 2022, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has provided nearly £3 million in funding for media literacy projects. In 2024, this included £0.5 million to scale up two programmes, to provide media literacy support to teachers, children aged 11-16, parents/carers and other professionals working with families.

Whether she plans to commission research on the potential correlation between trends in children's media literacy levels and their susceptibility to social media harms.

Media literacy can help tackle a wide variety of online safety issues for all internet users, including children.Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-citizenship-programmes-of-study. Citizenship teaches about critical media literacy in relation to the proper functioning of a democracy, distinguishing fact from opinion as well as exploring freedom of speech and the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/citizenship-programmes-of-study-for-key-stages-1-and-2.As part of the statutory guidance for relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. The RSHE guidance for primary is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. The RSHE guidance for secondary can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary. This includes being taught about the implications of sharing private or personal data, including images, online, harmful content, cyberbullying, and over-reliance on social media.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which ensures pupils are taught how to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, from key stage 1 to key stage 4, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will consider the key digital skills needed for future life and critical thinking skills to ensure children are resilient to misinformation and extremist content online. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and publish its final report with recommendations this autumn.The Online Safety Act updated Ofcom’s statutory duty to promote media literacy and to raise the public’s awareness of the nature and impact of harmful content and online behaviour. Ofcom conducts research to assess media literacy skills and experiences, including potential harms, through various trackers such as the Children and Parents' Media Literacy Tracker and the Online Experiences Tracker, which includes focus on children’s media use, attitudes, and understanding.Since 2022, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has provided nearly £3 million in funding for media literacy projects. In 2024, this included £0.5 million to scale up two programmes, to provide media literacy support to teachers, children aged 11-16, parents/carers and other professionals working with families.

What plans she has to include online safety education into the national curriculum in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

As part of the statutory relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. The RHE statutory guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary, and the RSHE statutory guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The statutory guidance for the computing curriculum is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-computing-programmes-of-study.The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public the consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including content regarding online safety and harm.In addition, the statutory ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance, which all schools and colleges must have regard to when drawing up and implementing their own safeguarding policies, has been strengthened with regards to online safety in recent years. Governing bodies and proprietors should ensure online safety is a running and interrelated theme whilst devising and implementing their whole school or college approach to safeguarding and related policies and procedures, including doing all that they reasonably can to limit children’s exposure to the harmful online content on the school’s or college’s IT system.

What steps he is taking to provide (a) schools and (b) parents with guidance to protect young people from harmful content on social media platforms.

The department’s ‘Keeping children safe in education’ publication is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all school and colleges must have regard to.This guidance provides schools and colleges with robust information on how to protect pupils and students online. The guidance has been significantly strengthened with regards to online safety in recent years. Online safety is now embedded throughout the guidance, making clear the importance of ensuring a whole school approach to keeping children safe both online and offline.The guidance makes clear that schools and colleges should ensure appropriate filtering and monitoring systems are in place and that their effectiveness is regularly reviewed. This limits children’s exposure to harmful content while on school-managed computersAs part of the statutory relationships and health education (RHE) in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms.This includes being taught about the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. In addition, pupils should have a strong understanding of how data is generated, collected, shared and used online, for example, how personal data is captured on social media or understanding the way that businesses may exploit the data available to them.Statutory guidance for RHE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-education-primary. Statutory guidance for RSHE can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.Through the statutory national computing curriculum, from key stages 1 to 4 inclusive, there is progression in content to reflect the different and escalating risks that young people may encounter. The computing curriculum also provides pupils with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions whilst online or using other digital applications and technologies.All schools are also required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. Schools should be clear that even though the online space differs in many ways, the same standards of behaviour are expected online as apply offline and everyone should be treated with kindness, respect and dignity.Finally, the Online Safety Act requires all services in scope to take steps to protect users, including children, from illegal content and criminal behaviour. Companies in scope of the Act will need to risk assess whether their service is likely to be accessed by children and if so, provide safety measures to protect children from harmful and age-inappropriate content.Ofcom has a duty to promote media literacy to help the public understand the nature and impact of where harmful content and online behaviour affects certain groups.

What steps she is taking to raise awareness of the impact of poor nutrition on children.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. They aim to ensure that the right foods are available for children every day. School governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations. Schools may use the School Food Standards as a guide when writing their packed lunch policies. To support governors, the department, along with the National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. By increasing understanding of the Standards, we hope that ultimately school children will have increased access to healthier, more nutritious food, the pilot will be evaluated to embed learning. All schools are required to follow a broad and balanced curriculum, as exemplified by the national curriculum. The national curriculum sets the expectation that pupils are taught about the importance of healthy eating and nutrition. Healthy eating and opportunities to develop pupils’ cooking skills are covered in the design and technology curriculum in key stages 1 to 3. The importance of healthy eating is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions. The principles of a healthy and varied diet are also covered in health education, which emphasises empowering young people to make choices and adopt lifestyles that will increase their chance of living happy and healthy lives, supporting the agenda on tackling obesity. Pupils should be taught how to maintain healthy eating and the links between a poor diet and health risks, including tooth decay and cancer. More broadly, the government has already taken action to restrict ‘junk’ food advertising to children, uprated the sugary drinks industry levy and announced stronger local authority powers to block new fast-food outlets near schools. Action to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children is also underway.

