Written questions by Holden.

When she plans to publish a revised Adoption Strategy.

The department has provided £9 million of funding in the 2024/25 financial year for Adoption England to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure consistency of high-quality adoption services across the country. This includes the implementation of new national standards for the adopter journey from initial enquiry to assessment and national matching standards to promote good practice across all agencies. These will help ensure that wherever an adopter or child is recruited or placed across the country they can expect consistent and high-quality services. Adoption England has developed national adopter recruitment campaigns in each year since 2021 and is currently developing plans for 2025/2026. One of these campaigns can be found here: https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/. Adoption England published a three year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. This sets out a wide range of work to develop adoption services. The strategy can be found here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.

What steps she is taking to ensure that provision of support services for adopters with newly placed children is geographically equitable.

Adoption England are working with regional adoption agencies to develop national standards for adoption support. This will help ensure that wherever families live, they can expect the same level of high-quality support. This includes the development of a framework for an early support core offer entitled ‘Becoming a family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement, and an adoption support plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs. The department is working with regional adoption agencies and voluntary agencies to promote good practice to help ensure that applications to the adoption and special guardianship fund are assessed promptly so that families can access the support they need.

What steps she is taking with (a) regional adoption agencies and (b) local authorities to reduce the time taken for initial assessments for the Adoption Support Fund post adoption order.

Adoption England are working with regional adoption agencies to develop national standards for adoption support. This will help ensure that wherever families live, they can expect the same level of high-quality support. This includes the development of a framework for an early support core offer entitled ‘Becoming a family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement, and an adoption support plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs. The department is working with regional adoption agencies and voluntary agencies to promote good practice to help ensure that applications to the adoption and special guardianship fund are assessed promptly so that families can access the support they need.

What changes the Office for Students has made to the regulatory framework to (a) ensure value for money and (b) good outcomes for students since January 2024.

There has been one significant change to the Office for Students (OfS) regulatory framework, which was announced last year. This introduced the registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct. The main condition will not come into force until 1 August 2025, however the provisions relating to the banning of non-disclosure agreements apply from 1 September 2024. This condition is important in ensuring higher education students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.The OfS has been actively regulating within the current framework, ensuring positive outcomes for students, including through undertaking targeted quality assessments for existing registered providers. Additionally, the OfS has conducted assessments against new initial quality conditions for providers joining the register.The OfS is currently consulting on a five year strategy which sets out its plan to implement and focus on the recommendations of Sir David Behan’s independent review of the OfS, and the interrelated priorities which will support better quality, student interest, financial sustainability and protecting public money.This consultation, which opened on 12 December 2024 and closes on 20 February 2025, is available on the OfS website here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/ofs-strategy-for-2025-to-2030/consultation-on-ofs-strategy-for-2025-to-2030/foreword/.

With reference to the report entitled Investigation into student finance for study at franchised higher education providers, published by the National Audit Office on 18 January 2024, what discussions she has had with the Office for Students on the potential merits of requiring franchised providers to register with the Office for Students.

As set out in the government’s response to the Public Accounts Committee, the government is shortly due to publish a consultation on proposals to strengthen oversight of partnership delivery in higher education, having worked closely with the Office for Students on this.

How many (a) approved families looking to adopt and (b) children ready for adoption there were in each of the last 30 years.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number of approved families that are looking to adopt.The number of children looked after for whom the local authority has made the decision that they should be placed for adoption is published in the annual statistical release, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.This information was first collected by the department in 2009, therefore data is available as at 31 March 2009 to 2024.Information for the latest 5 years is published annually and can be found in categories 4a and 4c in the latest statistical release, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/6f861ced-a334-42c1-5a17-08dd3479441b.Figures for other years are contained in previous years’ releases, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.

With reference to her oral statement on 15 January 2025 on Higher Education Regulatory Approach, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of encouraging higher education institutions to adopt The Chicago Principles on freedom of speech and academic freedom.

As my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Security said in the House of Lords on 16 December, the Home Office plans to lay the regulations that underpin the scheme in early 2025, ahead of the scheme going live in the summer. The department is keeping implementation of the overseas transparency measures under review whilst we work with the sector to assess their approaches to managing these risks, and to ensure that any new reporting requirements are proportionate and add value to existing and upcoming protections. We expect a decision on the overseas measures to be made before the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not conducted an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging higher education (HE) institutions to adopt The Chicago Principles. HE providers are independent institutions and adopting the principles would be a matter for them individually.However, the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, in the manner set out by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education in her oral statement on 15 January 2025, will seek to achieve many of the same underlying values, including commitment to free and open enquiry in all matters, ensuring the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn, and a solemn responsibility to debate and protect freedom of expression when others attempt to restrict it.

With reference to her Department's press release, Government reaffirms commitment to Free Speech in universities, published on 15 January 2025, when she will implement the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

As my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Security said in the House of Lords on 16 December, the Home Office plans to lay the regulations that underpin the scheme in early 2025, ahead of the scheme going live in the summer. The department is keeping implementation of the overseas transparency measures under review whilst we work with the sector to assess their approaches to managing these risks, and to ensure that any new reporting requirements are proportionate and add value to existing and upcoming protections. We expect a decision on the overseas measures to be made before the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not conducted an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging higher education (HE) institutions to adopt The Chicago Principles. HE providers are independent institutions and adopting the principles would be a matter for them individually.However, the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, in the manner set out by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education in her oral statement on 15 January 2025, will seek to achieve many of the same underlying values, including commitment to free and open enquiry in all matters, ensuring the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn, and a solemn responsibility to debate and protect freedom of expression when others attempt to restrict it.

