I agree with where the hon. Lady started, which is that PE and sport—call it access to high-quality sports coaching, provision and resourcing in terms of capital investment in schools—are incredibly important. Alongside the work we are doing on school food to ensure that children get a great meal at lunch time in particular and our huge expansion of free school meals, we have committed more than £1 billion of investment into the work to establish that new PE and sport partnership. We are ensuring that primary schools are supported through that process with transitional payments and support, as well as working closely with leadership organisations to ensure that schools have all the information they need as we move towards the new system, which has been widely welcomed by sporting bodies and other organisations as opening up opportunities for more young people. I would be happy to discuss the subject further with the hon. Lady, because I think there has been some misunderstanding about the approach we are taking around transitional protections and support for primary schools.

The department recognises the significant impact that serious or life‑threatening illness can have on children and their families, including siblings. Schools play an important role in supporting pupils through these difficult moments in life through the pastoral care they provide. While the department does not issue specific guidance on supporting siblings of children with life‑threatening or terminal illness, a range of departmental guidance on issues like safeguarding, disabilities, mental health, and wellbeing set expectations that schools should identify and support pupils facing additional challenges, including those arising from family circumstances. Schools are also encouraged to work with relevant local services where appropriate, including health and social care partners, to ensure pupils and families can access the support they need.

The department recognises that a life‑threatening or terminal illness can have a significant impact on children’s attendance, attainment and wellbeing, both for those directly affected and for their siblings.

The department does not hold specific data on the impact of such illnesses on pupils’ attendance, attainment or wellbeing. However, we are clear that children whose education is affected by health needs or family circumstances should receive appropriate support to remain engaged in learning.

The statutory guidance ‘Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs’ is clear that local authorities must arrange suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school due to ill health. Schools are also expected to provide pastoral support, make reasonable adjustments, and support pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. This includes a holistic approach to supporting pupils affected by the serious illness of a family member, including siblings. The full guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/657995f0254aaa000d050bff/Arranging_education_for_children_who_cannot_attend_school_because_of_health_needs.pdf.

I am pleased that we have been able to give teachers the pay rises that they deserve, because they play an enormous role. We know it is teaching quality that makes the biggest difference to children’s life chances. We are investing record sums in our schools, investing record sums in capital, and ensuring that we have school places.

I disagree with the hon. Lady about our new breakfast clubs, which are being rolled out across the country—more opened just last week—and which are being well received by parents, teachers and heads. I invite her to go and visit one, and see for herself the transformation that it is driving.

The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language.

The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN.

The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.

The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards.

There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports.

We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

Transitional protections have been in place since 2018 to ensure no one who gained FSM eligibility would lose it while Universal Credit was rolled out. Following our expansion of eligibility from September 2026, it is our intention to end all protections.

Schools will receive an increase in funding as a result of the change in FSM policy. We have set aside over £1 billion in funding over the multiyear spending review period to cover the cost of additional free meals, after taking into account the removal of protections.

There will be no impact of the removal of FSM protections on the pupil premium or related disadvantage funding during the spending review period. Pupils that are currently protected will remain so for 6 years after they receive FSM under the "FSM6" categorisation.

Over the longer term, we are reviewing how we allocate pupil premium and related funding to schools and local authorities to ensure it is targeted to those who need it most, while maintaining the overall amount we spend on these funding streams.

The department is providing £1.4 billion to support schools with their increases to employer National Insurance contributions and staff pay awards in the 2025/26 financial year. Following the spring Spending Review, this level of funding will continue, and we announced additional funding that will take core school budgets to £65.9 billion by the 2028/29 financial year. Schools have autonomy over how they use their core funding to best meet their priorities, including any decisions on staffing.

More information on core funding allocations for 2026/27 will be announced in the autumn, as part of the usual national funding formulae process. Costs such as pay for future years are currently uncertain and subject to the outcomes of separate pay processes.

100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this Parliament, through the extension of free school meals (FSM) to all households on Universal Credit. Children who meet the new, higher threshold for FSM from September 2026 will not automatically be entitled to ‘extended rights’ home to school travel. The government’s overriding priority is to tackle child hunger.

Children will continue to be eligible for ‘extended rights’ home to school transport if they live in a household with an income below the existing FSM threshold and meet the eligibility criteria relating to the distance between their home and school. Further information about a new mechanism for assessing eligibility for ‘extended rights’ home to school travel will be available shortly.

The government supports airport expansion and has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. It expects any proposals to be brought forward by the summer and is clear that any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate and environmental obligations.

Once proposals have been received the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which sets clear requirements to mitigate the impacts of expansion on the environment and affected communities, and which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow.

Ministers and departmental officials have regular discussions with Ofsted on a wide range of matters, including special educational needs and the proposed reforms to the inspection of schools and colleges.

Where the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been confirmed, the government is funding the removal of RAAC from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP). Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings. All schools and colleges with confirmed RAAC are providing full time face-to-face education for all pupils and have suitable mitigations in place.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward. The department is encouraging responsible bodies to plan their projects for completion as soon as realistically possible. Responsible bodies and settings might use time in school holidays for works to take place.