What steps she is taking to ensure that school meals are (a) balanced and (b) nutritional.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating.The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools. They aim to ensure that the right foods are available for children. For example, one or more portions of vegetables as an accompaniment and one or more portions of fruit must be provided every day. The standards also restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensure that pupils always have healthy options.The department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the School Food Standards under continued review.

What plans she has to improve education on food and nutrition in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The department is supporting schools in a number of ways to provide high-quality food and nutrition education for their students.Nutrition education is a discrete strand of the national curriculum for design and technology and is compulsory for key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. It recognises that cooking is an important life skill that will help children to feed themselves and others healthy and affordable food.The importance of nutrition is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Nutrition through healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions.Pupils also have the option to study for a GCSE in food preparation and nutrition. This requires pupils to understand and apply the principles of food science, nutrition and healthy eating when preparing and cooking food.Oak National Academy provides adaptable, optional and free curriculum support for schools and has recently published new curriculum sequences in cooking and nutrition from key stages 1 to 3, with associated lesson resources being rolled out this academic year. This curriculum supports teachers to deliver lessons on practical food skills and develops pupils’ understanding of healthy and sustainable diets. Pupils will be taught to make informed decisions about food and drink, and to celebrate food as an important part of different cultures, and a source of nourishment, connection and joy. Pupils will learn how to plan, prepare and cook a wide variety of predominantly savoury dishes, safely and hygienically, applying their food knowledge to make informed nutrition and health decisions.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review will seek to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The review group will publish an interim report in early spring setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work, and will publish its final report with recommendations this autumn. The department will take decisions on what changes to make to the curriculum in light of these recommendations.

What steps her Department is taking to keep children and young people safe from violence (a) on the streets and (b) in schools.

Children’s wellbeing and safety is a priority for this government. In the community, there are a range of interventions from across government aimed at keeping children safe. In addition to existing community-based interventions, Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling young people to thrive.Education can be a significant protective factor. Statutory guidance including ‘Working together to safeguard children’ and ‘Keeping children safe in education’ sets out the safeguarding duties and responsibilities of education settings. This spans action taken within schools, such as through effective whole-school behaviour policies and pastoral support provision, through to the role of schools within multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and action taken by schools to escalate concerns about children to local authority services. Furthermore, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will put in place a package of support to enhance multi-agency working to keep children safe and ensure they can thrive. This includes placing a duty on safeguarding partners to automatically include education and childcare settings in their multi-agency safeguarding arrangements.Through existing statutory relationships, sex and health education, pupils are taught how to build respectful and empathetic relationships and appropriate ways of resolving conflict, including a clear message that resorting to violence is never acceptable.We currently support those pupils most at risk through two place-based programmes that provide specialist support in serious violence hotspots in England. Support, attend, fulfil, exceed (SAFE) taskforces are school-led partnerships that develop a targeted, local response to serious violence in 10 areas. Interventions delivered include mentoring, social skills training and cognitive behavioural approaches. In alternative provision (AP) settings, Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APSTs) are joined up, multi-disciplinary teams (including youth workers, family workers and careers workers) embedded within the largest AP schools in 22 areas.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) enforce and (b) monitor safeguarding standards in academy schools.

All schools must follow the ‘Keeping children safe in education’, and ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance and in line with the funding agreement, academy trusts must comply with the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (the regulations). Part 3 of the regulations sets out the standards for a trust’s safeguarding responsibilities, and part 4 outlines the standards regarding the suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors. Trusts are held to account for standards in their academies through Ofsted inspections.When the department has concerns about an academy trust not meeting its safeguarding responsibilities, it will work closely with the trust to ensure those arrangements come into compliance with statutory requirements. The department’s remit does not extend to investigating individual safeguarding matters or commenting on a trust’s handling of an incident(s). Once alerted to a safeguarding concern, the local authority for the area in which a child lives, is responsible for providing appropriate support.To fulfil its safeguarding remit, the department will work with other statutory bodies, such as the local authority or Ofsted, as appropriate in accordance with our procedures.Failure to comply with the regulations may place a trust in breach of its funding agreement with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. In these circumstances the department may take intervention action as set out in the academy trust handbook.

Whether she plans to develop financial literacy education in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to improve financial resilience in younger people.

I refer the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to the answer of 06 January 2025 to question 21188.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of primary school library provision in (a) schools in deprived areas and (b) schools in affluent areas.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure to other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians. ​​There are currently no plans to make it a statutory requirement for primary schools to have a library, although we will continue to keep this matter under review.​The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.