Written questions by McMurdock.

What measures are in place to support academy schools rated as (a) inadequate and (b) requires improvement by Ofsted in tackling problems related to (i) leadership, (ii) the curriculum and (iii) student outcomes.

The department is focused on driving high and rising standards across all our schools, with a particular focus on those judged to be in need of additional support and intervention.The School Improvement Offer provides ten days of support from a system leader to help the leadership team review a school’s improvement plan and ensure actions are in place to rapidly improve the education and experience of children. Full details can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/trust-and-school-improvement-offer.The School Improvement Offer is available for schools of concern to Ofsted and those which were previously judged below ’good’ and subsequently receive a requires improvement sub-judgement in either leadership and management or quality of education between September 2024 and February 2025.The department also provides support through a range of curriculum hubs which offer support and training to help schools enhance their curriculum planning and implementation. These can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-support-from-school-hubs/subject-hubs.In addition, attendance and behaviour hubs have been introduced to support schools in developing effective whole-school cultures that promote excellent attendance and behaviour, which are important factors in improving student outcomes. Attendance hubs can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/attendance-hubs. Information on behaviour hubs is available at: https://behaviourhubs.co.uk/.The department‘s suite of National Professional Qualifications are designed to support school leaders to develop their skills across a range of areas, including leadership skills, pedagogy, behaviour management and setting culture, with the aim to improve school outcomes.Where necessary, in cases of the most serious concern, the government will continue to intervene and transfer schools to new management, including by issuing an academy order. Guidance on governmental support and intervention in schools can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-causing-concern--2.From early 2025, new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams will support all state schools by facilitating networking, sharing best practice and empowering schools to feel they can better access these supports and learn from one another. For schools requiring more intensive support, RISE teams and supporting organisations will work collaboratively with their responsible body to agree bespoke packages of targeted support, based on a school’s particular circumstances.Further information on support for schools, including those previously judged by Ofsted as ’inadequate’ or ’requires improvement’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-improvement-support.

What steps she is taking to help ensure a smooth transition of schools from the Ortu Federation to the Mossbourne Federation in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Departmental officials have worked closely with the Ortu Federation and Mossbourne Federation since the decision was taken to transfer the schools. As well as supporting both trusts to complete the necessary legal and financial processes, the department has agreed a funding package that will enable significant capital investment in the school buildings. Mossbourne Federation has provided leadership support in the schools since the start of the year and is well placed to ensure pupils at these three schools achieve and thrive.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of exploring alternative funding models for academy schools.

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics. This treats academies and local authority-maintained schools equivalently.In 2025/26, as in previous years, local authorities will be responsible for deciding local funding formulae that determine the actual funding allocations for individual mainstream schools in their area. The department uses the respective local funding formulae to calculate funding allocations to academies, which again ensures that academies and maintained schools are funded on an equivalent basis.The schools NFF for 2025/26 was published on 28 November, with details of the provisional allocations at local authority and school level available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-tables-for-schools-and-high-needs-2025-to-2026.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure budget constraints in academy schools do not disproportionately affect provisions for students with special educational needs.

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.All schools are responsible for ensuring that they make the best use of their budgets to support all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs. The overall Core Schools Budget is rising by £2.3 billion to £63.9 billion in the 2025/26 financial year. Within that, the department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for local authorities’ high needs budgets, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Local authorities use their high needs budgets to support SEND provision for pupils in both mainstream and special schools, whether they are schools maintained by a local authority or academies.

What guidance her Department issues academy trusts on implementing uniform policies.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance for all publicly funded schools, including academies, to support them in developing and implementing their school uniform policy. It covers a range of issues relating to uniform including supporting schools in meeting their obligations under equalities legislation. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.In addition, schools and their governing boards must have regard to statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms, also issued by the department. The guidance outlines the cost considerations which schools should consider when developing uniform policies and managing their uniform supplier arrangements. It is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms/cost-of-school-uniforms.However, the government knows that too many families still struggle with the costs of school uniform. That’s why in the Kings Speech the new government legislated to go further and cut the cost of uniforms for families, by legislating to limit the number of branded items of uniform and physical education kits that a school can require. The statutory guidance will be updated to reflect this limit at the appropriate time.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that academy trusts consult with the wider school community in cases where significant (a) staffing and (b) curriculum changes are proposed.

