The department collects data from local authorities on placement reasons for pupils educated under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 for those in local authority funded placements.

This information is published annually in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ accredited official statistics: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.

The department does not hold responsibility for policy on arrests or detentions as this is a matter for the Home Office, as the department responsible for policing. We do not hold data on parents in custody.

All Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses leading to QTS must incorporate the Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF) in full. The ITTECF is based on the best available evidence of what makes high-quality teaching and sets out the critical core content that new teachers need to be successful as they join the teaching profession.

The framework does not require ITT courses to include content on white privilege theory and/or schools' ability to comply with sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996.

ITT courses must be designed so that trainees can demonstrate that they meet all the Teachers' Standards at the appropriate level. Part two of the Teachers’ Standards sets clear standards for teachers’ personal and professional conduct, including not undermining British values and promoting mutual respect and tolerance of different views. Regular Ofsted inspection of ITT providers considers their training content and how providers prepare trainees to meet all expected professional behaviours.

Under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities must arrange suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive it. This education should be full-time, or as close to full-time as is appropriate for the child’s needs.

Ofsted monitors local authorities’ arrangements for the sufficiency and commissioning of alternative provision through Area special educational needs and disabilities inspections.

The department also issues statutory guidance on planning and commissioning alternative provision, which sets out principles for timely, safe, and high quality education. The guidance was last updated in January 2025 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-provision.

The government is committed to an inclusive education system that identifies additional needs early and delivers the right support at the right time, helping children remain in and succeed within mainstream education wherever possible.

The department’s School Complaints Compliance Unit (SCCU) considers how maintained schools and academies handle complaints on behalf of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. For maintained schools, SCCU considers whether a school has dealt with a complaint in line with education legislation and any relevant statutory policies. If they find a maintained school has not acted reasonably under education law, and identify a practical action to take, they can instruct the school accordingly. These actions are usually a technical or procedural change in a school’s policy, to ensure they carry out their duties in line with education legislation. If the school does not make the required changes, sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 allow my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to intervene and issue a direction to the school.

The department does not hold data in relation to complaints about maintained schools prior to 2013. The table below shows the number of in scope complaints received by the SCCU about maintained schools. From 2013 to 31 August 2023, the SCCU did not record if complaints were from parents, but from 1 September 2023 onwards this has been recorded. No directions have been issued in relation to a complaint about a maintained school.

*Outcome data split under sections 496 and 497 is not recorded.

The department’s School Complaints Compliance Unit (SCCU) considers how maintained schools and academies handle complaints on behalf of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. For maintained schools, SCCU considers whether a school has dealt with a complaint in line with education legislation and any relevant statutory policies. If they find a maintained school has not acted reasonably under education law, and identify a practical action to take, they can instruct the school accordingly. These actions are usually a technical or procedural change in a school’s policy, to ensure they carry out their duties in line with education legislation. If the school does not make the required changes, sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 allow my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to intervene and issue a direction to the school.

The department does not hold data in relation to complaints about maintained schools prior to 2013. The table below shows the number of in scope complaints received by the SCCU about maintained schools. From 2013 to 31 August 2023, the SCCU did not record if complaints were from parents, but from 1 September 2023 onwards this has been recorded. No directions have been issued in relation to a complaint about a maintained school.

*Outcome data split under sections 496 and 497 is not recorded.

It is important that parents have a right of appeal when they disagree with a local authority’s decision to not revoke a School Attendance Order. Section 442 of the Education Act 1996 gives parents this right of appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. If a person is convicted under section 443 of the Education Act, they may be able to appeal the decision of the magistrate through the criminal courts in the usual way. Section 437 does not provide for a specific parental appeal process, but the parent could apply for the School Attendance Order to be revoked under section 442.

The government is committed to ensuring that the section 442 process is as robust and transparent as possible for those parents who make use of it. However, we are unable to publish the requested information as it could potentially lead to the identification of individuals and the outcomes of these requests, which would go against the intentions behind the revocation process.

This potential for identification and outcomes is due to the low number of individuals who have requested the revocation of a School Attendance Order within the specified timeframe.

It is important that parents have a right of appeal when they disagree with a local authority’s decision to not revoke a School Attendance Order. Section 442 of the Education Act 1996 gives parents this right of appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. If a person is convicted under section 443 of the Education Act, they may be able to appeal the decision of the magistrate through the criminal courts in the usual way. Section 437 does not provide for a specific parental appeal process, but the parent could apply for the School Attendance Order to be revoked under section 442.

The government is committed to ensuring that the section 442 process is as robust and transparent as possible for those parents who make use of it. However, we are unable to publish the requested information as it could potentially lead to the identification of individuals and the outcomes of these requests, which would go against the intentions behind the revocation process.

This potential for identification and outcomes is due to the low number of individuals who have requested the revocation of a School Attendance Order within the specified timeframe.