As of 1 April 2025, 39 schools where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity and reducing visible inequalities among pupils. The Liberal Democrat spokesperson made a number of points in the Bill Committee, and the Department will certainly take forward her views and ideas.

There were 20,346 special educational needs co-ordinators employed by state-funded schools in England in November 2023, which is the latest data available.

Information on the school workforce is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high quality teaching. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.

​This government has inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. That is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

​​​The department has made good early progress towards this key pledge. We accepted in full the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendation of a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools for 2024/25. Alongside teacher pay, we have made £233 million available for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, which is an increase of £37 million from the 2024/25 cycle, to support teacher trainees with tax-free bursaries of up to £29,000 and scholarships of up to £31,000 in some shortage subjects. The department has also expanded its schoolteacher recruitment campaign, ‘Every Lesson Shapes a Life’ and the further education teacher recruitment campaign, ‘Share your Skills’.

​A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and new teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing in the first five years of their careers will now receive a targeted retention incentive of up to £6,000 after-tax if working in disadvantaged schools. There are four schools in the Twickenham constituency where teachers are eligible for targeted retention incentives.

We want to ensure teaching is an attractive profession to a wide range of people, including parents. This is why the department is enabling schools to offer greater flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation, and assessment to be undertaken from home, as well as making key resources to support wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers.

The department is also funding bespoke support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and multi-academy trusts, ensuring schools are capturing the benefits of flexible working whilst protecting pupils’ face-to-face teacher time. Charles Dickens Primary School is the flexible working ambassador school providing local, tailored peer support for Twickenham schools.

The department has established Teaching School Hubs across the country, which play a significant role in delivering initial teacher training and development. Wandle Teaching School Hub supports teacher training and development across Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth.

No notices of reduced or ended funding have been issued regarding teacher recruitment or retention schemes since 30 October 2024.

The department recently published its latest research on the cost of school uniform, surveying parents and carers of children aged 4 to 16 attending state-funded schools in England. The research report assessed the relative changes to the cost of school uniform since the department’s previous report in 2015. This report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.

The research found that the average total expenditure on school uniform and physical education (PE) kit, based on the items required in 2023, was £381.92. There were higher levels of expenditure for children in secondary schools, at £442.25, than in primary schools, at £343.28, and within both phases for girls (secondary: £454.31; primary: £357.28) compared to boys (secondary: £430.40; primary: £330.78).

The data was sampled to be representative of the population at primary and secondary level. The sample size was not large enough to make robust comparisons at a regional level.

Too many families still tell us that the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. ​This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.

The Brief Educational Workshops in Secondary Schools Trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, was a large school-based study of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based intervention led by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, using the DISCOVER intervention.

The study found that the DISCOVER intervention was modestly clinically effective for reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms among 16 to 18 year olds. The study’s findings highlight that, given the importance of addressing mental health needs early in this adolescent population, additional research is warranted to explore this intervention.

There are currently no national plans to scale up and roll out the DISCOVER workshop programme.

We recognise the importance of early intervention. Nearly 500 National Health Service funded mental health support teams were operational in approximately 8,500, or 34% of, schools and colleges across England by the end of March 2024, covering 4.2 million, or 44% of, pupils or learners. These teams work with young people and parents to manage mild to moderate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.

Building on this, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school so that mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life. We will also roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.

The Brief Educational Workshops in Secondary Schools Trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, was a large school-based study of a cognitive behavioural therapy-based intervention led by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, using the DISCOVER intervention.

The study found that the DISCOVER intervention was modestly clinically effective for reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms among 16 to 18 year olds. The study’s findings highlight that, given the importance of addressing mental health needs early in this adolescent population, additional research is warranted to explore this intervention.

There are currently no national plans to scale up and roll out the DISCOVER workshop programme.

We recognise the importance of early intervention. Nearly 500 National Health Service funded mental health support teams were operational in approximately 8,500, or 34% of, schools and colleges across England by the end of March 2024, covering 4.2 million, or 44% of, pupils or learners. These teams work with young people and parents to manage mild to moderate mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, while also assisting schools to develop a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing.

Building on this, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school so that mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, can be identified early on and prevented from developing into more serious conditions in later life. We will also roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. Far too often our staff have had to focus on maintenance and buildings rather than driving up standards in our schools. The Conservatives talk about their record, but their record was children cowering under steel props because of the RAAC crisis that they left behind.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme is collecting condition, contextual and building management data for every government-funded school in England. CDC2 is collecting data on over 22,000 educational establishments between 2021 and 2026.

To date, the programme has visited 18,248 schools and released 15,912 CDC2 reports to schools, which represents 83% of the total number of schools to be visited and 72% of the total number of reports to be released to schools.

The department provides capital funding, guidance and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings. It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department. Therefore, the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of our policy decisions.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England. The number of schools and colleges with confirmed reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was 237, or around 1%. The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

Where the presence of RAAC has been confirmed, the government is funding its removal from schools and colleges in England. The department has committed to resolving this problem as quickly as possible, permanently removing RAAC either through grant funding or the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).  Permanently removing RAAC may involve refurbishment of existing buildings or rebuilding affected buildings.

