All Religious and Charity Workers applications are considered on their individual merits against the Immigration Rules that are relevant to the routes. Should a concern be identified during the consideration of the application, then an assessment of their genuineness will be undertaken. Often this is through interviewing the individual to test the credibility of their intentions to undertake the role applied for which may lead to the refusal of their application.

The circumstances that would normally lead to the suspension or revocation of a sponsor licence, or any other compliance action are set out in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors.

All Religious and Charity Workers applications are considered on their individual merits against the Immigration Rules that are relevant to the routes. Should a concern be identified during the consideration of the application, then an assessment of their genuineness will be undertaken. Often this is through interviewing the individual to test the credibility of their intentions to undertake the role applied for which may lead to the refusal of their application.

The circumstances that would normally lead to the suspension or revocation of a sponsor licence, or any other compliance action are set out in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors.

Each Sponsor’s allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship is subject to an ‘eligible role’ assessment, which includes a consideration of the need and credibility of a particular role against the organisation’s profile. Genuineness checks are also undertaken as part of the worker’s application for permission as per the Immigration Rules which take into account the intentions and ability of an individual to undertake the role and form part of ongoing compliance assessments post-decision.

All Religious and Charity Workers sponsors must hold charitable status; all sponsor licence applications are assessed against published guidance and all worker applications are assessed against the Immigration Rules, If any concerns relating to the management of a Sponsor Licence are raised we will take the appropriate action.

While Sponsorship compliance is similar across all the sponsored routes, there are Immigration Rules that are specific to the Religious and Charity worker routes, such as the requirement that applicants under Religious Worker must perform religious duties to support the activities of the religious institution, and applicants under the Charity Worker route must undertake unpaid voluntary fieldwork.

Each Sponsor’s allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship is subject to an ‘eligible role’ assessment, which includes a consideration of the need and credibility of a particular role against the organisation’s profile. Genuineness checks are also undertaken as part of the worker’s application for permission as per the Immigration Rules which take into account the intentions and ability of an individual to undertake the role and form part of ongoing compliance assessments post-decision.

All Religious and Charity Workers sponsors must hold charitable status; all sponsor licence applications are assessed against published guidance and all worker applications are assessed against the Immigration Rules, If any concerns relating to the management of a Sponsor Licence are raised we will take the appropriate action.

While Sponsorship compliance is similar across all the sponsored routes, there are Immigration Rules that are specific to the Religious and Charity worker routes, such as the requirement that applicants under Religious Worker must perform religious duties to support the activities of the religious institution, and applicants under the Charity Worker route must undertake unpaid voluntary fieldwork.

The government recognises the important role that a broad and balanced curriculum plays in supporting pupils' health, wellbeing and preparation for adult life.

Relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) provides the statutory framework for teaching pupils about healthy relationships, sexual health and wellbeing. This is complemented by subjects such as science and religious education which provide relevant knowledge and opportunities for discussion from different disciplinary perspectives.

In science, pupils learn about the biological aspects of sexual health including human reproduction, fertility, and sexually transmitted infections. This knowledge helps pupils to understand their own development, make informed decisions and supports the understanding needed for healthy relationships and sexual wellbeing throughout their lives. Religious education can also support pupils' understanding by exploring different beliefs, values and ethical perspectives relating to relationships and family life

The government is continuing its programme of National Curriculum and GCSE reform. Proposals for the national curriculum and assessment system will be subject to public consultation.

The government values and recognises the importance of all subjects, including religious education (RE). There were 15,781 teachers of RE in 2025/26.

As a consequence of a more favourable supply forecast, the recruitment need for RE fell for 2026/27. There were 492 postgraduate RE ITT trainees in 2025/26, the highest number of RE postgraduate ITT entrants since 2020/21.

The department reviews the need for initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries annually and will consider RE alongside all other subjects.

Further information is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication, including information on the proportion of timetabled hours delivered by specialist teachers for each subject and key stage for secondary schools at national level. The latest available figures for RE by key stage are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0326e399-7e8d-40ac-e607-08df06afb6ab.

The Government is clear that protecting the right of all faith communities to worship freely and without fear is fundamental.

In 2026/27, the Government has made available a record £77.4 million available for the Home Office’s protective security schemes for faith communities. Funding allocations are determined on the basis of police data, threat assessments and wider security advice, helping to ensure that support is targeted towards communities facing the greatest risks from terrorism, hate crime and wider security threats. This vital work sits alongside wider Government measures to strengthen the protection of communities and to tackle hatred in all its forms.

We continue to work closely with policing, security and other partners to monitor the threat picture and strengthen protections for communities where necessary. Funding allocations and protective security arrangements remain under review and will continue to be informed by the latest assessments of risk and operational need.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

The department does not routinely gather data on individual schools’ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.

School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ‘Developing school uniform policy, which sets out schools’ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.

The department’s guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.

Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities.

The Government is funding Inter Faith Week 2026, which provides a national platform for organisations and communities across England to come together, strengthen relationships between different faith and belief communities, and deliver joint interfaith activity. This funding supports the development of joint faith infrastructure by enabling organisations to collaborate and build connections through shared activity, including through a new microgrant scheme for grassroots organisations.

More broadly, the Government supports interfaith activity taking place in communities, including through programmes such as Near Neighbours and the Common Ground Resilience Fund. These programmes support local organisations to bring communities together, build relationships across faith and belief groups and strengthen community cohesion.

The Government continues to engage with the faith and belief sector as it considers the future of interfaith co-ordination in England, as faith is a devolved matter.

I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 4 September to Question 26201.