The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers. We will get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. The department’s initiatives are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas, but also at ensuring teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by improving teacher wellbeing and workload.All state schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach, including GCSEs and A levels. All schools must appoint staff in accordance with employment law.Academies and free schools have greater freedom and autonomy in how they operate, including staffing and the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is broad and balanced. Schools' decisions on curriculum will be determined by a range of factors, including the level of demand from pupils for particular courses, the availability of suitably qualified teaching staff, accommodation and facilities, and the practical constraints of the timetable.All state schools, including academies and free schools, will be held accountable for their performance, including in tests and exams. We publish key stage 2 and key stage 4 school attainment data every academic year.Key stage 2 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment/2023-24.Key stage 4 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance.This government is committed to enabling schools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning. The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions in levels of academy staffing on the range of subjects offered in those academies for students already enrolled in (a) GCSE and (b) A Level courses.

The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers. We will get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. The department’s initiatives are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas, but also at ensuring teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by improving teacher wellbeing and workload.All state schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach, including GCSEs and A levels. All schools must appoint staff in accordance with employment law.Academies and free schools have greater freedom and autonomy in how they operate, including staffing and the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is broad and balanced. Schools' decisions on curriculum will be determined by a range of factors, including the level of demand from pupils for particular courses, the availability of suitably qualified teaching staff, accommodation and facilities, and the practical constraints of the timetable.All state schools, including academies and free schools, will be held accountable for their performance, including in tests and exams. We publish key stage 2 and key stage 4 school attainment data every academic year.Key stage 2 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment/2023-24.Key stage 4 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance.This government is committed to enabling schools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning. The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

What early intervention measures are in place to identify (a) financial mismanagement and (b) declining performance in academy schools.

Ofsted routinely inspects academies and must notify my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education when an academy is causing concern. Where an academy is causing concern, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has powers to intervene which can result in it being transferred to a different academy trust where necessary. In addition, the department monitors the financial performance of academy trusts and if it identifies concerns, will intervene in a way that is proportionate to the risk and preserves education provision. This can include issuing a trust with a Notice to Improve setting out the remedial action it must take and, in the most serious cases, terminating funding agreements so that the trust’s academies can be transferred to alternative trusts. The government is committed to bring multi-academy trusts into scope for inspection which will enhance the department’s ability to act where a trust which is responsible for a number of academies is not managing them effectively.

What steps her Department is taking to help academy schools under financial pressures handle the potential loss of experienced staff; and what support her Department offers staff facing possible redundancy.

The department supports academy trusts to have the capability to manage their resources effectively by providing high-quality advice, support and development to help schools protect against financial difficulty. Where academy trusts are experiencing significant financial difficulty, the department engages supportively to provide practical advice and guidance. A key element of the department's support are School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs), practising sector experts such as school business professionals that work collaboratively with schools and trusts. SRMAs provide independent, expert and tailored advice to trusts on how they should make best use of their resources to deliver the best possible educational outcomes for their pupils. This support is for the whole sector and SRMAs have completed more than 2,000 visits to schools, trusts and local authorities, with 92% of survey respondents rating their experience of an SRMA as good or very good. High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. This is why we will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers. We will get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges, and tackle retention issues. There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. The department’s initiatives are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas, but also at ensuring teachers stay and thrive in the profession.

If she will make an assessment of the potential long-term impact of (a) leadership changes and (b) staff reductions in academy schools on trends in the level of (i) academic performance and (ii) student well-being.

The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers. We will get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.There are now 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers in state-funded schools in England. The department’s initiatives are aimed not only at increasing teacher recruitment in key subjects and areas, but also at ensuring teachers stay and thrive in the profession, including by improving teacher wellbeing and workload.All state schools are free to decide which qualifications they will offer in each subject they teach, including GCSEs and A levels. All schools must appoint staff in accordance with employment law.Academies and free schools have greater freedom and autonomy in how they operate, including staffing and the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is broad and balanced. Schools' decisions on curriculum will be determined by a range of factors, including the level of demand from pupils for particular courses, the availability of suitably qualified teaching staff, accommodation and facilities, and the practical constraints of the timetable.All state schools, including academies and free schools, will be held accountable for their performance, including in tests and exams. We publish key stage 2 and key stage 4 school attainment data every academic year.Key stage 2 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment/2023-24.Key stage 4 data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance.This government is committed to enabling schools to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning. The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Whether her Department has plans to (a) introduce and (b) increase the requirements whereby academy trusts engage with local communities when implementing major changes.