For schools and colleges receiving grants, it is for individual responsible bodies to develop project plans that suit their individual circumstances, drawing on the department’s support as needed. The scope and cost of each project will vary depending on the extent of the issue and nature and design of the buildings. Grants are agreed with responsible bodies and we support them as they take this forward.

As of 27 November 2024, 30 schools, where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding, have informed us they have permanently removed RAAC.

A total of 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP. Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works. SRP projects take on average 3 to 5 years to complete.

The needs of the child are paramount when deciding the right care placement. The Children’s Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care and ensure placements safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. Furthermore, the guidance is clear that the child’s allocated social worker, supported by local authority management and resources, should do everything possible to minimise disruption to the child’s education and, where a child is in key stage 4, a move should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Responsibility for looked-after children sits with the local authority. The guidance and regulations of the Children Act 1989 can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1000549/The_Children_Act_1989_guidance_and_regulations_Volume_2_care_planning__placement_and_case_review.pdf.

Every local authority must appoint a virtual school head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of all children in their care. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as a source of advice and expertise about the needs of the looked-after children on the school’s roll. Looked-after children also have top priority in school admissions and attract pupil premium plus funding of £2,570 per child, up to age 16. This is managed by the VSH, who works with the child’s education setting to deliver objectives in the child’s personal education plan.

In February 2023, the department announced the national rollout of £24 million of pupil premium plus style funding to looked-after children and care leavers at post-16 for the next two years, from 2023/24. This funding, which builds on an initial £8 million pilot that launched in October 2021, gives VSHs the financial levers to positively impact the educational outcomes of looked-after children and care leavers in post-16 education.

This government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly in education to achieve that.

Including the additional funding for teachers’ pay and pensions, funding for both mainstream schools and high needs is £2.9 billion higher in 2024/25 than in 2023/24. The overall core school budget will total £60.7 billion in 2024/25, which is the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This means school funding is set to have risen by £11 billion by 2024/25 compared to 2021/22.

The most recent published census data on young carers is from January 2023, and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.

You can find the number of young carers in each school in column JF of the school level underlying data file – see ‘School level underlying data - 2022/23 (csv, 22 Mb)’ under the heading ‘Additional supporting files’. 17,093 of the total 21,642 state-funded schools recorded no young carers. Statistics from the January 2024 school census will be published in June.

As this is a new data collection, the department expects the quality of the data returns to improve over time as the collection becomes established. All schools, except nursery schools, must send this information as part of the Spring school census. However, the recording and handling of the information is at the school’s discretion. In 2023, 79% of schools recorded no young carers.

Young carers make an enormous contribution in caring for their loved ones. The department wants to ensure that they are supported in their education and can take advantage of opportunities beyond their caring responsibilities.

The department added young carers to the annual school census in 2023, raising the visibility of young carers in the school system and, in time, providing the department with hard evidence on both the numbers of young carers and their educational outcomes.

The department will be incorporating young carers in the school-level annual school census for independent schools from early 2024 to ensure parity with the school census, which further builds on the department’s data on young carers across the school system.

The government has published information on how and where young carers can get help and support, encouraging them to speak to someone they trust at their school or college, like a teacher or school nurse, about their caring responsibilities and how this might affect them. As set out in ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the department require Designated Safeguarding Leads to undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their role, which includes having a good understanding of, and alertness to, the needs of young carers. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

The percentage of students progressing to Russell Group universities metric provides useful information to parents and students about which schools and colleges support their students to go on to study at this group of research intensive institutions. This is a supplementary measure to the department’s main headline and top-level additional destination measures. Russell Group is a term which is widely understood. Most Russell Group universities are in the top third higher education institutions.

The department keeps all measures under regular review.

The Safety Valve programme targets the local authorities with the highest Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficits. The programme requires the local authorities involved to develop substantial plans for reform to their high needs systems, with support and challenge from the department, to rapidly place them on a sustainable footing. If the local authorities can demonstrate sufficiently that their DSG management plans create lasting sustainability and are effective for children and young people, including reaching an in-year balance as quickly as possible, then the department will enter into an agreement to hold the authority to account for delivery.

Through the agreements, the authorities are subsequently held to account for their reform and savings targets via regular reporting to the department. The department will help the local authorities with additional revenue funding over time to contribute to their historic deficits, but this is contingent on delivery of the reforms in the agreements.

Capital funding is a necessary feature of many local authorities’ DSG management plans, in cases where investment in local infrastructure will result in the availability of more appropriate provision and subsequent revenue savings. Local authorities with Safety Valve agreements are therefore invited to apply for additional high needs capital funding, to be provided as a one-off ‘top-up’ to their high needs provision capital allocations (HNPCA).

Out of the 34 local authorities that currently have Safety Valve agreements, we have allocated additional capital funding to 22. The funding allocated to these local authorities is set out below:

The 12 local authorities that did not receive additional capital either did not apply or did not successfully demonstrate to the department that capital support was necessary to support their DSG management plans.

