Written questions by McMurdock.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what protections will be available for university staff who report concerns relating to extremism and intimidation on campus.

Universities are autonomous institutions and therefore have their own policies and procedures for handling employee concerns.In addition, the government will work with the Department for Business and Trade to add the Office for Students (OfS) to the list of prescribed bodies under the Public Interest Disclosure (Prescribed Persons) Order 2024. This change will help ensure that whistleblowers can report wrongdoing related to registered higher education providers with confidence.The OfS will also strengthen how it monitors universities’ efforts to prevent individuals from becoming involved in terrorism or supporting it. It will publish a new monitoring framework and accompanying guidance in September, which will come into effect at the beginning of 2027.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, when she plans to review the effectiveness of the increased campus extremism protections.

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what metrics her Department will use to assess whether the new measures improve safety and reduce extremism on campus.

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of extremism, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England.

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether the updated guidance includes safeguards to protect free speech.

The updated guidance will include safeguards to protect freedom of speech within the law and will clearly signpost higher education providers to the Office for Students’ guidance related to freedom of speech here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/regulatory-advice-24-guidance-related-to-freedom-of-speech/. Further guidance will be issued in the Spring on Managing External Speakers and Events to ensure providers can meet their Prevent duty obligations while upholding freedom of speech.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Prevent duty in higher education institutions.

Higher education (HE) providers are subject to the Prevent duty to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.” To comply with the Prevent duty, providers must demonstrate they have effective policies and procedures in place to safeguard individuals susceptible to radicalisation. This includes assessing the risk of learners becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Under the Prevent duty, the Office for Students (OfS) monitors and evaluates whether universities and other HE providers have due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. The OfS has assessed that HE providers are broadly compliant with their Prevent duty requirements. The latest assessment of Prevent monitoring in HE is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether any additional resources will be allocated to the Office for Students to help monitor universities.

The Office for Students will strengthen its monitoring activity by reprioritising its existing resources.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, how many university students have been referred under the Prevent duty in each year since 2020.

The Home Office publishes overall Prevent referrals by sector but does not break down the ‘Education’ category between schools, colleges, and universities. However, the Office for Students publishes annual Prevent monitoring data for higher education providers here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/.This includes formal external Prevent referrals. The most recent reporting period 2023/2024 indicates that universities made 65 Prevent referrals, but it does not indicate how many of the individuals involved were students versus staff.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what safeguards will be in place to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter is not utilised to curtail freedom of speech.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, if she will take steps to ensure that the Campus Cohesion Charter does not prevent student societies supporting registered political parties.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, whether universities will be required to adopt the Campus Cohesion Charter as a condition of registration with the Office for Students.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

With reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what organisations and student groups will be involved in co-designing the proposed Campus Cohesion Charter.

The Campus Cohesion Charter will not preclude or discourage any lawful speech or behaviour and the department will work closely with the Office for Students to ensure that is the case. Universities will be strongly encouraged but not compelled to adopt the charter.It will be a student-led product, facilitated by a partnership of the department, the National Union of Students and University of Salford. Other groups and experts will be invited to collaborate as the product evolves.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing capacity in early years settings.

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. The department has seen strong growth in the workforce so far, with early years provision delivered by an estimated 353,700 paid staff in 2025, compared to 353,100 in 2024. We know more growth will be needed as children age into the 30 hours offer from September 2025 onwards, so we continue working closely with providers and local authorities.The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. No local authority is reporting sufficiency issues.We continue to support the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment alongside programmes to better utilise the existing workforce. Recruitment and retention are being boosted through national recruitment campaigns, financial incentives, new teacher training and apprenticeships routes.

What steps is she taking to address waiting lists and delayed start dates for nursery placements.

