Every parliamentary written question tabled by Sarah Green this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–14 of 14 · Department for Education
Whether she plans to update guidance on handling complaints in children's social care.
The department wants to ensure that the process for children’s social care complaints is effective and straightforward for families to navigate. We also want to ensure that local processes work effectively and efficiently within local authorities, and tha...
What proportion of the additional revenue raised through the application of VAT to independent school fees has been allocated to addressing funding gaps in maintained schools.
Ending the tax breaks previously enjoyed by private schools raises essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, such as the £1.7 billion increase to core school funding in 2026/27, meaning an increased total of £67 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.
Whether her Department plans to introduce retrospective funding for schools that met special educational needs support costs during periods when Education, Health and Care Plan assessments were delayed by local authorities beyond the statutory deadline.
Mainstream schools are currently expected to meet the costs of supporting their pupils with special educational needs (SEN), up to £6,000 per pupil per annum. When the costs of additional support required for a pupil with SEN exceed that £6,000 threshold, the local authority should allocate additional top-up funding to cover the excess costs. This funding comes from the authority’s high needs budget. This may follow a statutory assessment producing an education, health and care (EHC) plan, though local authorities have the discretion to provide high needs funding to schools for pupils without an EHC plan, including those whose EHC needs assessment has been delayed.Following the publication of the Schools White Paper, we are consulting on a range of reforms to enable mainstream schools to be inclusive of children with SEN, and are providing £4 billion over the next three years to prioritise early intervention and drive forward the reforms.
Whether the Department plans to make anti-bullying training mandatory for school staff.
Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.
What assessment she has made of the consistency of the implementation of anti-bullying guidance in schools.
Tackling and preventing bullying in schools is essential to ensure that schools can provide calm and inclusive learning environments. All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.Ofsted’s renewed education inspection framework, which has been in use from November 2025, evaluates a school’s approach to bullying during school inspections. This is considered through the lens of the attendance and behaviour evaluation area but is also considered as part of the personal development and wellbeing and safeguarding evaluation areas.To support schools, the department has procured for the development of a bespoke evidence-based toolkit for teachers which will guide them through approaches to tackling misbehaviour and bullying and actions to focus on prevention.
Whether she plans to update guidance on handling complaints in children's social care.
Departmental officials will be meeting with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to better understand issues with the complaints process, but at present we are not planning to update the complaints guidance. We will, however, publish updated statutory guidance on advocacy services for children, who are making complaints, this year.
What steps she is taking to help support people aged 17 years and over in resitting their GCSE English Language.
The department has strengthened the requirements for the mathematics and English conditions of funding to ensure every eligible student is supported to make progress towards and, wherever possible, attain GCSE English by the end of their 16-19 study. This is backed by significant additional investment, including increases to the English and mathematics funding rate of 11% in 2025/26.The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper includes a package of support for English, including new level 1 stepping stone English qualifications that support students with lower prior attainment for successful GCSE resits. It also pledges to improve the gathering and sharing of effective practice to support providers’ delivery of 16-19 English in the meantime and strengthens accountability measures to hold providers to account.
Whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of funding for further education colleges to meet staffing costs in the light of (a) increased employer National Insurance contributions and (b) sector pay agr
As a part of the public sector, further education (FE) colleges will be compensated for the increased employer National Insurance contributions. Details about this compensation will be announced in the future. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the E...
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement for under 18s to retake (a) English and (b) Maths GCSE on children with complex SEND.
The department knows that English and mathematics brings significant gains to all students, including children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by improving their employment prospects and access to qualifications at ...
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to question 4269 on Qualifications, what progress her Department has made on it's review of 16-19 qualification reforms at Level three and below.
The department is making good progress with the review of qualifications reform. The review is focused on Level 3 qualifications that are due to have funding removed on 31 July 2025. The review will aim to ensure that there are a range of high quality qua...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to further education (FE) providers to support a pay increase for FE teachers commensurate with the pay increase provided t
The department recognises the vital role that further education (FE) teachers and providers play in developing the skills needed to drive the government’s missions to improve opportunity and economic growth. The government does not set or recommend pay in...
If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) inspection process for Skills Bootcamp providers and (b) education inspection framework for skills providers.
Ofsted inspections independently assess the quality of adult learning providers and Skills Bootcamps have been part of this remit since April 2023. Ofsted inspection reports help support providers to improve the quality of their provision. The department can, at its discretion, take appropriate contractual action where performance is below the standard expected of providers. The government is committed to reforming Ofsted and improving the inspection system and has set out a series of commitments to reforming accountability, such as moving away from the single headline grade to a richer system through a report card. The government will want to engage with Ofsted, including looking closely at the results of its ‘Big Listen’ and will work in partnership with those from the range of sectors that Ofsted works in, including skills, to look at opportunities to improve the current arrangements.
If she will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on ensuring that the needs of children receiving specific provision for SEND within the private school system are taken into account as part of any consultation to introduce VAT on fees.
The department regularly engages with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about a range of issues. The government recognises the importance of continuing a positive relationship with representatives of the sector to better support outcomes across the whole education system.
Whether she (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on consulting stakeholders that may be affected by the introduction of VAT on private school fees.
The department regularly engages with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about a range of issues. The government recognises the importance of continuing a positive relationship with representatives of the sector to better support outcomes across the whole education system.