The department’s ‘Making significant changes to an academy’ guidance, sets out the process academy trusts must follow when making changes to an academy, such as expansion or removal of capacity, by more than 30 places, or a change in age range. Academy trusts are required to undertake a fair and open local consultation on any significant changes they are proposing, prior to submitting proposals to the department. The consultation is a key part of the process and allows both proposers and decision makers to take on board the views of those affected by any proposed change. The department expects a wide range of stakeholders to be consulted, including the local authority, parents in the area and other schools and providers in the area. We expect all academy trusts to work collaboratively with local authorities and other local partners on place planning matters. This is why, in the King’s Speech, the government committed to legislating on requiring all schools to cooperate with their local authorities on issues such as admissions and place planning.

What discussions she has had with (a) Mossbourne Federation and (b) Ortu Federation on academy schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.

Departmental officials have held regular meetings with both the Mossbourne Federation and the Ortu Federation. Discussions have focused on ensuring the successful transfer of the three Ortu Federation academies to the Mossbourne Federation. We are confident that the Mossbourne Federation is well placed to provide the support these schools need.The transfer is scheduled to take place on 1 January 2025.

If she will meet with the hon. Member for South Basildon and East Thurrock to discuss academy schools in that constituency.

As the Minister responsible for academies, I will happily consider a meeting with the hon. member for South Basildon and East Thurrock. In addition, the Regional Director for the East of England offers regular meetings with Members of Parliament to discuss matters of interest. He has been asked to contact you to discuss academy schools in your constituency.Regional Directors work locally across children’s social care, special educational needs and disabilities, schools and area-based programmes to improve outcomes for children, families and learners. They offer support and intervene where necessary to deliver rapid improvement.

Whether her Department is providing support for academy schools facing financial difficulties.

The primary responsibility for the financial oversight of academy trusts rests with the trustees themselves, supported by the financial management and governance requirements set by the department in ‘Academy and free school funding agreements’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-and-free-school-funding-agreements, the ‘Academy trust handbook 2024’, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academy-trust-handbook/academy-trust-handbook-2024-to-print, and ‘Academies Accounts Direction’, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/academies-accounts-direction.Academy trusts are delivering a high standard of financial management and governance, and the latest published data shows that 98.2% of trusts had a cumulative surplus or a zero balance.The department supports all schools to manage their resources effectively by providing high-quality advice, support and development to help them protect against financial difficulty. Where academy trusts are experiencing significant financial difficulty, we are clear that our starting approach will always be to have a supportive conversation to explore the challenges trusts are facing and suggest the practical ways we may be able to support them.The department can also provide additional financial support to academy trusts where required. This support might be a short-term advance to enable the trust to manage cash flow effectively over a period up to 12 months, or longer term support that aims to both prevent financial failure in the short-term and secure the trust’s long term sustainability. Additional financial support may be subject to conditions, but we are clear that our focus is on considering how we can support academy trusts. The guidance ‘Financial support for academy trusts in financial difficulty’ is available on GOV.UK and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-support-for-academy-trusts-in-financial-difficulty/financial-support-for-academy-trusts-in-financial-difficulty. It sets out the types of support the department may provide, the eligibility criteria and potential conditions of financial support.

If she will set out a timeline for the publication of guidance on Relationship, Sex and Health Education.

The department is currently reviewing the RSHE statutory guidance. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has been clear that children’s wellbeing must be at the heart of this guidance for schools and, as such, the government will look carefully at the consultation responses, discuss with stakeholders and consider the relevant evidence, including the Cass Review which has since been published, before setting out next steps.We expect the results of the consultation and our response to be published on GOV.UK in 2025.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure equal access to funding for special educational needs and disabilities services in Essex.

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 providing an increase of almost £1 billion for local authorities’ high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.The department is now in the process of calculating indicative high needs funding allocations for local authorities next year through the national funding formula, which the department expects to publish shortly.It is for the local authorities to decide how they manage their spending within the resources available to secure the best possible outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

What proportion of children in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency do not have English as their first language.

A pupil is recorded to have English as an additional language if they are exposed to a language at home that is known or believed to be other than English. This measure is not a measure of English language proficiency nor a good proxy for recent immigration.The number and proportion of children in school that do not have English as a first language, as well as other characteristics, is available in the following publication: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.The number and proportion of pupils that do not have English as a first language can be calculated by clicking the link above and downloading the file ‘School level underlying data - 2023/24 (csv, 22 Mb)’ under ‘additional supporting files’. Parliamentary constituency can be filtered, as can the number and proportion of pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Additionally, other school level characteristics can be found in the underlining data file.Parliamentary constituencies are based on their boundaries at the time of the January school census each year. Therefore, the 2024 parliamentary boundaries do not reflect the changes made in the summer of 2024.Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for the 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics' publication.

Whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of financial support available to (a) kinship and (b) foster carers.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare.As local authorities know their carers best, they have the power to decide what financial support should be provided to carers and their children and any payments should be made in accordance with their model for assessing support needs. The government does not set a maximum or minimum allowance for local authorities to administer. However, the kinship care statutory guidance, published in October 2024. states that in its calculation of any ongoing special guardianship financial support, the local authority should have regard to the fostering allowance that would have been paid if the child was fostered.Broadly speaking, no foster carer should be financially disadvantaged because of their fostering role. The government expects that all foster parents receive at least the weekly National Minimum Allowance (NMA), in addition to any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them. More information is set out in the National Minimum Standards (NMS) Standard 28, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7abe16e5274a319e77a6a1/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.The department has raised the NMA for foster carers above inflation for two consecutive years. In 2024/25, we increased the NMA by 6.88%, following an increase of 12.43% in 2023/24. The new allowance amounts for 2024/25 can be found at https://www.gov.uk/support-for-foster-parents/help-with-the-cost-of-fostering.Fostering service providers can choose to pay above the minimum allowance or pay additional fees. However, there is no requirement to pay fees beyond the minimum allowance.The government is committed to supporting children in care through kinship and foster care.At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced £40 million to trial a new kinship allowance in up to 10 local authorities. We will test whether paying an allowance to cover certain costs, like supporting a child to settle into a new home with relatives, can help increase the number of children taken in by family members and friends.The department is also investing £15 million to boost the number of foster carers next year, to generate hundreds of new foster placements and offer children a stable environment to grow up in. This will help recruit more foster parents by ensuring that every local authority has access to a regional recruitment hub. These hubs help raise awareness about fostering and offer prospective carers a centralised platform to find information, ask questions and get support from the start of their fostering journey.

What steps her Department is taking to promote awareness of the (a) Commonwealth of Nations, (b) Monarchy and (c) Commonwealth realms in (i) schools in England.

The national curriculum for citizenship includes content on local, regional and international governance, as well as the UK’s relations with the rest of Europe, the Commonwealth, the United Nations and the wider world.Citizenship also covers the development of the political system of democratic government in the UK, including the roles of citizens, Parliament and the Monarch. There is also scope within the history curriculum for pupils to be taught about these topics across key stages 1 to 3, as well as within geography, where appropriate.

What steps her Department is taking to increase digital learning opportunities across (a) schools and (b) colleges.

The department is taking action to increase digital learning opportunities in schools and colleges. To do this effectively requires ensuring that students have the right digital and computing skills.To help break down barriers to opportunity, this government will deliver a curriculum which is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative, and ensures that all young people get the opportunity to learn digital skills as part of their education. To meet this ambition, the government announced an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review on 19 July, that is being chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review Group has launched a call for evidence, which sets out key questions and themes where it would particularly welcome input.Information about how to respond to the call for evidence, or to register to join a live event, is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review. The call for evidence is open until 22 November 2024, and the review will publish its recommendations in 2025. Ministers will then consider any changes to curriculum and qualifications in the light of these recommendations.This government has also announced the creation of Skills England, which will transform the skills system to make it truly world leading. It will help to build a high skill, high productivity workforce that is matched to employers’ needs and ensures that everyone, regardless of their background, can access the opportunities they need to thrive. It is a new body that will tackle skills shortages, including digital skills, and support sustained economic growth.Technology is not a catchall solution to educational challenges and its use in the classroom should be informed by evidence and best practice. The department is working to establish a strong evidence base for the effective use of technology and will embed this evidence across our world class education system, so that it is easy for schools, colleges and families to use the best products at the right time. The department funded the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity, with £137 million to encourage innovative and effective evidence based teaching, including using technology.The department has published digital and technology standards to help schools and colleges make more informed decisions about technology leading to safer, more cost efficient practices and new learning opportunities for students. To support schools to meet these standards, the department has invested in connectivity infrastructure and developed a digital support service.The department has worked with commercial providers and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to fund gigabit capable broadband rollout to over 1,500 schools. We have also invested over £200 million in its Connect the Classroom programme, improving Wi-Fi connectivity for over one million pupils in over 3,100 schools.The department is also committed to using assistive technology (AT) to support inclusive digital learning. AT can break down barriers to opportunity for students with special educational needs or disabilities and the department is broadening the effective use of AT through research, training and guidance.