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex. The number of places on Ofsted’s Early Years Register in Essex rose by 4% (or 1,500) from 37,400 as at 31 December 2024 to 38,900 as at 31 December 2025.The department has regular contact with all local authorities in England about childcare sufficiency and any issues they are facing, including disclosing any waiting lists or delayed start times.The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is adequate to meet the requirements of parents and children.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.Where the local authority reports any sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of nursery places in Essex.

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.This government is boosting availability and access through the School-based Nursery programme, supporting school-led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites. Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million awarded to 300 primary-phase schools, including 13 in Essex, creating up to 6,000 new childcare places in total.The department is due to announce successful Phase 2 projects in spring 2026.Where Essex reports any sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Pursuant to Answer of 5th March 2026 to Question 115670, what proportion of the £28.3 million for reading and writing initiatives has been allocated to schools in Essex.

The department’s £28.3 million funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school.Since the launch of a new continuous professional development (CPD) programme ‘Unlocking Reading’ in January 2026, 59% of secondary schools in England have signed up to the in-person training. We do not currently have a breakdown of how many of these are in Essex, but would encourage all secondary schools to express their interest via the website:https://fft.org.uk/literacy/unlocking-reading/The local English Hubs for schools in Essex are New Vision and Myland English Hubs. 29 schools in Essex are currently English Hub partner schools, receiving intensive support from literacy specialists with the teaching of early reading.Over 300 schools in Essex have received some form of support from the English Hubs programme since its launch, and 100 schools in Essex are signed up to access CPD provided by the Hubs this academic year.

What proportion of graduates who were not in high-skilled roles 15 months after graduation remain outside high-skilled employment a) three years later and b) five years later.

The department does not produce estimates of the proportion of graduates in high-skilled roles at three or five years after graduation.Graduate Outcome survey data published by HESA shows that around 70% of UK domiciled students who graduated with an undergraduate degree from a UK higher education provider during the 2022/23 academic year were in high-skilled employment fifteen months after graduation. This survey data does not track graduates beyond fifteen months to outline details of graduate employment three or five years later.While the department uses Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data to track graduate earning and employment outcomes at three and five years after graduation, this data does not include graduate occupation. The latest Graduate Outcomes survey data was published in July 2025 and can be found at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb272/figure-12.

What steps she is taking to provide support to schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency where the number of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and Maths is lower than the national average.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of GCSE a) English and b) Maths attainment in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency over the last two years.

We know unacceptable inequalities in outcomes exist across the country and at every phase of education.The ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ White Paper establishes our plan to improve the outcomes of all children, building on support at home with a stretching, enriching and inclusive school experience.Our ambition is that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap is halved, enabling 30,000 more disadvantaged young people passing their English and maths GCSEs than today.The department has committed £28.3 million to drive standards in reading and writing, including the new continuing professional development programme for secondary schools, the Unlocking Reading programme, supporting struggling readers in key stage 3.Our 40 maths hubs provide local school-to-school support to improve maths teaching, including Venn Essex Maths Hub in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency.We will go further by deepening the partnership between maths and English hubs and the Universal Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence programme, and strengthening and extending Maths Hubs programmes in reception to boost early numeracy.

What proportion of people in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency have not achieved a grade 4 in a) English and b) Maths by age 19.

The official statistics release 'Level 2 and 3 attainment age 16 to 25' includes numbers and proportions of those achieving GCSE English language and maths by age 19 for those who were recorded in mainstream state-funded schools in year 11, the final year of secondary school. The latest data available is for the 2023/24 academic year, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/level-2-and-3-attainment-by-young-people-aged-19/2023-24.For South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency, the figures for those who have not achieved a grade 4 in a) English language and b) maths are provided in the table below.YearSouth Basildon and East ThurrockEnglandAcademic year the young person turned 19Number in mainstream state-funded schools in year 11Proportion not achieved GCSE English language by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE maths by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE English language by 19Proportion not achieved GCSE maths by 192023/241,03823.7%30.2%17.1%21.0%2022/231,05225.0%27.4%15.9%19.2%