Strike action is damaging to pupils’ education and the department encourages unions and employers to work together constructively to resolve disputes. Through the department’s ‘Handling strike action in schools’ guidance, we provide advice to headteachers to take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible and minimise the impact on children’s education. Departmental officials and ministers regularly engage with trade unions on a wide range of issues, including matters relating to the workforce and supporting good industrial relations.

Strike action is damaging to pupils’ education and the department encourages unions and employers to work together constructively to resolve disputes. Through the department’s ‘Handling strike action in schools’ guidance, we provide advice to headteachers to take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible and minimise the impact on children’s education. Departmental officials and ministers regularly engage with trade unions on a wide range of issues, including matters relating to the workforce and supporting good industrial relations.

Strike action is damaging to pupils’ education and the department encourages unions and employers to work together constructively to resolve disputes. Through the department’s ‘Handling strike action in schools’ guidance, we provide advice to headteachers to take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible and minimise the impact on children’s education. Departmental officials and ministers regularly engage with trade unions on a wide range of issues, including matters relating to the workforce and supporting good industrial relations.

Special consideration is available where a student experiences a temporary illness, injury or other unforeseen event immediately before or during an exam or assessment that significantly affects their performance. It is intended to address disruption at the time of the assessment itself and can only be awarded where a student was fully prepared for the assessment.

Special consideration does not apply to wider disruption to a student’s learning, including disruption caused by teacher absence or strike action. As the independent regulator of exams and assessments, Ofqual’s legal framework is clear that qualifications must reflect what students know, understand and can do at the time of their assessment.

Throughout any strike action, schools and colleges should take the necessary steps to ensure that students are supported and prepared for their exams, this may include prioritising school places for exam year students or offering catch up lessons and additional revision sessions.

Special consideration is available where a student experiences a temporary illness, injury or other unforeseen event immediately before or during an exam or assessment that significantly affects their performance. It is intended to address disruption at the time of the assessment itself and can only be awarded where a student was fully prepared for the assessment.

Special consideration does not apply to wider disruption to a student’s learning, including disruption caused by teacher absence or strike action. As the independent regulator of exams and assessments, Ofqual’s legal framework is clear that qualifications must reflect what students know, understand and can do at the time of their assessment.

Throughout any strike action, schools and colleges should take the necessary steps to ensure that students are supported and prepared for their exams, this may include prioritising school places for exam year students or offering catch up lessons and additional revision sessions.

The department does not specifically collect data on school days lost due to high temperatures.

It is for individual settings and responsible bodies to determine their approach to closure based on their own risk assessment. Closures should be considered a last resort, and the imperative is for settings to remain open where it is safe to do so.

Schools play an important safeguarding role and access to education remains a priority for pupils’ wellbeing and safety. Settings should seek to remain open and manage high temperatures through practical adjustments, with closure considered only where it is not reasonable or safe for pupils and staff.

Where settings are temporarily closed, they should provide remote education for the duration of the closure, in line with departmental guidance. Where possible, pupils should receive regular teaching and interaction with teachers, including live or structured input alongside independent work.

The government encourages the highest standards of animal welfare at slaughter and would prefer all animals to be stunned before slaughter, but we respect the rights of people to eat meat prepared in accordance with their religious beliefs. All school food must meet minimum UK animal welfare standards.

Mainstream school and high needs budgets have increased by £3.7 billion in 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. Overall schools funding will total £65.3 billion in the 2025/26 academic year (AY) compared to £61.6 billion in the 2024/25 AY. The Spending Review announced that core schools funding, including investment in special educational needs and disabilities, will rise to £69.5 billion by the 2028/29 AY.

Schools decide how to spend from their funding allocations, taking into account their pupils’ needs and they are able to purchase adrenaline auto-injectors out of the funding we provide to them. The department has announced that we will be inviting pharmacists to work with us to make these life-saving devices as easily and cheaply available to schools as possible.

I am delighted that many Indian students come to study in UK institutions and have done so for decades, enhancing our educational, diplomatic, political and business relationships, which is why India is one of the priority countries in our International Education Strategy 2026. Amongst other things, DBT’s International Education team has organised four education trade missions to India since 2020. One of the outcomes of this activity has been the signing of the UK-India MoU on the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQs) in 2022, which is seeing a step change in UK-India university partnerships. As part of the International Education Strategy, we engage with the alumni network, led by the British Council, as a further means to promote trade and investment opportunities.

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.

On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/

It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.

Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

The Government is committed to delivering the healthiest generation of children ever.  The National Health Service is responsible for meeting the health needs of children and young people diagnosed with an illness or medical condition, including long term conditions.

On 5 February Standardising community health services – core component descriptions was published, and is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/

It includes the core components of a special school nursing service and community children's nursing service. This document is primarily to support integrated care boards’ strategic commissioning of Community Health Services.

Within this document, NHS England outlines the core responsibilities of these services, including their role in supporting children with medical conditions to access education settings.

The department does not hold this information.

There is no place for antisemitism in our society.

On 18 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. It will examine whether institutions have the right systems to identify and address antisemitism and prejudice effectively. The review will be launched as soon as possible.

The department has already committed £7 million to support programmes that build confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across schools, colleges and universities.

Teachers should not promote partisan political views and should present issues in a factual, balanced way so that pupils can learn how to think critically and independently. We have published guidance for schools on political impartiality, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.

Universities must have strong systems to prevent and address harassment. Under Condition E6, providers must implement clear policies for preventing, investigating and responding to harassment of all kinds. If the Office for Students finds a breach of E6, it can use a range of sanctions, including financial penalties and de-registration.

There is no place for antisemitism in our society.

On 18 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a review into antisemitism in schools and colleges. It will examine whether institutions have the right systems to identify and address antisemitism and prejudice effectively. The review will be launched as soon as possible.

The department has already committed £7 million to support programmes that build confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across schools, colleges and universities.

Teachers should not promote partisan political views and should present issues in a factual, balanced way so that pupils can learn how to think critically and independently. We have published guidance for schools on political impartiality, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools.

Universities must have strong systems to prevent and address harassment. Under Condition E6, providers must implement clear policies for preventing, investigating and responding to harassment of all kinds. If the Office for Students finds a breach of E6, it can use a range of sanctions, including financial penalties and de-registration.