In order to receive additional capital funding, local authorities’ proposals must demonstrate how investment would align to the reform plans and savings targets in their Safety Valve agreements. Proposals also need to show how capital plans will meet identified gaps in provision and improve the local provision offer. Once funding is allocated, local authorities have appropriate flexibility to make sensible adjustments to their plans, reflecting that the statutory duty to provide sufficient school places remains with the local authority.

6 local authorities are currently in Safety Valve negotiations with the department and have also been invited to apply for capital funding. The outcome of those negotiations and any additional capital funding being allocated will be communicated to local authorities shortly, and additional capital funding will be paid to local authorities as part of their 2024/25 HNPCA allocations later this year.

The department assessed the different approaches to managing the use of mobile phones in schools in the ‘School Snapshot Survey: Winter 2019’.

This showed that 48% of secondary schools permitted regulated use of mobile phones at specific points during the school day and that only 16% had outright bans.

In March 2023, 15% of school leaders and 53% of pupils reported that mobile phones were used in lessons when they were not supposed to. Mobile phone use in lessons when not permitted can have an impact on the learning time for all pupils in the class and lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disruption.

The publication of the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance has the potential to impact pupils using phones in all schools where strict policies have not yet been effectively implemented.

In December 2017, the government published a consultation to gather views on the proposals set out in its publication, ‘Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health Provision’. The green paper is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a823518e5274a2e87dc1b56/Transforming_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_provision.pdf.

The government response to the consultation was published in July 2018: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b583d30ed915d0b6985cc21/government-response-to-consultation-on-transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health.pdf. It outlined a commitment to implement three core proposals that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, the Department for Education and Health Education England would jointly take forward, one of which was to establish new Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), working in or near schools and colleges. MHSTs add value to support that settings already have in place, and more broadly are part of a wider programme of mental health transformation set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

As of 31 March 2023, MHSTs covered 35% of pupils in schools and learners in further education settings in England. We are extending coverage of MHSTs to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

The Early Evaluation of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Trailblazer programme, published by the National Institute for Health Research in February 2023, revealed substantial progress in MHST implementation, despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this was a process evaluation, early impacts include improved school and college staff knowledge and confidence in dealing with mental health issues, improved access to support for some groups, and improvements in partnership working. The study also found that the experiences of the majority of children and young people who had contact with an MHST were positive. The early evaluation is available here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-social-sciences/social-policy/BRACE/trailblazer.pdf.

Work is already underway with partners to ensure that learnings are used to inform current and future practice. Since the MHST Trailblazers became operational in 2018/19, the Education Mental Health Practitioner curriculum has been strengthened in response to feedback on needs such as learning disabilities and autism, challenging behaviour and support for parents. In addition, a new Senior Wellbeing Practitioner role was launched in 2023 to support widening the MHST skillset and career progression opportunities.

The department, together with partners, will continue to listen to feedback and a planned phase 2 longer-term outcome evaluation, to inform MHST roll out and drive improvements in evidence-based mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people.

The ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance is informed by data from various sources. These include the department’s ‘National Behaviour Survey: Findings from Academic Year 2021/22’ and the ‘School Snapshot Survey: Winter 2019’, Ofcom’s ‘Children’s Media Use and Attitudes’ and the Office for National Statistics’ report ‘Online bullying in England and Wales: year ending March 2020’.

The guidance was also informed by the ‘UNESCO Global education monitoring report, 2023: technology in education: a tool on whose terms?’ and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s ‘The health impacts of screen time – a guide for clinicians and parents’. A review of academic research relating to the use of mobile phones in education settings and amongst children and young people was also conducted to inform the development of the guidance.

During the development of the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, the department consulted headteachers from across the sector to learn from their experience of implementing effective policies that prohibited the use of mobile phones in their schools.

Headteachers and leaders, including those involved in the Behaviour Hubs programme, reported that after removing mobile phones from the school day, the whole culture of their school changed for the better. This feedback supports an assessment that the guidance is likely to support schools to create environments that are safer places for pupils, where the distraction caused by the use of mobile phones is reduced, and that have a positive impact on learning.

Stakeholder engagement with young people, parents and representative bodies ensured the department could make an assessment of the impact of the guidance on individual pupils. Stakeholder engagement informed the development of the guidance regarding adaptations and reasonable adjustments for specific pupils and the use of mobile phones on the way to and from school.

Ofsted has confirmed that it has made changes to its processes around how, and when, inspectors access school websites. It is also continuing to consider proportionate technical options to hide or disguise its access to school websites prior to an inspection.

The department and Ofsted would urge schools not to use this kind of service. Schools do not need to take any extra steps to prepare for Ofsted inspections.

Ofsted publish statistics twice a year on the number of those settings that have been investigated and inspected under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 since January 2016. The published statistics include information relating to the number of warning notices that been issued because of Ofsted inspectors concluding that an unregistered school may be operating on the premises.

The published statistics which cover each year since 2016 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unregistered-schools-management-information.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary aided school bodies – to manage the maintenance of their schools and alert the department if there is a concern with a building. Local authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the department; therefore the department does not hold this data. The department does provide support on a case by case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue.

