Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to ensure that all academy schools, their leaders, boards of directors, advisers and heads of department, adhere to all aspects of equality legislation in the UK.
Answered by Lord Nash
Academy trusts, and the academies they run, are required to adhere to all aspects of equality legislation. The Department’s model funding agreement for academy trusts, available on GOV.UK, states that the academy trust must ensure the academy promotes principles that support equality of opportunity for all. The Education Funding Agency is responsible, on behalf of the Secretary of State, for holding academy trusts to account for meeting the terms of their funding agreements.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether all disabled pupils are guaranteed face-to-face one-to-one access to disability-trained independent careers advisers as part of the statutory duty and guidance for careers advice in schools; and how careers advice in schools will raise the aspirations and work expectancy of disabled pupils.
Answered by Lord Nash
Schools should secure face-to-face advice and guidance where it is the most suitable support for young people to make successful transitions. The statutory guidance for schools makes it clear that this is likely to be particularly useful for pupils with special educational needs (SEN), learning difficulties or disabilities; and that this group of pupils should receive advice about all of the education, training and employment opportunities on offer and information on the full range of specialist provision.
The statutory guidance also emphasises the need for schools to have high aspirations for all pupils with SEN, learning difficulties or disabilities. It requires schools to work with local authorities around the provision of specialist support services. Where a student has an Education, Health and Care Plan, this must include a focus on preparing for adulthood, including employment, independent living and participation in society. The Government encourages schools to have closer links with employers who will help inspire all pupils about the world of work.
Asked by: Baroness Uddin (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, based on the most recent data available, how many and what proportion of people with a special educational needs (SEN) statement are from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds; how many and what proportion of people with SEN but without a statement are BME; how many and what proportion of people with an autism spectrum disorder who possess an SEN statement are BME; how many and what proportion of people with an autism spectrum disorder but without an SEN statement are BME; and how the figures have changed over the past three years.
Answered by Lord Nash
The available information is given in the table.
Number and percentage of compulsory school age pupils(1), (2) and those with a primary need of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, with special educational needs (SEN) and ethnicity(3) , January 2011 to January 2013
All pupils | Pupils with a primary need | |||||
Total | BME(4) | Percentage | Total | BME(4) | Percentage | |
Statement of | ||||||
2011 | 203,560 | 43,990 | 21.6 | 40,080 | 9,180 | 22.9 |
2012 | 204,165 | 46,195 | 22.6 | 42,140 | 10,105 | 24.0 |
2013 | 206,060 | 48,495 | 23.5 | 44,585 | 11,165 | 25.0 |
SEN without a | ||||||
2011 | 1,305,930 | 333,455 | 25.5 | .. | .. | .. |
2012 | 1,242,160 | 325,195 | 26.2 | .. | .. | .. |
2013 | 1,166,095 | 309,990 | 26.6 | .. | .. | .. |
Of which School | ||||||
2011 | 455,480 | 107,175 | 23.5 | 17,465 | 2,620 | 15.0 |
2012 | 440,410 | 107,335 | 24.4 | 19,615 | 3,125 | 15.9 |
2013 | 424,075 | 105,330 | 24.8 | 21,185 | 3,525 | 16.6 |
Source: School Census
.. not available
Figures rounded to the nearest 5.
(1) Includes sole or dual main registrations at state-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools.
(2) Ethnicity is only collected for children who are of compulsory school age.
(3) Ethnicity is unreported for around 2% of pupils.
(4) Black and minority ethnic groups (BME) includes all reported ethnicities excluding White British.
(5) Primary need is only collected for pupils at School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational need.
Figures are published annually in the Statistical First Release ‘Special Educational Needs in England' and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2013.