The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 3rd February 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 16 September 2025 (UIN HL10060), what plans they have to amend the International Education Strategy; and what the anticipated timeline for the publication of a revised strategy is.
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The Bishop of Manchester asked a question on support for music and drama heritage in the UK on 28th January 2026, during a discussion on funding of the Music and Dance Scheme for schools to support children from families with lower incomes:
The Lord Bishop of Manchester: My Lords, I declare my interest: I might myself have the voice of a frog but I have Chetham’s School of Music, which provides wonderful choristers for my cathedral. Does the Minister agree with me that there seems to be an anomaly? Last week the Government were able to announce significant money over four or five years for the built heritage of this country. However, when it comes to an equally important part of our heritage, our music and drama heritage, we are told that the most we can expect is another year and then, perhaps, later on, something longer. Why can we not have a similar length of settlement for the music and dance schools now as we had for the built heritage last week?
Continue reading “Bishop of Manchester asks about funding for music and drama education”On 19th January 2026, the House of Lords debated the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which Bishops took part. The Bishop of Manchester also tabled his own amendments to the bill:
The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on investment in early years education on 14th January 2026:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of investment in early years education on children’s long-term outcomes, including attainment, employability, and wellbeing.
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The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham received the following written answer on 5th January 2025:
The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of arts-based courses at universities and colleges on the culture and economy of towns and cities.
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The Bishop of Derby asked a question on ensuring pathways for women and girls to pursue careers in the tech field on 18th December 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Derby: My Lords, I warmly welcome the recent launch of the Women in Tech Taskforce and commend this Government on recognising the important contribution that women and girls make to the technology sector in particular. What steps are being taken to ensure that the TechYouth programme, part of the wider TechFirst programme, opens pathways to support and encourages young women and girls in further education and vocational training who are interested in pursuing apprenticeships and careers in this field?
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The Bishop of Portsmouth made his maiden speech on 4th December 2025 during a debate on the Autumn Budget, focusing on children and education:
The Lord Bishop of Portsmouth: I thank the Minister for his opening speech in this debate on the Budget. In this maiden speech, I want to thank all noble Lords for their warm welcome to the House, and to thank the doorkeepers and parliamentary staff for their unfailing kindness, good humour and patience with lost Bishops, and for the support they gave in the run-up to my introduction in late October.
As Bishop of Portsmouth, I lead a vibrant, confident community of communities. The Anglican diocese of Portsmouth lives from a generous, grounded and corrigible faith, a commitment to collaboration and partnership, and a vision of the common good which includes everyone. Wonderfully, in my view, the motto for the city of Portsmouth is “Heaven’s Light Our Guide”.
Working in partnership with neighbours within the wider Christian community, and with the faith communities and voluntary and statutory sectors, the communities I lead are resolved to serve the people, neighbourhoods and communities of East Hampshire, the city of Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, to find what is good and to strengthen it, and to work with others for the flourishing of everyone.
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The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on the role of Ofsted’s new education framework in facilitating education on harmful online materials on 4th December 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, given the Church of England’s role in education, I welcome the age limits introduced for harmful material sites. However, it is very hard to police the use of VPNs, and thus education is likely to be needed in a great deal of cases, as well as enforcement. What role will Ofsted’s new framework play in ensuring that statutory relationships, sex and health education is delivered effectively with regard to this matter?
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about education on harmful online materials”The Bishop of Norwich asked about the need for other educational provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities, during a discussion on SEND budget funding on 3rd December 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, does the Minister agree that, when there is not enough support for SEND pupils in a classroom, it has a major impact on other pupils in the classroom and on teachers themselves, some of whom are leaving the profession because of the stresses they are under? Does the Minister agree that sometimes it is in other educational provision, such as forest school and play, that these children can really thrive?
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The Bishop of London asked a question on the importance of religious education following a government statement on the curriculum and assessment review on 10th November 2025:
The Lord Bishop of London: My Lords, we are living in an increasingly complex world, and the study of religious education is critical in helping young people to navigate it. The need for understanding and dialogue across different faith groups and worldviews is increasingly obvious. The Church of England has welcomed the scrapping of the EBacc, because it has positive implications for religious education. At present, schools with a religious character provide the most comprehensive RE in the country. Will the Government commit to ensuring that these new proposals do not undermine this or the historic role that churches have in providing education in England?
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