The government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC as of 16 October 2023. The list is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.

The department always puts the safety and wellbeing of children and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of its policy decisions.

The department is working with the sector to establish a research study of several system-built frame types to identify potential future issues.

The department is working with schools, responsible bodies, and potential contractors to enable these assessments to be carried out at 100 schools with a minimum of disruption and to provide research that will be widely applicable.

In establishing this research project the department considered the implications of disturbing hazardous materials, including asbestos. The department is taking time to ensure that safety measures are in place to continue to keep all students, staff, and the general public safe during these investigations, which has delayed the procurement timetable slightly.

The department expects that procurement will take place over the coming months and that the majority of the initial assessments will be undertaken over the easter and summer holiday periods of the 2023/24 academic year.

The department is working with the sector to establish a research study of several system-built frame types to identify potential future issues.

The department is working with schools, responsible bodies, and potential contractors to enable these assessments to be carried out at 100 schools with a minimum of disruption and to provide research that will be widely applicable.

In establishing this research project the department considered the implications of disturbing hazardous materials, including asbestos. The department is taking time to ensure that safety measures are in place to continue to keep all students, staff, and the general public safe during these investigations, which has delayed the procurement timetable slightly.

The department expects that procurement will take place over the coming months and that the majority of the initial assessments will be undertaken over the easter and summer holiday periods of the 2023/24 academic year.

The department is working with the sector to establish a research study of several system-built frame types to identify potential future issues.

The department is working with schools, responsible bodies, and potential contractors to enable these assessments to be carried out at 100 schools with a minimum of disruption and to provide research that will be widely applicable.

In establishing this research project the department considered the implications of disturbing hazardous materials, including asbestos. The department is taking time to ensure that safety measures are in place to continue to keep all students, staff, and the general public safe during these investigations, which has delayed the procurement timetable slightly.

The department expects that procurement will take place over the coming months and that the majority of the initial assessments will be undertaken over the easter and summer holiday periods of the 2023/24 academic year.

An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 19 October, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.

The Department is providing significant support to schools and colleges to ensure children remain in face to face education or are returned to it as soon as possible. This includes providing all schools and colleges where RAAC is confirmed with a dedicated caseworker to work with them to assess what support is needed and implement mitigations plans that are right for them. Mitigation plans could include other spaces on the school site, or in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, until structural works are carried out or temporary buildings are installed. A bespoke plan is put in place to ensure that each school and college receives the support that suits their circumstances with a clear focus on getting children back to full time face to face education as quickly as possible. These arrangements change quite quickly and so any figure about the number of children not in school settings will soon be out of date.

Project delivery teams are on site to support schools and colleges to minimise the disruption to children and young people’s education, whether that is finding short term accommodation options or designing and putting in place structural solutions for affected spaces.

The Department is also funding emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall, this should be discussed with their caseworker. The Department expects that all reasonable requests will be approved.

Where a school or college has insufficient on site accommodation once the areas with RAAC are taken out of use and alternative off site emergency or longer term temporary accommodation is required, the Local Authority and school or college is responsible for making alternative arrangements and should agree this with parents of affected pupils and students. In many cases, pupils and students will be able to remain on the roll of their existing education setting, even if they are in emergency or longer term temporary accommodation on a different school site.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day to day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware of a building that poses an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury.

The Government has committed to spend whatever it takes to keep children safe. The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the Department will cover all reasonable requests.

The Department will then also fund refurbishment or rebuilding projects, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term. Schools and colleges will either be offered capital grants to fund refurbishment work to permanently remove RAAC, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme. The Department will set out further details for affected schools and colleges in due course.

The cost of the work needed at each school with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and the nature of the buildings. The Department is working closely with affected schools and colleges to understand and support their needs. The Department has also assigned a dedicated caseworker to each school and college affected, who will work with them to assess their particular needs and implement individually designed mitigation plans.

More broadly, the Department has continued to invest in improving the condition of schools and colleges, with over £15 billion allocated since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed for the 2023/24 financial year. On top of this, the Department is transforming 500 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme. A total of 400 schools have been confirmed, with 100 places reserved for later in the programme. Buildings in the poorest condition and those with evidence of potential safety issues have been prioritised, including some now known to contain RAAC. The Department is committed to the projects that have already been announced as being rebuilt or refurbished through the School Rebuilding Programme.

The Department will always put the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of its policy decisions. The Government has taken more proactive action to identify and mitigate RAAC in education settings than the devolved administrations in the UK, or indeed, governments overseas.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day to day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building. It has always been the case that where the Department is made aware of a building that poses an immediate risk, immediate action is taken.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with colleagues from HM Treasury.

The Government has committed to spend whatever it takes to keep children safe. The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the Department will cover all reasonable requests.

The Department will then also fund refurbishment or rebuilding projects, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term. Schools and colleges will either be offered capital grants to fund refurbishment work to permanently remove RAAC, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, including through the School Rebuilding Programme. The Department will set out further details for affected schools and colleges in due course.