Whether her Department provides support programs including (a) appropriate training, (b) mentorship and (c) career pathways to encourage young people to enter the construction sector.

This government is working to create a clear, flexible, high-quality skills system that supports people of all ages, breaking down the barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth.The department has already established Skills England to ensure we have the highly-trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade. It will ensure the skills system is clear and navigable for both young people and older adults, strengthening careers pathways into jobs across the economy.A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for people of all ages to access education and training and develop a career pathway in construction. These include apprenticeships, T Levels, Skills Bootcamps, and Free Courses for Jobs.There are currently 91 high-quality apprenticeship standards in the construction and the built environment sector, with a further two standards in development. The department has introduced innovations to support growth of training programmes in the sector. For example, we are making apprenticeships more flexible through flexi job apprenticeships. There are Skills Bootcamps around the country that offer courses in different areas of construction.The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has recently published occupational maps on their website displaying the apprenticeship progression opportunities in each occupation. The occupational maps can be accessed via their website at: https://occupational-maps.instituteforapprenticeships.org/. These maps also specify if the occupation is embedded within the green occupational landscape and deliver sustainable outcomes.​T Levels also provide an excellent option for 16 to 19 learners and include valuable workplace experience through an industry placement of at least 45 days. Thousands of young people have benefited from T Levels in subject areas such as Design, Surveying and Planning, and Building Services Engineering, which can lead to rewarding careers in the construction sector. ​​​There are 21 ​Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) currently available in the Construction and the Built Environment occupational route, with a further 19 becoming available from September 2025. HTQs are level 4 and 5 qualifications which have been independently approved as providing the skills employers need. Examples of HTQs currently available in these areas include Higher National Diploma (HND) in Modern Methods of Construction, HND in Architectural Technology and HNC Construction Quantity Surveying.High-quality careers advice is an essential part of our missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and to drive economic growth. Our ambition is for everyone to have access to impartial careers information, advice and guidance throughout their lives. This will help open up more opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to access the skills and training they need to succeed in the workplace and to advance their careers.

How much funding her Department plans to provide for level seven apprenticeships in each of the next three financial years; and on what categories of apprenticeship this funding will be spent.

Spending on apprenticeships, including the categories of apprenticeship, is demand led as apprenticeships are a job with training and therefore employers and their needs determine which opportunities are available to learners.The government will be asking...

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to collate a national register of pupils with (a) parents and (b) primary carers in prison.

The department knows growing up with a parent or primary carer in prison can have a devastating impact on a child’s life chances. The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why the department has c...

Whether she plans to take steps to ensure that pay rates of teachers in sixth form colleges match those of school teachers.

This government is committed to ensuring that there is a thriving further education (FE) sector, which is vital to its missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and boost economic growth. The government is not responsible for, and plays no role i...

What plans she has to increase the number and proportion of pupils attaining a pass grade in GSCE (a) maths and (b) English by the age of (i) 16 and (ii) 18.

High and rising school standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best life chances.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review which will seek t...

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing further skills boot camps to help tackle specific sectoral shortages.

Skills Bootcamps remain an important offer in the skills landscape, and in the longer term the department intends to fund Skills Bootcamps through funding Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and local areas directly. MCAs and the Greater London Authority ...

If she will take steps to issue revised guidance to schools on requirements for developing individual health care plans for pupils with epilepsy.

Statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, whe...

How many (a) teachers, (b) teaching assistants and (c) other staff are employed in state schools in England.

Information on the school workforce, including the headcount and full-time equivalent number of teachers, teaching assistants, and other support staff in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication avail...

How many pupils are in state education per year group in England.

The most recently published statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England are from the January 2024 school census and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics...

How many and what proportion of children at (a) key stage one and two, (b) key stage three and four and (c) post-16 education are in (i) state-funded and (ii) privately-funded independent education in each local education authority area.

The department publishes figures on schools and pupils, including information on state-funded and independent schools. More information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. Data is collected from independent schools through the school level annual school census. This does not include phase but does include the age of pupils. A table showing the number of pupils by age, school type and local authority can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/f68a2ed7-d308-4e17-b82a-08dcab23a860. Please note that age does not necessarily directly align to state-funded sector primary, secondary and post-16 schools.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2024 to Question 458 on Private Education: Fees and Charges, whether the Department has made an assessment to date of the impact of the introduction of VAT on schools in the independent sector on class sizes in state schools.

The impact of any tax changes affecting independent schools on the state sector will be carefully considered. The government will complete its analysis once details of the policy changes have been confirmed. The department is supporting HM Treasury which will deliver tax changes. Further details will be announced in due course.

How many and what proportion of children are home schooled in each local education authority area.

The department publishes information on children in elective home education (EHE), which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.The number of children in EHE, at any point in the 2022/23 academic year, by local authority can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3a87f0ae-7cfd-4b6c-b8de-08dcab23db45.Please note that approaches to recording of EHE vary across local authorities. This is a new data collection since 2022/23 and, as such, the department expects the quality of the data returns from local authorities to continue to improve over time. In the latest term, data was received from 95% of local authorities. The data is adjusted for non-response and combined with population data for comparable ages to produce the national rate of EHE published in the release, which was 1.1% in autumn 2023.The Children’s Wellbeing Bill will legislate for local authority registers of children not in school. This will include a duty on parents to provide the necessary information for these registers if their child is eligible, which would improve the accuracy of data and ensure that fewer children slip under the radar when they are not in school.