The cost of the work needed at each school with RAAC will vary depending on the extent of the issue and the nature of the buildings. The Department is working closely with affected schools and colleges to understand and support their needs. The Department has also assigned a dedicated caseworker to each school and college affected, who will work with them to assess their particular needs and implement individually designed mitigation plans.

More broadly, the Department has continued to invest in improving the condition of schools and colleges, with over £15 billion allocated since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed for the 2023/24 financial year. On top of this, the Department is transforming 500 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme. A total of 400 schools have been confirmed, with 100 places reserved for later in the programme. Buildings in the poorest condition and those with evidence of potential safety issues have been prioritised, including some now known to contain RAAC. The Department is committed to the projects that have already been announced as being rebuilt or refurbished through the School Rebuilding Programme.

The Department will always put the safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff in schools and colleges at the heart of its policy decisions. The Government has taken more proactive action to identify and mitigate RAAC in education settings than the devolved administrations in the UK, or indeed, governments overseas.

The full school level data from the first Condition Data Collection programme was published in the House Libraries on 20 July 2023. This is accessible at: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/details.

It is the responsibility of academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies, who work with the schools they run to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools, to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building.

If the Department is made aware of a building that poses serious imminent risks to the safety of pupils or staff, immediate action is taken to ensure their safety and remediate the situation. There are no open areas within schools or college buildings where the Department knows of an imminent risk to life.

The Department helps responsible bodies to meet their responsibilities by providing significant capital funding for their schools, delivering rebuilding programmes and providing guidance and support. The Department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for keeping school buildings safe and in good working order, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings at 500 schools, prioritising poor condition and potential safety issues.

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) data helps the Department understand the condition of the school estate in England and how it is changing over time, and the data is part of the evidence base used to make school condition funding allocations.

CDC was one of the largest data collection programmes in the UK public sector.

The data was collected between 2017/19 and reflects a visual snapshot of the estate as it was and therefore does not reflect the current condition of the school buildings. In May 2021, the Department published the key findings of the CDC programme in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’, which can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf. The report provides school condition data at national and regional level.

The full school level data from the first Condition Data Collection programme was published in the House Libraries on 20 July 2023. This is accessible at: https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2285521/details.

It is the responsibility of academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies, who work with the schools they run to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools, to alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building.

If the Department is made aware of a building that poses serious imminent risks to the safety of pupils or staff, immediate action is taken to ensure their safety and remediate the situation. There are no open areas within schools or college buildings where the Department knows of an imminent risk to life.

The Department helps responsible bodies to meet their responsibilities by providing significant capital funding for their schools, delivering rebuilding programmes and providing guidance and support. The Department has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 for keeping school buildings safe and in good working order, including £1.8 billion committed for 2023/24. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform buildings at 500 schools, prioritising poor condition and potential safety issues.

The Condition Data Collection (CDC) data helps the Department understand the condition of the school estate in England and how it is changing over time, and the data is part of the evidence base used to make school condition funding allocations.

CDC was one of the largest data collection programmes in the UK public sector.

The data was collected between 2017/19 and reflects a visual snapshot of the estate as it was and therefore does not reflect the current condition of the school buildings. In May 2021, the Department published the key findings of the CDC programme in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’, which can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf. The report provides school condition data at national and regional level.

Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. The Department discovered details of three new cases over the summer, where RAAC that would have been graded as non-critical has failed. The first of these was in a commercial setting. The second was in a school in a different educational jurisdiction.

It was right to carefully consider the cases and scrutinise the technical details from these. The Department’s technical officials were able to investigate the situation in one case where the plank that had failed was fully intact as it was resting on a steel beam after it failed. They concluded that it would previously been rated non-critical.

Ministers were carefully considering the first two cases, and advice from officials, when a third failure of a panel occurred, at a school in late August. The Department’s technical officials also visited this school to investigate the failure. In light of all three cases, it was right to make the difficult decision to change Departmental guidance for education settings and take a more cautious approach.

Following careful analysis of these recent cases, a precautionary and proactive step has been taken to change the approach to RAAC in education settings ahead of the start of the academic year, as outlined in our guidance.

The National Audit Office report outlines different levels of possible investment in the school estate. However, decisions about investment have to be made over a vast range of significant infrastructure projects across government. The Department regularly speaks to HM Treasury about investment in the education estate. It would be inappropriate to disclose the details requested of the sensitive negotiations between HM Treasury and the Department. It would only show part of the picture on a complex decision-making process that takes place between multiple departments, ministers, officials, and other individuals, and would not reflect that such a process has to look across the board at priorities. It would also breach the long-standing traditions, and expectation, of confidential and often commercially sensitive information not being disclosed into the public domain, and of allowing officials to give full and frank advice to ministers.

The Department publishes details of all construction contracts awarded over £10,000 This information is accessible at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search. Contracts will be published within 30 days of awarding the contracts.

Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.

The Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.

Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.

The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.

The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.

The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.

Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.

All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.

Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.

Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.

While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.

The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.

All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.

Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.

The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.

The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.

The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.

Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.

All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.

Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.

Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.

While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.

The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.

All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.

Nothing is more important than the safety of children and staff. It has always been the case that where we are made aware of a building that may pose an immediate risk, the Department takes immediate action.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – who work with their schools on a day-to-day basis, to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools and to alert us if there is a concern with a building.

The Department has acted decisively and proactively to tackle this issue. This Government has taken more proactive action on RAAC than any other in the UK. The Department issued comprehensive guidance in 2018, and subsequent years, to all responsible bodies highlighting the potential risks associated with RAAC and supporting them to identify this within their buildings, as well as to take appropriate steps in meeting their obligations to keep buildings safe. The most recent guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-estates-guidance.

There are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England, and the vast majority are unaffected. A significant proportion of the estate was built outside the period where RAAC was used, with around one third of the estate built since 2001, therefore, the Department has focused efforts on buildings built in the post-war decades.

The Department issued a questionnaire in March 2022, asking responsible bodies to inform the Department of any suspected RAAC identified in their estates. Responsible bodies have submitted questionnaires for over 98% of schools with blocks built in the target era, of which there are 14,900. We are pressing all remaining schools to get checks completed, to determine which schools require surveys.

The Department is contacting responsible bodies to help them respond to this request and to advise on what needs to be done, so that they can establish whether they believe they have RAAC. This work will continue until we have a response for all target era schools.

Schools and colleges where RAAC is suspected are being fast tracked for surveying, which is used to confirm whether RAAC is actually present. All schools and colleges that have already told us they suspect they might have RAAC will be surveyed within a matter of weeks, in many cases in a matter of days.

All schools where RAAC is confirmed are provided with a dedicated caseworker to support them and help implement a mitigation plan and minimise the disruption to children’s learning.

Across Government, Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. The Department for Education published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September, and committed to providing further updates.

Schools will contact parents where RAAC is identified and inform them of any impacts on their child. The vast majority of schools are unaffected. Any parents that are unsure if their child’s school is affected should contact their school directly.

While some short term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning and ensure that pupils continue to receive face-to-face teaching. Where there is any disturbance to face-to-face education, schools will prioritise attendance for vulnerable children and young people and children of key workers. The guidance published by the Department in August also includes guidance on provision for pupils with SEND and sets out expectations that schools continue to provide free school meals to eligible pupils.

The Department will fund emergency mitigation work needed to make buildings safe, including installing alternative classroom space where necessary. Where schools and colleges need additional help with revenue costs, like transport to locations or temporarily renting a local hall or office, the department will provide that support for all reasonable requests. The Department will also fund longer term refurbishment projects, or rebuilding projects where these are needed, to rectify the RAAC issue in the long term.

All previously confirmed Schol Rebuilding Programme projects announced in 2021 and 2022 will continue to go ahead. A full list of confirmed projects can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

Further information on RAAC in education settings is available on the Education Hub: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/06/new-guidance-on-raac-in-education-settings/.

The Condition Data Collection (CDC1), which ran from 2017 to 2019, included an estimated decade of construction for all school buildings visited. 63,970 blocks across 22,031 schools were visited.

Of the 22,031 schools visited, 15,286 had at least one block where the date of construction was estimated to be between 1931 and 1990.

Of the 63,970 blocks visited, 29,521 had a date of construction estimated to be between 1931 and 1990. This represents 46% of the blocks that were visited.

Caledonian Modular Limited (CML) was directly contracted to deliver five schools by the Department for Education. The Department did not contract CML to build any further education college buildings. Three schools were completed and two were partially constructed and are being rebuilt.

All five of these schools delivered by CML have been investigated. No other schools using Modern Methods of Construction have been similarly investigated, and there are currently no plans to publish the findings.

Appropriate steps are being taken to enforce the Department’s contractual rights in relation to all affected CML schools, including those schools which have closed due to possible safety defects and those which never reached completion. The Department is pursuing all avenues for redress against the parties responsible for those issues.

Caledonian Modular Limited (CML) was directly contracted to deliver five schools by the Department for Education. The Department did not contract CML to build any further education college buildings. Three schools were completed and two were partially constructed and are being rebuilt.

All five of these schools delivered by CML have been investigated. No other schools using Modern Methods of Construction have been similarly investigated, and there are currently no plans to publish the findings.

Appropriate steps are being taken to enforce the Department’s contractual rights in relation to all affected CML schools, including those schools which have closed due to possible safety defects and those which never reached completion. The Department is pursuing all avenues for redress against the parties responsible for those issues.

Caledonian Modular Limited (CML) was directly contracted to deliver five schools by the Department for Education. The Department did not contract CML to build any further education college buildings. Three schools were completed and two were partially constructed and are being rebuilt.

All five of these schools delivered by CML have been investigated. No other schools using Modern Methods of Construction have been similarly investigated, and there are currently no plans to publish the findings.

Appropriate steps are being taken to enforce the Department’s contractual rights in relation to all affected CML schools, including those schools which have closed due to possible safety defects and those which never reached completion. The Department is pursuing all avenues for redress against the parties responsible for those issues.

The Government has accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) recommendations for 2023/24 teacher pay awards in full. This means that teachers and head teachers in maintained schools will receive an increase of at least 6.5%, the highest STRB award in three decades. The Department will be providing an additional £525 million of funding in the 2023/24 financial year, and £900 million in 2024/25, and as the unions have agreed, this means that the award is properly funded.

Although the Department will have to make difficult decisions, the Secretary of State has been clear all frontline services will be protected. Funding for early years, SEND, school conditions and core school and college budgets are fully protected. To help fund the pay award, the Secretary of State has also secured exceptional permission from the Treasury to keep money where there have been or will be underspends, which in normal years would have to be returned to Treasury.

The additional funding announced alongside the teachers’ pay award fully covers the cost of the pay award above 3.5%, nationally. The Department’s affordability calculation says that a 4% pay award should be affordable for the average school, and the Department is more than covering that calculation.

The safety of pupils and staff is vital. Where it is suspected that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is present in a school, the Department takes swift action based on professional advice.

It is the responsibility of academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies, to manage the maintenance of the schools they run and alert the Department if there is a concern with a building. Local Authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the Department, but the Department provides support on a case-by-case basis, working with the sector when it is alerted to a serious safety issue.

In cases where RAAC is confirmed, the Department provides rapid support to schools on the advice of structural engineers. This could include funding capital works to remove any immediate risk and, where absolutely necessary, the provision of temporary buildings. Where RAAC poses an immediate risk to occupants, Responsible Bodies are advised to take spaces out of use with immediate effect, based on the professional advice of structural engineers. Decisions to close one or more buildings at a school are made by the school’s Responsible Body. Longer term remediation of RAAC is supported by capital funding provided to the sector, the Department’s rebuilding programme, and urgent capital support.

The Department provides support to schools and Responsible Bodies and has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to keep schools safe and operational. This includes £1.8 billion committed this financial year, informed by consistent data on the school estate. In addition, the Department’s School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition.

The Department will continue to work with Responsible Bodies, schools, and colleges to support them through the process of investigation, assessment, and management of RAAC.

Of course the Secretary of State will agree, as she has just said to me. We are spending record amounts of funding on schools. The Secretary of State achieved an extra £2 billion in the autumn statement last year and we are now spending £59.6 billion on school funding. We have recruited 2,800 more teachers this year than last year and we have a record number of teachers in the profession, at 468,000, but of course I am happy to talk to the hon. Lady and the teachers in her constituency to discuss their particular concerns.

The safety of pupils and staff is vital. The Department has work in progress with schools to identify and manage Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

It is the responsibility of those who run schools to manage the safety and maintenance of their schools. This is typically academy trusts, Local Authorities, and voluntary aided school bodies .They should alert the Department if there is a serious concern with a building.

In cases where RAAC is confirmed and if it poses an immediate risk to occupants, Responsible Bodies are advised to take spaces out of use with immediate effect, based on the professional advice of structural engineers. Decisions to close one or more buildings at a school are made by the school’s Responsible Body.

The Department has been talking to schools about the potential risks of RAAC since 2018 when it first published a warning note with the Local Government Association.

Since then, the Department has published guidance in identifying and managing RAAC and has asked all Local Authorities, academy trusts, and other bodies responsible for schools to share their knowledge of RAAC, its presence in their buildings, and how they are managing it.

The Department will continue to work with responsible bodies, schools, and colleges to support them through the process of investigation, assessment, and management of RAAC.

The safety of pupils and staff is paramount. Where it is suspected that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is present in a school, the Department takes swift action based on professional advice. In cases where RAAC is confirmed, the Department provides rapid support to schools on the advice of structural engineers. This could include funding capital works to remove any immediate risk and, where absolutely necessary, the provision of temporary buildings. Longer term remediation of RAAC is supported by capital funding provided to the sector, the Department’s rebuilding programme, and urgent capital support.

It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, Local Authorities and voluntary aided school bodies – to manage the maintenance of their schools and alert the Department if there is a concern with a building. Local Authorities and academy trusts do not need to report building closures to the Department, but the Department provides support on a case by case basis, working with the sector if it is alerted to a serious safety issue. This includes when schools have closed part, or all of the site for a period of time once RAAC is confirmed. In most cases this is for a number of days as opposed to a longer closure. The number of schools this has applied to is changing regularly with ongoing activity to mitigate the impact, including minimising any short term impact on education.

The Department provides support to schools and responsible bodies and has allocated over £15 billion since 2015 to keep schools safe and operational. This includes £1.8 billion committed this financial year, informed by consistent data on the school estate. In addition, the Department’s School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition.

Schools and their responsible bodies are not obliged to report school closures to the Department, including those due to water shortages or sewage leaks. For this reason, the Department does not hold the information requested.

These issues are often dealt with locally and, where applicable, using insurance providers.

Schools and their responsible bodies are not obliged to report school closures to the Department, including those due to water shortages or sewage leaks. For this reason, the Department does not hold the information requested.

These issues are often dealt with locally and, where applicable, using insurance providers.